On The Road Again   Planning an antiquing road or train trip in Ontario this year?   Ontario has dozens of favourite scenic drives and hundreds of unique destinations for collectors of antiques and collectibles.   If you have a favourite antiquing road trip in Ontario, e-mail the details and we will share it with our readers.   Each of our antiquing town listings includes the official web link for the town.   Our first six towns profiled are Belleville, Cookstown, Elora, Picton, Port Hope and Port Perry.

Antiquing Towns   Belleville - Cookstown - Elora - Picton - Port Hope - Port Perry     Port Hope     Belleville     Cookstown     Elora     Picton     Port Perry   Port Hope - Canada's historic jewel   By John Cosway Town officials describe this community on the shoreline of Lake Ontario as "Canada's historic jewel" and it is not an understatement.   This picturesque town - off Highway 401 or Highway 2 about an hour's drive east of Toronto - takes pride in its heritage by retaining Victorian-era architecture in its main street houses and businesses.   The population of Port Hope is 12,500 and many of them fish for salmon and rainbow trout in the Ganaraska River. Many of the thousands of visitors to the town each year also go fishing - for a wide variety of antiques and collectibles.   The growing number of year-round antiques and collectibles stores and markets has made this Northumberland County community one of Ontario's favourite road stops for out-of-town buyers.   Most of the stores and markets are within an eight-block radius, so you can park the car and take a walk-and-shop foot tour. Along the way, you can see historic sites, including the Capitol Theatre, a Famous Players theatre built in 1930 and now used for stage productions, the historic Town Hall, Canadian Firefighters Museum, the 1940s bandshell in Memorial Park etc.   Plus a variety of eateries along the way. Or, if you favour a picnic basket, you can dine along the banks of the scenic Ganaraska River, which winds its way through the downtown area, or on the beach along the waterfront trail.   In late March or early April, you just might witness some of the thousands of rainbow trout spawning, using a fish ladder in the Ganaraska River at Corbett's Dam in the process. Early April is also Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny in zany homemade crafts.   On the road in early October? Try to book the annual house tour, hosted by the local branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. The tour illustrates why film and TV crews keep returning to Port Hope for that 19th Century main street and century homes atmosphere. Homes were used for scenes in TV's Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea.   Some helpful tidbits for buyers of antiques and collectibles:   FYI historians: Port Hope was called Toronto when first settled in the late 1700s but was later named Port Hope, in honour of a Colonel Henry Hope, and incorporated in March of 1834.   FYI postcard enthusiasts - the first post office here was established in 1817.   FYI railroad buffs - Port Hope became a thriving industrial and trading centre in the late 1800s, largely catered to by the Port Hope - Lindsay Railroad.   FYI sports card enthusiasts - home-grown former NHL players include Mayor Ron Smith, New York Islander; Jim Roberts, Montreal and St. Louis Blues; Dennis O'Brien, Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins, Paul Terbenche, Chicago, Buffalo and Winnipeg. Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paul Quantrill also hails from Port Hope.   Famous Port Hope characters include William Leonard Hunt, “The Great Farini,” a 19th century aerialist and showman who walked across the Niagara Gorge in 1860, and Joseph Scriven, who wrote the hymn What A Friend We Have In Jesus.   There are antiques, collectibles and a slice of history at every turn.   Join us for a tour of antique and collectibles stores and markets in a town proud of its heritage.   For more about Port Hope, visit the official municipal web site at http://www.porthope.ca/     Return to top of page   This Is Livin' Publishing © 2010 581 8th Line West, RR1 Hastings, ON, K0L 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833   webmaster