By Nancy Hopkins, MVP Tourism Award Winner, Hastings County 2017 HOTie Awards

In truth, the award is a reflection of the great amount of work everybody puts into Country Roads. We have an extremely dedicated staff that is committed not just to the magazine but also to presenting the best Hastings County has to offer.

The annual Hastings County Tourism Awards were presented on Oct. 23 by the County of Hastings. The event recognized the tourism businesses, organizations and individuals who made significant achievements from September, 2016 to August, 2017.

Congratulations to fellow award winners – Tweed & Company Theatre, Champion of the Year; and the Municipality of Tweed, Event of the Year for its Farm to Table community dinner.

Country Roads staff in attendance at the awards included (L to R) Hope McFall, North Sales Representative; Lorraine Gibson-Alcock, Central Sales Representative; John Hopkins, Co-Publisher; Michelle Annette Tremblay, Feature Writer & Digital Edit… — Country Roads staff in attendance at the awards included (L to R) Hope McFall, North Sales Representative; Lorraine Gibson-Alcock, Central Sales Representative; John Hopkins, Co-Publisher; Michelle Annette Tremblay, Feature Writer & Digital Editor; Jozef VanVeenen, Graphic Design Director. We thank them and the many other Country Roads contributors who were not in attendance for their talents and dedication to the magazine and Hastings County. PHOTO BY DOUG ALCOCK

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Featured

The Country Roads Photo Contest!

Please note the COUNTRY ROADS PHOTO CONTEST IS CLOSED. Click for more details.

The Unique Shops & Services of Stirling-Rawdon

Check out all that beautiful Stirling-Rawdon has to offer. Specialty shops and services, dining, events, and much more. CONTACT EACH BUSINESS FOR THEIR CURRENT OPERATING CONDITIONS.

Go Buff for the afternoon at the Stirling Water Buffalo Festival

The Country Roads Art Scene

Click here to find out more about THE ART SCENE in eastern Ontario. Browse the details of tours, artists, galleries and more.

Summer 2019: Events in Hastings County

There is so much happening in Hastings County! Check out our list of events, music, theatre and arts venues, or submit your event so we can share it with our readers!

Maynooth & Hastings Highlands

Hope's Kitchen: Braised Lamb Shanks

Lamb shanks are my favourite thing to order in a restaurant. This recipe is so good that I may never go out to have them again…absolutely delicious! The perfect dinner for company and so easy.

Autumn warms Farmtown Park up for Christmas

Margaret Grotek, Manager at Farmtown Park says that once the park closes on September 30th, it’s an all hands-on focus as they immediately turn their attention toward their annual Christmas event, “the Festival of Trees.” While they get ready for this event, they have also rented their facilities, especially for weddings that she says are “extremely popular in September.”

Hope's Kitchen: Lemon Posset

As summer slips away I still crave the taste of a citrusy dessert...and this one is the best! It’s so easy and so delicious. At a dinner party that I hosted I looked down my table to see one of the guests licking out the dish...I mouthed, “Would you like more?” His response was to close his eyes and nod yes. Perfection.

Stirling Agricultural Fair: 160 Years of Fair-Rooted Tradition

Mark your calendar for August 17-19 and attend the 160th anniversary of the Stirling Agricultural Fair! Among this year’s roster is the return of the Blacksmith Show, and a new Mini-horse Chuck-wagon event. There is a strong-man competition that will run over two days. While the midway is provided by Homeniuk Rides Inc., these other exhibits are self-run, with an emphasis on family fun. The line-up features many traditional standards such as the Beef, Goat and 4-H Shows, the Big Daddy Derby (an old-fashioned derby, where guys and gals, smash their car wrecks for prize money)…

Hope's Kitchen: Summer Slaw

One of my favourite summer salads is a slaw made from three of the cabbage family members: cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts. It is great to take to a potluck and it stays fresh for days in the fridge. If you have a food processor or mandolin it takes very little time to make.

Hope's Kitchen: Coconut Spiked Squash Soup

It still has the feeling of winter and nothing is better for a weekend lunch than a bowl of homemade soup. This coconut-spiked squash soup is so easy that children can help make it (and eat it!!). If by chance there is any leftover (not likely...) it can be frozen for up to 2 weeks. YUM!

Stirling-Rawdon Exhibits Style at their 4th Annual Home & Lifestyle Expo

This year, Sydney Dodson of the Township of Stirling-Rawdon has organized an exceptional event that will once again showcase local home and lifestyle options. The 4th annual Home and Lifestyle Expo will be held April 27, 5:30 – 8 p.m., and April 28 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Stirling Rawdon & District Recreation Centre, located at 435 West Front Street. And, as in previous years, this Expo is sure to have something to offer everyone. For those new to visiting the arena, please be assured that the arena offers ample free parking, a fully accessible entrance and washrooms, with a canteen for purchase of burgers and hot dogs for the kids.

HASTINGS COUNTY 2017 MVP TOURISM AWARD

As publisher of Country Roads, receiving the 2017 MVP Tourism Award at the Hastings County Awards Celebration held recently at the Village Playhouse in Bancroft was a tremendous and humbling honour. In truth, the award is a reflection of the great amount of work everybody puts into Country Roads. We have an extremely dedicated staff that is committed not just to the magazine but also to presenting the best Hastings County has to offer...

12 Amazing Reasons to Advertise with Country Roads

You'll want to advertise with us right away when you read this.

Looking to reach your target market? Country Roads is informative, respected, and reaches over 270,000* readers annually. Here are 12 more reasons why you want to advertise with Country Roads...

Hope's Kitchen: Mediterranean Olive Bread

If you have never made bread, figured out how yeast works or don’t want to do all that kneading then this recipe is for you. The only thing that you really need is time and then you will have the most wonderful artisanal bread. Friends will ask what bakery made it.

The Old Tin Shed's New Adventure

If you've ever spent time shopping in Bancroft, you're probably well aware of The Old Tin Shed on Sherbourne Street. Opened by mother-daugher team Janis and Dagny Whitehead in 2002, the shop represents over 200 artists and suppliers. Well, now they've found something very interesting: a new home. The Whiteheads are moving to Nova Scotia, where they have found a beautiful new place to live. Not to worry though, they will continue to operate The Old Tin Shed from a distance, with the help of their awesome staff. And they tell us they will still visit Bancroft frequently...

A life well-lived: Dr. Russell Scott a brilliant man with multiple interests

As I was to discover, Dr. Scott was an exceptional individual — a true visionary who was the principal reason why Lavalée was ahead of its time. Little wonder that the attractions and facilities found on the extensive Scott property that straddled Faraday and Wollaston Townships surpassed the competition.

Old Bush Days: Billa Flint a Heavyweight of Hastings County

By Barry Penhale -- Yet another source of interesting background to Flint may be found in the writings of Nila Reynolds. In “Bancroft: A Bonanza of Memories”, she informs readers of how the community of York River, with a post office since May 1, 1861, became officially known as Bancroft solely due to the enormous political clout of one Billa Flint — Senator Flint, if you please...

Celebrate with Country Roads #Canada150HastingsCounty

2017 marks the 150th Anniversary of Canada. Country Roads magazine will celebrate with editorial that shines a spotlight on Hastings County and its importance to this great country. Watch for special articles and celebrations throughout our 2017 issues.

Just listening to Wildgen's 'Just Sayin' [audio]

if you enjoy Shelley Wildgen's column 'Just Saying,' you're in for a treat because Loyalist College Alternative Radio is airing audio versions of 'Just Saying.' Tune in at Loyalist College Alternative Radio 91x to hear Shelley reading selections from her column. Or listen here!

Congratulations Paula S! Thanks for taking our survey!

We want to express a great big thank you to Paula and everyone else who took time out of their day to complete our online survey. Your feedback is so valuable to us, and helps us provide all the Hastings County content you love. If you haven't done the survey yet, don't worry, you can still complete it here.

On The Autumn Horizon: The Intimate Studio Tours of Rural Artscapes

The Bancroft Apsley and Tweed studio tours provide a truly unique experience for art lovers. Not only do they get to explore this majestic region of eastern Ontario during its most aesthetically vibrant season and immerse themselves in art, they also get to connect with the creators in their own studios. Often, upon arrival, visitors enter the very landscapes that have inspired the art they admire.

Don't miss out - sign up for the Country Roads Newsletter today!

Do you love the featured articles in Country Roads? Are you interested in what's happening around Hastings County? Then hurry, hurry, hurry, and sign up for our newsletter! Delivered straight to your inbox, our newsletter contains top stories from our magazine and posts from our blog, as well as updates about Hastings County news and events, special offers, and more.

Country Roads Writer Awarded Harriett Tubman Award

Country Roads contributor Barry Penhale and his wife Jane Gibson were recently honoured with The Harriet Tubman Award – Commitment to a Purpose at the Ontario Black History Society Black History Month Kick-Off Brunch in Toronto Jan. 31. Penhale and Gibson have been involved in a variety of Ontario-based race relations initiatives dating back to the 1950s.

Unfinished Business: War ended Pepper’s career too soon

Residents of downtown Belleville awoke to an unusual sight on the morning of Labour Day, 1936. If they lived on Yeomans, Moira, Everett or Catharine Streets, they found snow fencing and haybales in front of their homes, lining the roadways. If there was any confusion as to the purpose of these barriers, it would be erased soon enough by the cacophony of 35 motorcycle engines leaving the startline as the inaugural Canadian 200-Mile Motorcycle Roadrace got underway.

Lost Channel: Well-Worth Exploring

Perhaps “off the beaten path” truly sums up the ghost town of Lost Channel better than any other phrase. This somewhat hidden landmark, though easily accessible to the east of Highway #37, along the Lost Channel Road south of Tweed, can indeed be considered the entranceway to a scenic region uniquely its own — a fascinating area that resonates with reminders of the past that many other parts of Ontario would be hard pressed to match.

It's Easy to Subscribe to Country Roads

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Subscribing to Country Roads ensures that you will receive your very own copy of the latest issue, delivered right to your mailbox. Subscribe by email, regular mail or by phone.

Tune into our Community - Check out our Video Library

Click here for videos about life in Hastings County

With so much happening in Hastings County it's not surprising that people have been capturing the beauty of everyday life in Hastings on video. Check out local food, entertainment, lifestyle and tourism segments in our new video library.

Blog Seed

HASTINGS COUNTY 2017 MVP TOURISM AWARD

More From The CR Blog

Country Roads, Celebrating Life in Hastings County

AREA INFO

Hastings County
North Hastings
Quinte West
Centre Hastings

CULTURE & TOURISM

Historical Society
Arts Route
Bay of Quinte Tourism
Ontario's Highlands

ENVIRONMENT

Harvest Hastings
Quinte Conservation
Crowe Valley Conservation
Bancroft Stewardship Council

CONTACT US

COUNTRY ROADS
114 TWEEDSMUIR CRESCENT
THOMASBURG, ON
K0K 3H0
P: 613 968-0499

Blog Seed

More From The CR Blog

Country Roads, Celebrating Life in Hastings County

AREA INFOHastings CountyNorth HastingsQuinte WestCentre Hastings

CULTURE & TOURISMHistorical SocietyArts RouteBay of Quinte TourismOntario's Highlands

ENVIRONMENTHarvest HastingsQuinte ConservationCrowe Valley ConservationBancroft Stewardship Council

CONTACT USCOUNTRY ROADS114 TWEEDSMUIR CRESCENTTHOMASBURG, ONK0K 3H0P: 613 968-0499

AREA INFO

Hastings County
North Hastings
Quinte West
Centre Hastings

CULTURE & TOURISM

Historical Society
Arts Route
Bay of Quinte Tourism
Ontario's Highlands

ENVIRONMENT

Harvest Hastings
Quinte Conservation
Crowe Valley Conservation
Bancroft Stewardship Council

CONTACT US

COUNTRY ROADS
114 TWEEDSMUIR CRESCENT
THOMASBURG, ON
K0K 3H0
P: 613 968-0499