An hour and a half drive from Toronto or one hour north of Oshawa en route to Muskoka cottage country is a small town on Lake Simcoe called Beaverton.
Located on what has traditionally been a hunting and fishing ground for First Nations people. Beaverton resides on and benefits from the Williams Treaty Territories, on the land of the Mississaugas and Chippewas.
Beaverton is a little off the beaten path making it an unexpected discovery. This charming town exudes warm hospitality and is rife with hidden treasures.
I had the opportunity to explore and spend a full day in Beaverton recently. Here is where I went, what I did and some other suggestions for your visit this summer.
A full-day guide on where to explore, what to do, and where to eat and shop
To start the day I fueled up with coffee and baked treats.
Shortiss
https://www.instagram.com/theshortisscafebar
Owned by the wife and husband team of Sandra and Alex Lianos this cozy and quiet cafe is located in the heart of downtown Beaverton. It’s comfortable and inviting, offering a welcoming variety of baked goods and hot beverages.
Julia, the barista, said the cinnamon almond puffs are a popular item. Unfortunately, they did not have any when I visited so I chose to enjoy a lemon cranberry scone with a flat white coffee. I savoured these while I read a little history about Beaverton.
Underground Bake Shop
https://www.undergroundbakeshop.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/undergroundbakeshop/
A small local bake shop 100% worth visiting with indoor and outdoor seating full of light and plants!
I met the owner and baker, Evelyn Pocock, who told me about their signature dish and its happy accident: the Love Child.
Before opening 2 years ago people were requesting that the bakery offer croissants. Although she wasn’t initially planning on offering them, Evelyn decided to add them to the menu for at least the first week. Croissants were a huge success! People would come back into the bake shop just as the oven was yielding a fresh batch of croissants.
With the opening being so busy and the demand for croissants running high, they had let some croissant dough overproof, which would result in the croissants baking flat. Instead of wasting the dough they cooked them in muffin trays, rolled them in sugar and salt and the Love Child was born. “It’s the love child of a croissant and muffin” says Evelyn in describing the invention.
Naturally, I had to indulge myself by pairing a Love Child with a delicious cappuccino.
The Love Child is a sweet, fluffy and buttery delight. The crusted sugar on top makes a perfect crunch. When you visit, be sure to try the Love Child!
Next up, it’s time to explore the area and go on some outdoor adventures!
The Sunflower Farm
https://www.thesunflowerfarm.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/thesunflowerfarm/
I was treated to a tour around this beautiful field by the farmer, creator and owner, Ursula Kressibucher.
The Sunflower Farm is a guaranteed mood booster! It has 2 fields, each set to bloom at a different time. The current field is in bloom for at least another week and a half, with the second field soon to follow, so I’d suggest going to the farm now!
Depending on the weather, the last day of blooming will likely be around August 20th. Check The Sunflower Farm’s Instagram and website when planning your visit.
You can buy your tickets online or at the gate. They are slightly cheaper online and Monday and Tuesday are 50% off. Weekdays are much less busy than weekends.
I’d also recommend checking their website for upcoming events like floral workshops, classic cars and market day.
Not only are the sunflowers tall, bright and beautiful but Ursula and her team have created a feast for the eyes. It’s an experience filled with lots of photo opportunities!
The walking path through the field is smooth and accessible and carpeted with hay. Although you can’t tell when walking through the field, the path takes the shape of a sunflower.
On your way out, ethically sourced, fair trade t-shirts, bouquets, crafts and other merchandise are arrayed around a turquoise antique truck and a custom-built A-frame.
I highly recommend a visit with family, and friends or on a date. Bring your camera!
Strong Roots Yoga and Paddle Boarding
https://www.strongrootsyogaandpaddle.com/
https://www.instagram.com/strong_roots_yoga/
Carly Smith, the owner, has been doing SUP yoga for 10 years and recently opened a yoga studio in Sunderland (15-20 mins south of Beaverton)
She teaches SUP yoga twice a week in Beaverton and three times a week in Sunderland with various sunset classes.
Carly also provides private SUP yoga classes and paddle boarding basic instruction and will travel to other locations.
With no SUP yoga classes scheduled the day I visited, I booked a private class with Carly. The SUP yoga class started with basic paddle board instructions including water safety, parts of the board and paddle, basic strokes as well as how to fall in and get back on the paddle board.
Carly customized the SUP yoga to my needs and what I wanted from the class.
I asked for a mix of deep stretches and a few challenging poses since it wasn’t my first time on a paddleboard.
We set an intention around gratitude and the class was a perfect blend of mindfulness and challenging poses, especially side plank and Warrior 2.
Overall SUP yoga was a unique experience. Not only was it a fun challenge but the feeling of a slight breeze across my skin and the small chop of water hitting the boards added an extra element of relaxation.
For a late lunch, I went to the cottage-country pub, Tar’d and Feather’d.
Tar’d and Feather’d
https://www.instagram.com/tardnfeatherd/
Owner Tara Smith, (the Tar in ‘Tar’d and Feather’d’) was very welcoming!
I chose to sit outside in the shade but the inside was equally inviting and very clean.
I ordered and enjoyed the spiked lemonade (tall, as I didn’t want it to be too strong) from their summer cocktail menu. It was refreshing and exactly what I needed after spending most of the morning out in the sun.
For lunch, I ordered the Cottage Salad. Words cannot describe the sheer size of their salads! The one I had was beautifully presented and tasted even better than it looked! Unless you’re super hungry like I was, I’d recommended sharing their salads!
For shopping, I visited the Welder’s Wife southeast of Beaverton on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Welder’s Wife
Website https://thewelderswife.com/
Another female entrepreneur, Jackie Drake has owned this cottage-country home decor store for 11 years. Her husband has retired from the welding shop next door to the store, which takes its name.
The entire store is eye candy. It’s laid out in an aesthetically pleasing way making it fun to explore and easy to peruse all the great pieces and gifts.
To wrap up my day in Beaverton I went for a walk in the heart of downtown through the Old Mill Gates, around Centennial Park and down to the harbour.
If I hadn’t still been full from Tar’d and Feather’d gigantic salad I would have treated myself to an ice cream at Cool Cow on the main strip or down at the harbour.
The harbour is a 15 min walk from the main downtown, passing through the old Mill Gates and Centennial Park which have all kinds of activities. You’ll find a small skate park, basketball court, chess tables, and a playground.
En route to the harbour, you walk past the Old Stone Jail and Beaverton Thorah Elden Historical Society https://btehs.com/
You can also park your car at the harbour where there is a boat launch, playground and splash pad, a small beach and a long pier out into Lake Simcoe.
Walking out on the pier and taking in the views of Lake Simcoe was a perfect way to end an amazing day.
As you plan your vacation be sure to include a visit to Beaverton. The people are friendly, there are lots of fascinating places to visit and explore and it’s right on the water!
Fun fact: all of the businesses I visited are women-owned/co-owned.
I couldn’t do it all so here are some other notable locations to check out and experience.
Shopping
Simcoe Street Market
Local arts and crafts
https://www.simcoestreetmarket.com/
https://www.instagram.com/simcoestreetmarket
R.A.T.S
Thrift Store
https://www.instagram.com/r.a.t.s.beaverton
Food
Stefno’s Bistro
https://stefanos-bistro-restaurant.business.site/
Ice Cream: Cool Cow
https://www.instagram.com/coolcowicecream/
Walking & Hiking Trails
https://www.townshipofbrock.ca/en/recreation-and-events/parks-and-trails.aspx
Fishing
Township of Brock – the Smallmouth Bass Fishing Capital of Canada and How to Fish Here
Check out the video below from Marybeth!
Marybeth (she/her), Paddle Adventurer is based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas). She creates fun, engaging and educational content for outdoor recreation & travel with the main focus on paddle boarding.