Belleville, ON
Accommodation An AirBnB with a difference: Rita and I stationed ourselves in a renovated chapel, Roslin Hall, a half hour drive from Belleville city. Literally straight out of a magazine (see the photos on the listing), I felt like I was staying at a high-end boutique guest-house. There is also a smaller summerhouse out the back with another bedroom if required, plus the sofa functions as a pull-put bed. Best of all, it was dog-friendly, with special touches like dog bowls in the kitchen and leashes and a towel for mucky paws in the porch. Rita had ample room to run around in the enclosed back garden. I adored the clawfoot bath tub, Belfast sink and the gas fires. My hosts Laurie and Lisa were super obliging – be sure to sign their guestbook when you visit.
Hiking Close to the city is Potters Creek Conservation Area. This is open year-round and the trails were trampled enough to hike in the snow. We followed the Orchard Trail and added on both the Wallbridge and Loyalist Loops. I recommend using Google maps as a trail map. Rita particularly enjoyed the “Pooch Path”, where she was allowed off-leash. You can access this from the car park and it bypasses the beginning of the main trail. There are no signs advertising that it’s off-leash; again, Google is your friend to locate it! In total, we walked 6km, and the game of fetch along the off-leash section had Rita sleeping on the drive into Belleville!
Downtown We spent some time exploring Downtown Belleville. Our expectations were high, as we were going for their signature Christmas event, Enchanted. In reality, there were not many shops we were compelled to visit. Instead, we wandered around and saw sights like the City Hall, the iconic bridge over Moira River, and Five Churches Corner.
The other event we were eagerly anticipating was the Festival of Lights which runs throughout the whole Christmas period. This spawned out of a tragic event in 1958, where two young men Billy Foster and Art “Sonny” Culloden lost their lives in a car accident on Christmas Eve. The Fosters began the tradition of the Festival of Lights in their son’s memory, and it has grown over the years, with contributions from the Cullodens. A documentary about the festival is currently in production. As darkness fell, the displays became really stunning. Some even had music and moving parts. It was well organised, complete with a recommended walking route map. My little reindeer fitted in perfectly!
