Things to Do in Haldimand County

After making a name for herself in the world of theatrical costuming during stints on the production teams of The Lion King and Mamma Mia!, Dilys Tong co-created Sew Be It Studio in 2005 in order to inspire others to craft their own wearable art. Lindsey Wise, a graphic designer and former magazine art director, joined her in 2009, and together they helm workshops and classes alongside a cast of dedicated instructors. At their two studios, the staff lead students through hands-on tutorials or arm them with DIY patterns for items such as a lace tank top, a flower headpiece, or a leather mini wallet ideal for fitting into a regular-size wallet. Enhancing the space are studio mascots Betty and Madi, a pair of well-dressed pups who can often be found lounging around in a variety of miniature ensembles.

With a focus on instruction and eco-friendly outdoor exploration, Heritage River Canoe & Kayak Company readies adventurers to paddle the waters of the Grand and Nith Rivers aboard their canoes, kayaks, and rafts. The company is a member of the Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association and guides are certified in first aid and CPR, rendering them able to diffuse even the largest of pool noodle fights. Most have worked on or around the river for most of their lives and also take their passion to the land as resource interpreters and nature teachers when not leading trips. On the water, they orchestrate guided river tours at various times of day, night, and season, allowing participants to witness rare sights such as the local fishes’ Boxing Day hauls. Throughout each trip, they further the company’s partnership with Grand River Conservation Authority to help preserve the ecosystem of the river and its watershed.

The rental shop staffers, located in Brant Conservation Area, can supply solo customers with rental vessels or equip them for self-guided tours with any needed boats, paddles, and star charts. Those who prefer a hand in expeditions can experience structured paddling trips through introductory lessons and day camps or board rafts to fish for small-mouth bass and other river denizens. As they drift along the river, groups may encounter the area's many bold and beautiful residents, such as red-tailed hawks, ospreys, and bald eagles, all soaring above the rare Carolinian forests to their treetop condos.

At Sosa Gliding Club, instructors and tow pilots don't receive paychecks; they teach others simply to share the joy of gliding. And since the club owns the Rockton Airport-which has two grass runways, a fleet of single- and two-seat gliders, and a clubhouse-they can pass on their knowledge through ground courses and in-air instruction. Through cross-country soaring classes, for instance, they teach potential pilots to soar in gliders, finding invisible rising air currents to carry them upward rather than simply gliding the aircraft to the ground. Once students achieve basic piloting prowess, club instructors can then give aerobatic instruction, showing students how to perform slow rolls, loops, and wingovers during adrenaline-pumping staring contests with eagles.

Creative Kids Place engages exploring minds aged 2–13 in its colourful arts-and-play centre through drop-in sessions, summer camps, holiday camps, birthday parties, and special programs. During drop-in sessions, children can stuff teddy bears, paint T-shirts, or string beads of bracelets as preschoolers and toddlers bond with their parents over creatively minded toys or frolic in costume in the dress-up area. Creative Kids Place provides all needed craft supplies, paints, and play activities, and changes its crafts weekly to ensure children don't steal the company's secrets and start their own franchises.

When not playing, parents use free WiFi or lounge on the centre's couches amid bright red and green walls and tables draped in decorative tarps. Alternatively, crafters can choose from an array of sculpted, three-dimensional pottery canvases including penguins, dinosaurs, unicorns, princesses, and more. After wee artists paint their pieces to express colour appreciation or camouflage them from envious stuffed animals, staff fires completed sculptures in an on-site kiln.

Inside Sky Zone, wall-to-wall floor trampolines, angled wall trampolines, and a wide blue foam pit enable visitors to excise energy by literally bouncing off the walls. Instructors lead participants through low-impact aerobics, core-strength exercises, and aerial calisthenics in SkyRobics, and supervise trampoline-propelled dodge-ball games during 3-D Dodgeball. They also lead one-week youth camps that combine their classes with supervised open-jump sessions. They conduct all activities indoors to ensure supervised safety and that passing storks don't take back their deliveries. Showcasing a commitment to health as well as entertainment, Sky Zone partners with the American Heart Association and its fitness programs.

When Dan and Heather Goetz first started bottling maple syrup, their efforts were humble. A standard harvest included the use of about 100 pails and generated around 25 gallons of the saccharine nectar—barely enough to cover a single waffle. Today, the couple taps trees across six woodlots, using modern vacuum-tubing systems to process nearly 2,200 gallons of maple sap each hour.

Open to the public on weekends, the farm hosts pancake breakfasts, family-friendly tours, and wagon rides to the sugar bush where visitors can whisper sweet nothings to woo sappy trees. Before guests browse the maple-centric goodies sold at the Maple Shoppe, the Goetz's invite them to also visit the farm's new petting zoo and nature trail.