Close to Home

Summer seems to be bursting through the door all at once this year, Kramer-style. The sunshine is sending taller, lusher, better-smelling spring stalwarts – lilacs, magnolias and lily-of-the-valley – crashing into each other’s timelines. Blink and the peonies will be over.

I’m not complaining; the floral frenzy fits my mood because earlier this spring, while it was still dark and rainy, I learned that an In The Hills story had been nominated for a National Magazine Award in the service journalism writing category. (The award winners will be announced in June, days after the magazine goes to press.)

Congratulations to In The Hills contributor Alison McGill, who was nominated for her summer 2025 article “In Fine Feather,” a lively guide to raising backyard chickens. Alison’s piece covered everything from the perfect coop size to just how cuddly a Plymouth Rock can be.

I’d also like to thank longtime In The Hills photographer Pete Paterson, whose photos accompanied the story and beautifully captured the personalities of its feathered (and human) subjects.

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What pleased me most about this announcement wasn’t simply that a story from In The Hills was recognized nationally. It was that the nominated story was so distinctly local.

The piece opens with two East Garafraxa sisters begging their parents to get chickens and broadens into a portrait of a growing rural-suburban phenomenon. Alison’s curiosity led her to touch on food, self-sufficiency, family life, local bylaws and connections to the land – themes that resonate across Canada while remaining firmly in Headwaters.

You’ll find similar themes throughout this issue, whether Alison and her colleagues are exploring local conservation issues, helping readers prepare for this year’s municipal election – in this case, those considering running and those curious about what it takes to run – or simply introducing you to fascinating people who live and work in these hills. 

Speaking of fascinating people, a special thank you goes to Amy Ouchterlony of Mulmur’s Fiddle Foot Farm, who shared her thoughts on the United Nations International Year of the Woman Farmer to anchor our annual Headwaters Farm Fresh Guide, produced in partnership with Headwaters Food and Farming Alliance. 

Stories on women in agriculture, backyard chickens, conservation authorities, municipal elections and a guide to finding the best local produce have a lot in common. Each reflects the choices communities make about food, land, growth and stewardship. Those conversations are shaping the future of Headwaters, and they remind us that some of the most important stories begin close to home.