A Journey to Beaverton

Last week, I went on another long walk through a remote, northern segment of the Greater Toronto Area. The trip was notable for three reasons. First, it was the longest solitary walk I’ve done. I was able to exceed the 40-kilometer barrier and, surprisingly, I rarely felt fatigued. Second, I traveled farther north of Toronto than I’ve ever been in a single day. By sunset, I was more than 110 km northeast of the city’s downtown core. Third, this was my most efficient and meticulously-organized walk. Clearly I learned my lesson from past mistakes.


My journey begins in Pefferlaw, a small village located in the town of Georgina. This region of the GTA features numerous small communities separated by vast stretches of rural farmland and virginal forests. Perfferlaw is unique because, unlike most communities in Georgina, it is mostly located away from the coastline of Lake Simcoe. (Indeed, the abundance of lakeshore properties is often considered one of the area’s most attractive features). Instead, Pefferlaw is a long, narrow community that extends deep inside the York Regional Forest. The forest, spread throughout the municipality, covers roughly 2,100 hectares and provides residents with convenient access to beautiful natural terrain.

I walk south from Pefferlaw’s tiny downtown core to Forestry Drive. The quiet residential street extends south from Old Homestead Road for approximately 1.4 km, bounded by the forest’s Pefferlaw Tract on the east, west and south. The narrow street cuts into the otherwise secluded, largely unexplored forest.


I enter the Pefferlaw forest and follow a rugged, battered dirt path. Within a few meters, all signs of civilization disappear. Dense vegetation, primarily consisting of slender trees with thick, green leafs, surrounds the path on both sides. The sun shines overheard, but darkness looms within the mysterious, tree-lined sections of the forest. (For safety reasons, I decide not to stray from the dirt trail). Surprisingly, I see few animals, aside from some birds and a snake that I nearly stepped on. There are, however, several large nests, and many unusual footprints. As I walk deeper into the forest, signs of human activity decrease further; the dirt path, bald near the entrance to the Pefferlaw tract, becomes increasingly overrun with grass and moss.


Eventually, I arrive at a clearing and see the Pefferlaw Brook, a tributary of Lake Simcoe. The area is quiet and peaceful. I can see the river gently curve around a small peninsula, jutting out from the other side of the river bed. The water is shallow and calm, though there is a rocky section in the distance. The west side of the river bank contains reeds and grass, while the opposite side features thick shrubs and large deciduous trees. The clearing is nearly silent; I can only hear the brook babbling, in addition to a few leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. I admire the view for a few minutes before heading back towards Pefferlaw.


I explore Pefferlaw and notice that there are few cars or people outside. The empty roads contribute to the area’s peaceful, serene atmosphere. There’s a beautiful public park near Main Street & Pefferlaw Road. The Pefferlaw Brook, the same stream that I saw at the clearing in the forest, has widened to 50 meters. There’s even a small waterfall in the middle of the park.

There are a reasonable number of amenities in the town, including several small stores scattered along Pefferlaw Road, the city’s arterial street. The community boasts two surprisingly large stores: an LCBO and a Belveder Cookhouse saloon. Perhaps I don’t see any residents on the streets because they’re enjoying steak and beer. Pefferlaw Community Park, nestled in the village’s southeast corner, features a library, a community centre and a seniors’ residence. Still, even this seemly suburban space is only a few hundred meters from another entrance to the York Regional Forest, highlighting how connected Pefferlaw is with the forest.


Eventually, I leave Pefferlaw and head northeast towards Port Bolster. I exit York Region and enter the Brock Township in Durham Region. The path between the two communities is fairly uninteresting, though I do pass by a marina, a golf course, and an abandoned farmhouse. The traffic along Highway 48 is surprisingly heavy.


After an hour, I arrive at Thorah Park, a small public beach on the southeastern edge of Lake Simcoe. The beach features several large trees, which provide ample shade, and a few wood benches. Given that there was an impending storm, the water was quite rough. Some waves are over a meter high, and all of the crests violently spray white foam. The water is sparkling blue and looks surprisingly clean. I take a few minutes to watch the waves breaking on the rocky shore before moving on.

After a wrong turn (which wastes 40 minutes), I head north along Thorah Park Boulevard. I’ve entered cottage country; this area features a single, quiet street with an endless array of cottages built on the shoreline of Lake Simcoe. The street extends (under several different names) for roughly 10 kilometers, from Port Bolster to the outskirts of Beaverton. The homes are restricted to the single street running along the waterfront; nobody seems to want to live even a block away from the shoreline. Indeed, towards the east, one can find some railroad tracks, a highway, and a vast expanse of farmland, but there are no more houses.


Continuing northeast, I finally arrive in Beaverton, a peaceful village on the eastern coast of Lake Simcoe. Scottish settlers established the town in 1822, and it remains an alluring, self-sustaining community, rich in history. Beaverton has the charming, relaxed atmosphere of an exurban cottage town, but also boasts a large variety of commercial outlets. Beaverton is quite remote; the nearest village is Port Bolster and, as I discovered earlier in the day, there was virtually nothing to see there. The nearest major cities are Orillia (38 km), Uxbridge (42 km) and Kawartha Lakes (46 km).


Beaverton features several basic amenities present in most southern Ontario small towns, including a community centre, a library and a post office. However, the village also has a few distinguishing features. The community features eight churches, which means that Beaverton might have the highest parish-to-population ratio in Ontario. Saint Joseph’s Catholic church is surprisingly large and towers over the nearby residential homes on the east side of Simcoe Street. I’m surprised to find a stately, august war memorial near the centre of town. The town also boasts a small but knowledgeable historical society. Several preserved buildings, including an old stone jail and a log cabin, are located a few hundred meters west of the downtown core.

The village has a surprisingly large number of stores, given its small population. This is probably due to the fact that Beaverton is roughly 40 km away from the nearest major city. Thus, businesses located in the village have a near-captive market while residents obtain the benefit of convenient service. Beaverton offers a surprisingly large amount of professional services including three law firms, three insurance brokers, one management accountant and one business consultant. The town also features an excellent variety of restaurants; at least a dozen eateries are located within the village. There are no major restaurant chains in town, though there is a McDonald’s and a Subway a few kilometers east, near the Trans-Canada highway.


Despite the large number of commercial facilities, there seems to be relatively little entertainment in the village. Certainly, there are no shopping malls or other suburban artifacts. Surprisingly, Beaverton has a movie theatre (the Strand Threatre, one of Canada’s oldest cinemas). However, it appears to be in poor conditions and, besides, it only plays a single movie (currently Harry Potter), a few days per week. I also get annoyed by the younger residents’ obsession with gangster rap. These kids live in middle-of-nowhere Ontario and blast 50 Cent from their cars and spray-paint “Crips and pimps” in alleys.

There are several bars in town. I stop for dinner at the King’s Bishop Pub & Eatery, the town’s largest tavern. It’s surprisingly sophisticated and is comparable in quality to some of the cheaper bars in downtown Toronto. I have a long conversation with the waitress. She assures me that I’ve come to the best (and probably dirtiest) bar in town. She agrees that there isn’t very much to do in Beaverton and tells me that people spend a lot of time drinking and watching sports.


As dusk approaches, I notice that many people are outside playing sports and enjoying nature, something one hardly sees in Toronto. I join in and spend some time resting in a large, well-maintained public park. I watch the sun set over Lake Simcoe and reflect on the comfortable, tranquil villages over 100 km away from the big city.