The provincial government is stripping Ontario’s conservation authorities of the very meaning of their name ­– and key protections for the environment.

A small Ontario town boasts a culinary scene with fine dining, great coffee shops and everything in between.

Red foxes are making themselves at home in Inglewood, Grand Valley and Palgrave, hunting in our yards and denning under our sheds and garages.

Dedicated local gardener Tony Spencer channels the aesthetic of the famed Dutch plantsman into his corner of the rural countryside of Mono.

An Orangeville landmark gets a splashy makeover and the chance to turbocharge the town’s vibrant dining scene.

Covid has shifted our world and changed our priorities. For many, the hopes and dreams for the aftertimes are simple ones – to hug a parent, have dinner with a friend.

In what could have been a lost year for isolated new parents and their babies, social agencies moved their tried-and-true community meetups and support groups online.

Meet three of the creative folks – Johanna Bernhardt, Anthony Jenkins and Kim van Oosterom – who make this issue shine.

Letters published in the Spring 2021 edition of In The Hills magazine.

What to plant, read, wear this spring.

From the office window, riddling in Redickville and the prevaricating paddlers.

A year in we’ve been through so much – but we’re still putting one foot in front of the other.

The Ford government has navigated Covid as well as or better than many – but at the same time, it has also escalated its pro-development agenda.

We’re tracking family-sized meals, vegetarian tacos and gourmet doughnuts.

A country house has a lot of moving parts that can stop moving at any moment.

Bolton multimedia artist and ceramicist Christine Nnawuchi mines the depths of her imagination for the objects and artifacts in her latest collection.

Humble beginnings for Bruce, who is considered one of lacrosse’s all-time great defensive players.

Meet three of the creative folks – Johanna Bernhardt, Anthony Jenkins and Kim van Oosterom – who make this issue shine.

And some of those changes may be for the better.

This Orangeville artist strings together her Anishnaabe heritage and contemporary design in every pair of earrings she makes.

Fixate on florals this spring – fresh, preserved and, yes, paper.

Everyone must believe in something. I believe I’ll go canoeing.
– Henry David Thoreau

How a young family is reimagining an 1885 Erin farmhouse for a long, happy life.

Animus between Protestants and Catholics brewed among early settlers in Headwaters.

This Orangeville artist strings together her Anishnaabe heritage and contemporary design in every pair of earrings she makes.

How an Orangeville mom made homemade soaps and beauty oils her business.

The ancient craft of dry stone walling is alive and well in Headwaters thanks to this busy local artisan.

How a designer found her groove in Caledon East by offering one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces and sculptural clothing creations.

Headwaters Fly Fishing Club keeps the art and craft of handmade ties alive.

From the Alton Mill to the One of a Kind Show, this knitter’s up-sized pieces are wowing collectors.

This jeweller crafts her designs to match the individual – even when meeting them in person was on hold.

An Orangeville jeweller casts nature as the star of her striking one-of-a-kind pieces.

Five ways butterflies survive the winter.

Asters and goldenrods are tremendously important wildlife plants.

On warm evenings in April and May our hills awaken to the life affirming voices of spring peepers. Their shrill calls stir the winter weary soul.

Remarkably, flying squirrels can glide up to 90 metres, though most of their aerial journeys are much shorter.

There is much to quicken the pulse at this time of year. So much to see, hear and appreciate.

May and June herald the arrival of a trio of supremely beautiful tropical migrants: indigo buntings, Baltimore orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks.

Along the Bruce Trail, spring is the time to slow to a saunter 
and see, hear and scent nature’s renewal.

Ten species of frogs and toads share our landscape, a rich assemblage of hopping amphibians for such a northerly clime.

At Lee Anne Downey’s new lavender farm in Erin, small-batch products and intimate retreats are in the works.

Art and gardening inspire each other to superlative effect in the botanical pursuits of two local artists.

Gardener Liz Knowles’ passion for rare yet rugged alpine flora has transformed her Mono gardens into more than an aesthetic triumph. They’re an aide memoire of her life and travels 40 years on.

With trial, error, dumb luck – and joy – two neophytes transformed four acres of bramble and meadow into a painterly Hockley garden.

At their garden in Mono, Liz and George Knowles garden with an eye to all four seasons.

Terra Cotta landscape gardener Amanda White’s own garden is brimming with foxgloves and dahlias.

Up close and personal with some of the stars of Liz Knowles’ garden – many of them from alpine destinations in Central Asia, China and India.

How Lorraine Roberts conjures up dreamy landscapes using colour, shape – and an appetite for surprise.

Shelburne’s mayor reflects on both the tragedy that gripped his town and the compassion it inspired.

A piano teacher keeps her music school running on her iPad.

How an Orangeville soccer coach stayed connected when practice was cancelled.

On a Mulmur farm, an essential seasonal worker misses his Mexican homeland.

After your foraging trip, try this fettuccine dish to celebrate.

This zingy lemon garlic salad is a takeaway hit at Rasmi’s Falafel at the Orangeville Farmers’ Market. Here’s how to make it at home.

This apple and kale salad is perfect for potlucks because it travels so well.

This healthy twist on a classic is my friend Rich Miller’s family recipe.

How a young family is reimagining an 1885 Erin farmhouse for a long, happy life.

How a project called Compass House helped one family build roots in Dufferin County – and cemented its two architects’ love of the area.

A family finds both continuity with the past and dreams fulfilled in a historic log house in Caledon.

How a lush Hillsburgh property warms the souls of its English expat owners – and neighbours looking to get fit.