The Date Almanac
An early-summer day around Coldwater
Strawberry picking, Hardwood Ski and Bike, and a local market
Begin with strawberry picking at Ego's Nurseries, then Hardwood Ski and Bike a few minutes on, and finish at the Severn market. 4 stops, none more than 17 km apart, all around Coldwater.
- 1
Pick the patch · Coldwater
Ego's Nurseries
Family-run nursery and garden centre going since 1975, with the area's deep bench of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, walkable display gardens, and a farm market selling their own produce.
- 2
Walk it off
Hardwood Ski and Bike
Over 100 km of one-way mountain bike trails plus a pump track and disc golf in the warm months, and roughly 40 km of groomed cross-country ski loops through hardwood and pine forest in winter, with rentals on site.
- 3
Shop and refuel · Severn
Orillia Fairgrounds Farmers' Market
A certified Saturday market where more than half the vendors are farmers or producers and everyone grows, bakes, or makes what they sell, running year-round with produce, baked goods, crafts and food trucks.
- 4
A bit of history
Mnjikaning Fish Weirs
Wooden fish weirs sunk into the Narrows between Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching, among the oldest human-made structures in Canada at roughly 5,000 years old and noted by Champlain in 1615; managed by Rama First Nation.
Before you go
- Confirm Ego's Nurseries is open and in season the day you go; what is ready shifts week to week.
- Bring water and bug spray for the walk at Hardwood Ski and Bike; the footing is easy but shaded and buggy in summer.
- The Severn market runs limited days and hours, so check its schedule before you build the day around it, and bring cash.
A free day out from the Home Almanac. Every stop is a verified place; days change with the season, so print it the week you go. Data (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, openstreetmap.org/copyright.