The Great Ontario Communities Series (Bobcaygeon)

Over the years I have been able to travel throughout North America. During these travels I have visited many fascinating places! I believe that very few of the places I have visited rival Ontario’s great communities! During the past few years Judi and I have visited almost 150 Ontario community festivals and events. The majority have been planned and managed by dedicated community volunteers. As a salute to these wonderful communities and their hard working residents, I will be writing a series of blogs entitled “Great Ontario Communities”. These blogs describe the communities we have visited and will tell you about some of the interesting things we have experienced and the people we have met. The first article will be about Bobcaygeon, the picturesque town located in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes.

BOBCAYGEON – We visited this community this summer to attend their Wine and Food Festival. The Festival was held at the Kawartha Settlers’ Village. Although this was our first “festival” visit to Bobcaygeon, it certainly wasn’t our first visit to the town or area. To be truthful, Judi and I are very familiar with the town as we have visited it many, many times both for pleasure and for business. That is why this is such a great place to start our new series! Bobcaygeon is located along the Trent-Severn Waterways, north east of Lindsay. National Historic Lock 32 sits in the middle of the downtown area. Two Kawartha Lakes border the town, Pigeon Lake to the east and Sturgeon Lake to the west. Judi and I have spent many restful days by this beautiful lock. The downtown is full of delightful retail shops and restaurants. Bobcaygeon is also the home of many retirees. It seems to be the perfect mix of cottage country charm and “big city” appeal. The city of Peterborough is less than an hour’s drive away while Toronto can be reached in two hours. There is plenty to do into the area, especially during the summer and fall months. In addition to lots of fishing and boating, there are many special events, including the Bobcaygeon Wine and Food Festival, the Victoria County Studio Tour and the Bobcaygeon Festival of Trees. To find out more about this “Great Ontario Community”, go to their website at http://www.bobcaygeon.org/.