Spending three days in Guelph made me want to buy a house there

Ontario is full of small towns and cities that are extraordinarily refreshing to visit, especially for residents of noisier, busier cities like Toronto.

In my eight years living in Downtown Toronto, where condo projects seem to outnumber trees, I’ve read hundreds, if not thousands, of articles about staycation destinations and “hidden gem” towns a few hours’ drive from the city and spent short amounts of time exploring them myself.

These trips have been mostly pleasant, and sometimes, despite the destinations’ beauty, they remind me of why I choose to stay in the most diverse and walkable part of the province, despite the hefty rents and impossibly high cost of living.

That’s why, when I was invited by Guelph Tourism for a short trip to the city under the Gather In Guelph program, I did not expect to want to actually live there someday. I had brought along a friend, who shared the sentiment. It really did seem like a wonderful place to visit and potentially call home.

Neither of us is a homeowner, and with the enduring cost-of-living crisis rattling most Canadians, I had, for the most part, willfully silenced any aspiration to become one someday. At least in this country.

However, on the ride back to Toronto, I bravely fought waves of car sickness, swiping through real estate apps, looking at home prices in the areas we drove through.

So far, I had broadly associated Guelph with student life before my visit, and I found it to fit the description of a university town in person. But there was much more to the city than I was giving it credit for (classic Torontonian trait).

Small businesses and community initiatives play a massive role in forming the city’s pulse. From restaurants to shopping centres, to parks and places of governance, Guelph’s values and the purpose attached to them are consciously incorporated into everything.

We walked through Guelph’s downtown area — one of the prettiest and most interesting downtowns I’ve seen in Ontario — where nearly everything had an interesting back story linked to some kind of community care.

The small thrift shops offered curated collections of items, put together with care and thought. Almost every cafe and restaurant had a deep relationship with local suppliers and food-security-focused initiatives, which not only help keep Guelph residents fed but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and find new ways to turn waste into resources.

The County of Wellington calls it a “circular food system,” where local producers and food groups are recognized and used to their best potential.

We ate at Mijidaa Cafe and Bistro, where the pizzas and salads were fresh and delicious, and the Mantoulin trout, straight from Sheshegwaning First Nation, was absolutely breathtaking.

I was impressed with how quickly I could move from enjoying a cocktail at a bar in a modern downtown setting to taking a walk through a vineyard, or petting cows and llamas at a farm in rural quietness.

These two accessible flavours of unwinding were maybe 25 minutes apart from one another and felt like a luxury for anyone living in Guelph. Perfectly Uber-able, if you don’t drive, without emptying your wallet.

I found the people were friendly and welcoming in both ends of the city. I can’t say that has been my experience in every smaller Canadian city or town, as a visible minority. Surely the diversity that having a university at the core of the city adds to its culture helps make it more tourist-friendly than others.

Distilleries and experiences

Guelph is rich in distilleries, new and old.

During a tour and tasting session at family-run Dixon’s Distilled Spirits, I learned closely how complicated making gin and vodka really is.

The family shared some of the adventurous ingredients they’ve played with to come up with hit flavours you may have already seen on the shelves at your local booze stores, and they weren’t afraid to share the fails, either (forest bark — that did not distill well).

The tasting included flights of delicious cocktails, complete with live tutorials of each, recipe cards and samples to take home.

Several other distilleries offer tours that’d be perfect for small and large groups, like bachelorettes.

One of my favourite parts of visiting the city was checking out the Guelph Tool Library. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a library of tools that allows members to borrow pretty much everything under the sun. A lawnmower? They got you. An ice cream maker? You can borrow that, too.

There is also a recurring “Repair Cafe” event, where people can come and get their items fixed by volunteers.

 

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The tool library is a concept I sorely wish would inspire Downtown Toronto, where small condos leave no space for people to buy and store everyday-use appliances, let alone hobby and craft items.

The library is a reflection of Guelph’s values regarding sustainability. I could end up avoiding a lot of excessive buying with something like this close to me.

Another concept I fell in love with was the Guelph Urbex Haunted Pub Crawl, which is also exactly what it sounds like.

You hop from bar to bar at night, picking up delicious drinks while your guide walks you through the most haunted parts of the city. You may even stop at an old hotel bar and try to communicate with ghosts or listen to a bone-chilling story from those who work there.

It’s a thrilling experience for skeptics, too. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts and spirits, there’s a ton of history you hear about in a refreshing, non-boring way. I highly recommend it.

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Upcoming events in Guelph

With spring and summer approaching, Guelph is gearing up for many fun things.

Between June 5 and 14, Summer Pride brings together several LGBTQIA organizations, community members, and supporters for a fun celebration of freedom. The event lineup is still brewing, but keep your eye on their calendar.

Plus, The Good Games, which calls itself Canada’s biggest festival of sport, play and community, is coming to town from June 25 to June 28.

The event website states that it brings together traditional sport, Para sport, Special Olympics moments, and Indigenous sport and cultural experiences in one place and “feels like a giant community block party under one roof.”

 

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Then in July, there’s the historic Hillside Summer Festival, running from the 17th to the 19th. It’s been going on for more than four decades and happens on a stunning lake island, where you can enjoy music, drinking, eating, and good vibes.

Oh, also, if you’re a Heated Rivalry fan, you can also visit Guelph’s Sleeman Centre, where the show’s on-ice scenes were filmed.

If you’re from Ontario or visiting Toronto, I highly recommend a short but well-planned trip to Guelph. It’s an hour and ten minutes by car, and just slightly longer by Go Train.

As it gets warmer and airfare gets pricier, exploring more of my province and patronizing local small businesses is a big priority for me this year.

The author of this article was hosted by Gather In Guelph.