July 23, Elora Gorge Conservation Area, Elora, Ontario

Got up this morning to a beautiful sunshine morning. Warm enough to have coffee and breakfast outside (fried egg sandwich on homemade whole wheat bread) and sliced banana.

We left camp just before 9 am. We followed our usual route across the Southern Tier of NY state ( hwy I86), north on I390 to Morristown and across Hwy 20/400 through Buffalo to the bridge across the Niagara River to Fort Erie, ON. This is our normal route that we always take to get to South Central Ontario where two of our daughters live.

We drove around Hamilton, ON on the western tip of Lake Ontario and up HWY 6 to get to our campsite. I grew up in Hamilton so this is more than familiar territory.

From Hamilton we drove through beautiful Ontario farm country (wheat, corn and soybeans) passing a Mennonite family in their pony cart with small boy riding a bicycle behind the cart. From here and west is traditional Mennonite farm country.

Mennonites have a rich and significant presence in Ontario, representing one of Canada’s most established religious communities. There are about 59,000 Mennonites in Ontario according to the 2011 National Household Survey University of Waterloo Cmchurch , making up a substantial portion of Canada’s total Mennonite population of approximately 175,000.

Larger concentrations of Mennonites in Ontario can be found in Kitchener-Waterloo, Aylmer, Leamington, Markham, and the Niagara Peninsula. These communities represent both the historical settlement patterns and modern urban migration of Mennonites throughout the province.

The Mennonite presence in Ontario dates back to the late 18th century. Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe encouraged Quakers and similar societies from Pennsylvania to migrate to Ontario, offering them exemption from bearing arms as had been allowed by the British government . This led to numerous Mennonite families leaving Pennsylvania for the fertile wilderness lands in what would become Ontario, particularly around the Grand River area (where we are camped tonight).

There are over 30 different groups of Mennonites and Amish in Ontario and they vary quite substantially, from thoroughly modern to very conservative.

The Old Order Mennonites represent one of the more conservative branches. By 2018, the Old Order Mennonite Conference population had grown to 6,831 individuals.

The Mennonite community in Ontario continues to contribute to the province’s agricultural heritage, social services, and cultural diversity, while navigating the balance between tradition and modernity that characterizes many religious communities in contemporary Canada.

In Waterloo, where our daughter lives, it’s very common to see horse-drawn buggies in shopping centers where covered hitching areas are provided. The nearby St. Jacob’s farm market is the largest year round indoor market in Canada and a major tourist attraction.

Crops are ripening here in mid-July. We passed many farmers out harvesting wheat. Its dry right now. 1

We may have some nearby family drop by for dessert and campfire tonight. Its hot again, into the high 80s and we have no shade in this site (at least the Starlink is happy about that). I’ve stocked up on Popsicles.