By Heather-Anne Wakeling - Tourists travelling through Hastings County always mention the magnificent views. However, with interest in reducing carbon footprints and participating in eco-friendly excursions, vacationers are opting to trade their vehicles for bicycles. As they pedal along Heritage Trails and the TransCanada Highway, otherwise known as Highway 7, people create wonderful memories as they re-discover just how slow travel can unveil our area’s natural beauty in intimate, physical detail.

The beautiful municipality of Marmora & Lake is home to many unique businesses. Check out what you can find from the merchants of Marmora.

Story and photos by Victor Schukov - Natural born artists stand out at a very young age and usually, if not eventually, will display their multiple talents. Lorraine Shalitis was born in Kingston, and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Her Mom often said that Shalitis was painting, drawing and singing before she could even talk.

Stirling-Rawdon is a charming rural community with vibrant towns and hamlets. Explore the many exciting businesses located in this beautiful part of Hastings County.

By Andy Sparling. - Missing two-year-old dogs don’t tend to survive outside for four days and nights in Belleville’s early November weather. But Lucy did. And it looks like Lucy may have made it on foot across a good chunk of southern Hastings County — and back again — before crawling into bed and waking her beloved owner Kristy Sinclair in an almost magical return home.

The Bancroft region offers residents and visitors access to lakes, forests, parks, golf courses, theatres and museums, cultural and sporting events, recreation trails, and is home to many unique businesses. CONTACT EACH BUSINESS TO LEARN THEIR OPERATING CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME. Learn more about this lovely community at www.bancroft.ca

By Barry Penhale- At a neighbourly gathering at our farmhouse, a guest now into her 80s brought up the topic of pen pals — a term that today seems quaint and out-of-fashion. As it turned out our neighbour has kept up a cherished correspondence with two childhood friends for over seventy years. Just imagine the history these three faithful friends have witnessed and documented as they recorded, page by page, their daily experiences, in letters that have regularly made their way across the country. 

Madoc, located in the Community with the Big Heart in the Municipality of Centre Hastings is home to a wide variety of local businesses with exceptional products and services. CONTACT EACH BUSINESS TO LEARN THEIR CURRENT OPERATING CONDITIONS. Learn more about this lovely community at www.centrehastings.com

By Shelley Wildgen - Sleepy, slothy, comfy, cozy… everything that keeps us under the blankets all winter long. Just try to beat that cold-outside-no problem-inside, roll-over-after-the-snooze-alarm charm? Impossible. It’s the bliss enjoyed by all hibernating humans … unless, of course, you’re a morning person, all hopped up because your spring-time fresh season has just arrived!  

One of the highest inhabited areas in Ontario, a short distance North of Bancroft on the way to Algonquin Park, Maynooth is noted for beautiful sunsets, a vibrant art scene, and friendly shop owners. Contact each business to learn their current operating details. To learn more about Maynooth and Hastings Highlands www.hastingshighlands.ca

By John Hopkins - We generally live in a world of trade offs in this part of the country. The price we pay for beautiful summer weather is the aggravation of a wide assortment of pesky bugs. On the other hand, while we deal with the cold, ice and snow of winter, traditionally we have the advantage of an absence of insects. This delicate balance is one of the most maddening, but also strangely beautiful aspects of nature. 

By Angela Hawn.

One need only look at the plethora of annual studio tours, craft shows, galleries and art shops in Hastings County to know that there is plenty of talent out there. These clever and innovative artists and artisans come from all walks of life, some of them born and bred in the area, others are happy to call Hastings County their new home. And lovers of the arts are happy to welcome them. Thinking of setting off on your own art tour? Here are just a few ideas to help get you started. 

By Lindi Pierce - The road heads north through the Cambrian Shield landscape, snaking around wetlands, climbing over rocky outcrops, past ancient maples and pine plantations. 

By Victor Schukov - Born in Tomsk, Siberia, which is a university town of over 500,000 people, Antonia Vassilieva-Durham emigrated from her homeland at the age of 44, with a Ph.D. in microbiology, and extensive experience in the field of agricultural development by bio-technology.