Stunning architecture. Fresh, local food and drinks. And the former home of one of Canada’s best-known writers. Not to mention trendy artists, family-friendly golf, a cool cabin in the woods, friendly alpacas, and a sunflower farm guaranteed to light up your social media accounts.
I recently spent two days and a night in surprising North Durham Region. I was blown away by the creativity and cooperative spirit of local business people, as well as by their artistry and passion. Several times I found myself wondering if this region, which is less than an hour from Toronto, could become as popular with day-trippers as Prince Edward County is with overnight guests from the city.
The local tourism folks also are making it easy by creating two local, self-guided tours: Back Roads of Brock and the Leaskdale Loop. You also can be assured of buying fresh, local food by checking out the Durham Farm Fresh program, which has more than five dozen participating farms.
Today I’ll look at the Back Roads of Brock. My Leaskdale Loop story will come later.
Don’t forget that the Ontario government is offering “staycation” tax credits for stays at registered hotels, inns and resorts in 2022.
BACK ROADS OF BROCK
Forget-Me-Not Alpaca Farm, Beaverton, Durham Region, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Forget-Me-Not Alpaca Farm
1595 Concession Road 3, Beaverton
This is a delightful place if you enjoy interacting with, and learning about, animals. Sandra Bannon showed me around for roughly an hour, allowing me to feed a few of them as we strolled around the grounds.
Bannon explains that raising alpacas (they sell the fleece to a company in New Brunswick) is still a cottage industry in Canada, but that it’s growing in popularity. She estimates there might be three dozen alpaca farms across the country.
Before we take a tour, Bannon shows me the sizeable fencing they had to construct to keep out the coyotes and bears (who would likely be after the alpaca feed, not the animals themselves). She also has a pair of generously-sized Pyrenees dogs, who are nocturnal and help keep predators away.
She also issues some general guidance.
“Alpacas don’t like to be petted. And don’t approach them from behind. They do spit, but that’s usually at each other. You can feed them by holding your hand out flat. They only have two teeth on top so they don’t bite.”
Bannon rhymes off the names of the various animals, who are often segregated by sex in their outdoor pens. They’re originally from the Andes Mountains of South America , so they don’t mind cold weather. But they’ll head to the barn if it’s super-cold or quite warm, which they’re not accustomed to in the mountains.
“If it’s really hot I’ll get the hose out. They get really excited when that happens.”
Getting back to the spitting, ,Bannon tells me it usually happens when two males are fighting over a female alpaca.
“When that happens I break it up by using a Super Soaker on them. They think I’m spitting at them.”
Bannon shows off some cozy socks and other goods that customers can buy at the farm, or on-line.
“The fleece is very soft; like merino wool.”
The socks look and feel fantastic. Maybe the alpacas don’t need them in winter, but I think they’d come in handy for us humans.
The Sunflower Farm, Beaverton, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The Sunflower Farm
24430 Side Road 17, Beaverton
Ursula Kressibucher grew up on her parents’ farm near Beaverton.
“I wanted to work in corporate world but I kept getting rejected in Toronto. I had to make up a job for myself,” so she came up with the sunflower farm idea.
Kressibrucher also has worked as a ski instructor in Switzerland, and worked for a charitable group in Ecuador.
It wasn’t easy to convince her parents it would work, but she started leasing 10 acres from them. That has grown to 20 and includes several types of sunflowers, including white ones and deeply coloured Mexican red sunflowers.
She grows the flowers for seeds, but also knows much they’re in demand for photographers and social media fans. She’s now got a large, grassy parking lot to accommodate all the visitors.
“If you see the field from the area, it’s actually shaped like a sunflower,” Kressibucher tells me. Pretty clever.
She’s also got a small outdoor shop selling t-shirts and cut flowers, as well as old pickup trucks and an aging tractor on site. Again, it’s all very instagrammable.
Kressibrucher has held evening concerts in the field, and also works with The Shortiss to provide picnic baskets for their events. It’s yet another example of local businesses working hand in hand, and it’s great to see.
Villa Vida Loca bunky, Sunderland, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Villa Vida Loca
13350 Highway 12, Sunderland
It’s hard to know where to start when you’re trying to describe this place to people. The owners, Brian and Ann own a house on Highway 12 just south of Sunderland. Out back they’ve built a bunky with a loft, a sofa, coffee maker and a small fridge that you can rent for the night, with a shower tent out back.
Brian will likely come by and light a campfire for you. They also will invite you for a shared meal if you wish, possibly on their patio. When I was there recently we had a terrific grilled steak, grilled shrimp, salad and more. Brian also poured me a local beer, offered a glass of wine, and shared some of his favourite tequila.
Guests also can use the family hot tub or their swimming pool. They’re building a camping spot for those who want to spend the night in a tent. . But that’s just the beginning. They also have the Villa Vida Loca Farm Market, which sells farm fresh eggs, maple syrup, hot sauces, honey, candles, and other goodies.
Saturdays and Sundays (in season) they open a Smoke Shack for barbeque brisket, ribs and other treats, and they also have cooking demos for those who want to learn great barbeque techniques. As well, there’s a multi-course gastronomic event with local chef Alex Page, with themes such as French cuisine, Italian or even a “Wild Mushroom Foray and Cookout.”
On top of that is “The Cauldron,” an outdoor cooking event where you can bring your picnic blanket for a pig roast, Mexican cookout or an evening of Caribbean food. They keep goats and chickens, too, so it’s a fun place to take the kids.
Oh, did I mention the yoga-chakra-eco garden?
The Shortiss Cafe, Beaverton, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The Shortiss Café
379 Simcoe St., Beaverton
This is a terrific café with an urban feel that wouldn’t be out of place in Gastown in Vancouver or West Queen West in Toronto. They make everything from croissants and muffins to quiche and cookies (try the chocolate chip with sea salt). They also have drinks of the month such as beetroot lattes, as well as coffee.
Picnic, brunch, high tea & lunch hampers/boxes are available for preorders. They sent me home with one and it was packed with delicious goodies, including fruit, veggies, hummus and local meats and cheeses.
The building was moved here from another Beaverton location in 1885. It’s in the heart of downtown Beaverton, which has quietly become quite trendy.
Harriet Drake, White’s Pick Your Own Flowers, Beaverton, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
White’s Creek Pick Your Own Flowers
1125 Concession Road 3, Beaverton
Owner Harriet Drake has a small (one-third acre) but mighty garden growing just outside of Beaverton, with vibrant zinnia, dahlia, gladiolus, cornflowers, and many, many more. In early spring she’s got thousands of tulips, with dozens of peonies blooming later.
“I came up with the idea of people cutting their own flowers as there was no florist in town,” she tells me. “I thought about opening a tea room but I don’t bake.”
It’s $25 to cut your own flowers and form your own bouquet, which is quite reasonable.
Drake gives me a quick lesson on cutting zinnias.
“This one’s wobbly,” she explains, giving a tall red zinnia a shake. “Look for ones with a strong stalk and then cut low.”
Drake says the flowers are good for customers, but also for bees and monarch butterflies, which I spot dancing around her garden on a delightful, warm summer’s morning.
In addition to the flowers, she runs a pretty shop with gift cards painted by a local artist, as well as other locally made crafts. She also offers yoga in the garden.
“I don’t know if it’s an expensive hobby or a business,” she says with a laugh.
Drake was instrumental in setting up the Back Roads of Brock program, which only began this year.
“We wanted to keep it small and manageable, mostly with artists and agritourism people. There are only ten businesses right now, and it costs $150 to join. Brian from Villa Vida Loca in Sunderland did the brochures for us.”
“COVID really changed things for us,” she tells me. “People from the city really want to experience things.”
OTHER GREAT STOPS IN NORTH DURHAM REGION
Colleen and Evelyn Pocock, Underground Bake Shop, Beaverton, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Underground Bake Shop
425 Mara Road, Beaverton
Twenty-four-year-old Evelyn Pocock (full disclosure: a long-time family friend who I didn’t know had a business in the region until I arrived) began baking goodies in her parents’ basement in Toronto during the pandemic. As things got busier, she opted to quit her barista job in the city and move to Beaverton, where the family has had a cottage for years. Her dad helped her design the shop and helps makes bread, while her mom also lends a hand. The kitchen is quite large and is in behind the store, so everything is made fresh and in-house. “We aim for rustic, homestyle” goodies, Pocock says. Try the cinnamon croissants. She makes their quiche using a buttery croissant dough, so it’s also worth checking out.
They also have freezer meals such as Mac and Cheese, as well as fresh milk and cheese. A drip coffee and pastry are just $5 for early morning risers and city commuters.
“The first couple weeks I couldn’t keep things in stock,” Pocock tells me. “I just wasn’t organized. It was terrible. But the locals were like, “Great! You’re sold out. We’re so happy for you.’”
Pocock says Harriet from White’s Creek sometimes brings fresh flowers in for her to put on the bakery’s tables. It’s a beautifully designed spot that’s been named one of the most Instagram-worthy places in Durham Region.
Cedarhurst Golf Club, Beaverton, Ontario. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Cedarhurst Golf Club
825 Thorah Concession Road 3, Beaverton
This is a lovely, playable course in Beaverton that’s celebrating its 100th year. Club president Jeff Jones and I sit on the patio and order local beers and a bite to eat for lunch as he talks about the club’s history. The first nine holes were designed by renowned Canadian golf architect Stanley Thompson, one of the world’s top golf designers.
They added nine more holes later on to form a par 70 course. It’s open to the public, and there’s a driving range. They recently rebuilt the clubhouse, and it’s a great spot for al fresco dining.
Roadside Country Diner
85-89 River St, Sunderland
A great, old-timey restaurant in a cute town. I had a terrific breakfast with sausage (I think four of them) and eggs, and toast, with good coffee. It’s the sort of place where locals stop in and order their “regular,” and the waitress knows exactly what they mean. I love that.
GETTING AROUND
I was lucky enough to enjoy driving a new Mazda CX-5 SUV around Durham Region when I visited. It’s a tremendous vehicle, with plenty of space for a road trip for a family but also easy to manuevre around the city. The cars have great safety features, look smart, and have an absolutely superb sound system that I quite enjoyed. Two thumbs up.
