Jane’s Walk Huron 2024

More Than Meets the Eye – Not just one of Canada’s most beautiful villages: Walk down Main Street to Pioneer Park, along Bayfield Terrace and Louisa Street, ending at Clan Gregor Square. Walk leader will describe events and people who once lived along this route.

• Walk leader: Dave Gillians
• Date: May 4, 10-11 a.m. (rain date May 5)
• Meet at: Cenotaph in Clan Gregor Square
• Walk accessibility: Sidewalks on a busy Main Street or paved roads. Family-friendly. Pet-friendly (on leash).

The Hidden Swamp of Howard Street West and Dow: For decades, there was a common right of way here where the Bayfield community could come to get drinking water. Was it a spring? A common well? Unsure, but the right of way ran behind several shared properties between Howard and Dow and remains a bit of a no-man’s land. The older maps of Bayfield show this area as swampland. This walk will dive into the history of this hidden water resource to see what floats. Please come with stories if anyone remembers family members getting water this way.

• Walk leader: Mary Ann Colihan
• Date: May 4, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
• Meet at: 30 Howard St., W., Bayfield
• Walk accessibility: Property backyard is a bit uneven and may be prohibitive to wheelchairs if it has been raining. 

Connecting to the Core: The Blyth BIA has been working to connect key tourist attractions to the business core. Walk from the G2G trailhead to the Blyth Memorial Hall to Cowbell Brewing and learn some of the history of the village along the way.

• Walk leader: David Sparling
• Date: May 4, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
• Meet at: 518 Queen St., Blyth
• Walk accessibility: Grade from G2G to Cowbell and back into Blyth. Pet-friendly (on leash)

Brussels Remembers When: This tour will focus on mid to late 1800s architecture of Heritage Buildings in the Village, as well as the remembrances of main street merchants and personalities of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. A tour down main street will be followed by a showcase of restoration plans for Logan’s Mill, then across the Conservation Park for a brief walk down “Millionaires Row” featuring a neighbourhood of High Victorian and Edwardian House construction.

• Walk leaders: John Rutledge, Paul Nichol & Bill King
• Date: May 4, 10 a.m.
• Meet at: Brussels Library Branch, 402 Turnberry St., Brussels
• Walk accessibility: Fully accessible

Francistown and the Verity Family Business: Bonnie Sitter grew up in the Verity House and knows the rich history of the community once called Francistown.

• Walk leader: Bonnie Sitter
• Date: May 5, 10-11 a.m.
• Meet at: 40 Main St. N., Exeter, in the parking lot located south of Crabby Joe’s, close to the bridge in Exeter. Please do not park on the paved parking lot around the restaurant.
• Walk accessibility: No stairs. No pets.

Heritage Walk on the East Side: Stately Victorian-era homes are located along John and Andrew Streets where many of Exeter’s early business owners resided. A brief history of the homes and their owners will be included during this walk.

• Walk leader: Joanne Bowen & Laurie Dykstra
• Date: May 4, 1-2 p.m.
• Meet at: Exeter Library Branch, 330 Main St. S.
• Walk accessibility: Municipal sidewalks. Family-friendly. No pets please.

Heritage Conservation Districts of the Downtown Core: The civic centre of Goderich is commonly called “The Square,” but it’s not actually a square. The octagon of downtown Goderich represents a rich history and provides a unique commercial hub of entrepreneurial spirit.

• Walk leader: Tanya MacIntyre
• Date: May 5, 2-3 p.m.
• Meet at: Goderich Town Hall, 57 West St., Goderich
• Walk accessibility: Sidewalks with some uneven places. Family-friendly. Pet-friendly (on leash)

Goderich West Side Story – Notable Homes, Notable Families: Explore some the most notable homes in Goderich, beginning and ending at the oldest building in Goderich, the Park House.

• Walk leader: Robert Morris
• Date: May 4 & May 5, 3-4:30 p.m.
• Meet at: Park House Restaurant, 168 West St., Goderich
• Walk accessibility: Flat sidewalk. Circuit route about 2.2 km in length.

Seaforth History: Stroll down Main Street learning about some of the history of the founding of Seaforth and the stories behind the architecture of the beautiful old buildings. The walk will also look at some of the local homes and their unique architectural features.

• Walk leader: Lezley Prokop
• Date: May 5, 12-1 p.m.
• Meet at: Seaforth Library Branch, 108 Main St., S., Seaforth
• Walk accessibility: Municipal street terrain, no hills or stairs. Family-friendly. Pet-friendly

Colonel Anthony & the Huron Tract: Learn the history of Colonel Van Egmond and the development of the Huron Tract

• Walk leader: Pat Saundercock
• Date: May 5, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
• Meet at: Van Egmond House, 80 Kippen Rd., Egmondville
• Walk accessibility: Stairs, low lighting. Family-friendly. Pet-friendly

Historical Walking Tour: There are 12 tour sign boards throughout the former RCAF base. The walk follows the streets telling the “then and now” story of the base from its 1941 beginnings. The interaction of tourists reveals so many connections to this county and its military history and the secret of radar. This walk will be presented six times over the weekend.

• Walk leader: Pamela Stanley or Gary Coursey
• Date: May 4, 12-1 p.m., 2-3 p.m., or 4-5 p.m.
• Date: May 5, 12-1 p.m., 2-3 p.m., or 4-5 p.m.
• Meet at: Vanastra Recreation Centre, 26 Toronto Blvd.
• Walk accessibility: Property backyard is a bit uneven and may be prohibitive to wheelchairs if it has been raining. 

Alice Munro Tour: Explore several places that Alice writes about in her books to give you a brief history of this Nobel Prize Winner and her connection to Wingham.

• Walk leader: Janna Dodds
• Date: May 4, 10-11 a.m.
• Meet at: Wingham Motel, 86512 London Rd.
• Walk accessibility: Even and uneven terrain. Car needed to follow the leader.