Explainer: Ontario’s Conservation System Faces a Major Overhaul
By next spring, familiar names like Credit Valley Conservation will disappear as 36 authorities are folded into nine – with potential ripple effects across the Headwaters region.
Top Stories
Toxic Tricks: Strategies Plants and Animals Use to Stay Alive
In Headwaters and beyond, plants and animals, from stinging nettles and poison ivy to ants and porcupines, rely on physical and chemical defences to stay alive. We tend only to notice when we get too close.
Garden-Inspired Flatbread is a Fresh Take on Summer Entertaining
Fairy garden focaccia, pea shoot pesto and dressed up dips anchor an easy and eye-catching spread designed by Elaine Li.
So You Want to Run for Local Government?
Ever considered running for office? Here’s a guide to get you to the October 26 municipal election.
Summer In The Hills 2026
Our summer issue features stories that connect you to community, nature and the arts, plus the local farm scene with the Headwaters Farm Fresh Guide.
Headwaters Farm Fresh Guide 2026
Looking to eat local? Use this guide to find the freshest eggs, produce, meat, honey and craft beverages right at the source.
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Kids Summer Camps 2026
Our annual roundup of the best camps around Orangeville, Shelburne, Caledon, Erin, and Mulmur.
News Desk
The Battle of the Blue Bins
Whether you want one or not, bigger – much bigger – blue bins are rolling out to a curb near you this spring, though not everyone is convinced the new system will deliver.
Why Is It So Hard for Map Apps to Get Rural Addresses Right?
Much to the dismay of residents and lost delivery drivers, charting a course in the countryside isn’t always smooth sailing.
Explainer: Ontario’s Conservation System Faces a Major Overhaul
By next spring, familiar names like Credit Valley Conservation will disappear as 36 authorities are folded into nine – with potential ripple effects across the Headwaters region.
Bid to Purchase Caledon’s ‘Swan Lake’ Falls Through – What’s Next?
After Brookvalley rejects CVC’s offer to buy the rehabilitated pit, Caledon council decides to rescind the in-fill motion altogether.
In Every Issue
From Farm to Future: How Women Are Shaping Agriculture
For Fiddle Foot Farm’s Amy Ouchterlony, the modern woman farmer is part grower, part entrepreneur, part caretaker – and often much more.
Letters From Our Readers
Readers respond to stories about rural navigation, road naming, local makers and recycling challenges in the Headwaters.
Blurring the Lines Between Function and Style
Pine needles, barbed wire and reeds are just some of the materials Jamila Monahan incorporates into intriguing vessels and sculptures.
An Urban Family’s Journey to Erin’s Cozy Countryside
How a couple’s country retreat quickly became the preferred family home, thanks to their designer daughter’s expert touch.
Your Guide to This Summer’s Must-Do Events
Paint in lavender fields, catch concerts and live music, and test your endurance at Mud Hero.
Planting For the Next Generation
I yearn for the fragrances of my youth, to be able to pick berries or fruit, to run my hands along soft petals with my scissors in hand to cut a loose bouquet for the table.
Father-Daughter Duo Turns Salvaged Wood Into Art
What others discard Lawrence and Lucy Kristan transform into award-wining pieces that celebrate the natural world.
Pop’s Recipe for Well-Being: Swiss Chalet, Vodka Tonics and Good Company
Dan Needles on how eating together and enjoying life’s simple pleasures helped his father live to the ripe old age of 97.
Our Summer 2026 Contributors
Meet three of the magazine’s clever contributors – Barbara Fletcher, Jaxon Wakeford and Dan Needles.
The Secret to Perfectly Smoked Jerk Starts With the Seasoning
Plus culinary collabs at local craft breweries, field-to-fork dining experiences and exotic game sandwiches, all on the menu in this issue’s Food + Drink.
Close to Home
In The Hills is honoured to receive an honourable mention from the National Magazine Awards Foundation for its distinctly local storytelling.
Forgotten Factories: Remembering Bolton’s King Street Ashery
Discover the history of potash production in Headwaters, and the rise and fall of entrepreneur Edward Porritt’s ashery in the late 1800s.
Notes From the Wild
Minnow Love
Those who know minnows would place them near the top of nature’s wonders. Dull and boring? Far from it!
A Melody on a Wing
With spring in full swing, the trees are alive with the songs of migrating warblers returning to Ontario’s forests on their journey north.
What’s in a Name?
Naming a creature – whether a tiny salamander or a chimpanzee – allows humans to care a bit more for its welfare, and its habitats.
Echo Evasion: How Moths Outsmart Hungry Bats
In a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek conducted in the cover of night, moths employ stealth strategies and elusive manoeuvres to stay alive.
Summer Food Fun
Farm-to-Table Dining Shares the Journey from Seed to Celebration
A look at the farmer-chef ties behind truly local menus that exemplify the field-to-fork experience.
The Art of the Hyperlocal Charcuterie Board
If a full brunch or sit-down dinner feels like too much, too soon after a winter of hibernation, consider gathering around an amped-up charcuterie board built with local meats, cheeses and toppings.
She Says Tomato
Inspired by her mediterranean roots, chef and TV host Liz Fusato builds a hearty menu featuring a simple and tantalizing roasted tomato sauce paired with homemade pasta.



