Great meals and prices at the Village Eatery in Hespeler

I can't get enough of the Village Eatery!

In downtown Hespeler there is a restaurant that you must eat at. It is the Village Eatery at 12 Queen Street. The quality of the food is good and the prices are very reasonable.

Last week we had the mixed wraps and BBQ club sandwich and were not disappointed. Our neighbour said you must have the fish and chips on Friday for $7.99. So we went back on Friday and they were fantastic. I have had fish and chips at other restaurants for twice the price that were not as good.

The only real problem I have there is deciding what to order next. We usually get the food to go since it is small and can get hot in there in the summer. You owe it to yourself to bring your family and friends to the Village Eatery.

It gets a Langan 4.5 rating!

Tariff War Ontario Strawberry Rhubarb GF Crisp

All Ontario products in this recipe!

Ontario Strawberry Rhubarb GF Crisp

It is sad that Mr. Trump have decided to attack Canada with rude insults, lies and tariffs.

I decided to bake an all Canadian, in fact all Ontario, strawberry,rhubarb, gluten free crisp.

• The rhubarb was from my backyard. 
• The strawberries are from Haskett farms in Vittoria, Ontario.  
• The oats are 100% Canadian from the Quaker plant in Peterborough Ontario.
• The Gay Lea Butter is from Ontario.

Filling

1/2 cup sugar
 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
 3 cups sliced fresh Ontario strawberries
 4 cups thinly sliced & diced Ontario rhubarb

Topping

1 cup good gluten-free flour (I used Jules)
 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
 1/2 cup salted butter
3/4 cup Quaker rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a baking pan 9x13 with cooking spray
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.
3. Add the sliced strawberries and rhubarb and stir together with a spatula until fruit is all coated with sugar mixture.
4. Spread the fruit mixture into the 9x13 baking dish.
5. Measure the flour, brown sugar and oats into a medium sized bowl. Melt butter overtop
6. Crumble oat mixture on top of the fruit mixture.
7. Bake 45 minutes in a 375° oven, or until lightly browned and crisp.

Hespeler Now Has 3 Craft Breweries!

Sparrow Brewery & Roasting Company Latest Craft Brewery Opening in Hespeler!

The 3 Craft Breweries of Hespeler!

Sparrow Brewery & Roasting Company 

Hespeler seems to be the hotbed for craft brewing. This new company is opening in June and will be located at 4-54 Guelph Avenue. It will be a professional small batch brewery and coffee roasting company that focuses on quality. Check out their facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/SparrowBrewCo/

Four Fathers Brewery

The excitement in Hespeler is at fever pitch waiting for Four Fathers to open. Massive renovations continue at their location. We have been in the new  lounge. Fantastic! Also there will be an outdoor patio. Whoo hoo! You will love it.

Tons of opportunity in this building that will help the renewal of Hespeler.

Keeping checking their facebook page for the latest news!

https://www.facebook.com/4fathersbrewing/

Hespeler Brewery

We know the Hespeler beer is not brewed in Hespeler but hey its HESPELER BEER and has local people involved.  We love it.

Check out their facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/hespelerbrewing/

The Tragic Decline of the Cambridge Times

Cambridge Times Cancelling Local Sports Section Is a Mistake

Newspapers struggle to retain readers who will buy hardcopy or even online subscriptions. With the variety of news sources available just getting people to look at the newspaper can be a struggle.

The Cambridge Times is no exception. The Tuesday paper is so thin questions can be asked if they really do care about reporting local news anymore. The weekend paper is one giant paper mainly because it is jammed with flyers.

Why do people still read the Times? It has to be for the local news and sports. The rationale to cancel the local sports section online and in print is simply ludicrous and will speed up the Cambridge Times demise.

25 years ago when I moved to the community having the team I helped coach with Hespeler Minor Hockey Association get their picture in the Cambridge Times was a big deal and parents and kids were excited when it happened. 

For the last 9 years I have been the President of the Scorpions Volleyball Club. Thanks to excellent reporting from the Times Sports Reporter Bill Doucet  the parents and players have enjoyed seeing their successes shared with the whole city in his articles. Doucet's reporting of our clubs activities are one of the key reasons are club was so successful in it's early days.

Sadly, some executive somewhere at Metroland Media decided local sports does not matter. You can still submit a story but it has to compete with for space with all other local, regional and national news. 

Thanks Bill Doucet for all your coverage of local sports in the past our young athletes appreciated it.

VIA Rail and the High Frequency Rail Myth - 25% Reduced Trip Times

Will the Canadian government spend $4 billion resulting in the same trip times between Toronto and Montreal as in 1973?

One of the biggest unsubstantiated statements by VIA Rail is their proposed high frequency rail line will reduce trip times by 25%.

What data have VIA Rail released to show how this reduced travel time will be accomplished?  The answer is simple. VIA Rail has not even released any data to the public to support that statement or even the exact routing of the line.

Current VIA trains tips between Toronto and Montreal is  about 5hrs and 5hrs 17min on the main line.

Even if VIA Rail could obtain a 20% reduction in trip times it would result in travel times like we had in 1973 around 4hours.(and  this percentage reduction would take a leap of faith).

Travelling along the old Ontario-Quebec (CP) Rail line has many level crossings, a winding route, travelling through small communities and the reduced speed to enter and leave Montreal and Toronto.

In 1973, the CN Turbo train took 3hrs 59min between the same two cities on the main line VIA Rail is now running on. Here is the CN video to demonstrate this fact.

How can the government spend $4 billion where the result of spending that money will be train trip times that we had in 1973? VIA Rail's High Frequency Rail plan continues Canada's reputation as having one of the slowest, outdated, and inefficient passenger rail systems in the modern world.

The Speed River Ranch - Hespeler's Forgotten Rodeo

Former site of Archie McArthur’s ranch where the rodeos were held. 

It is quiet now but Archie McArthur’s place just outside of Hespeler on Roszell Road was a popular place to go see a rodeo. The annual Labour Day rodeo at the Speed River Ranch was a hit.

Archie along with George Hewitt organized these rodeos.

Linda Inglis remembers riding her horse from their farm on CR32 to Archies for the Rodeo on the Labour Day Weekends. She would ride the Grand Entry for him (flag carrier).

The full history of this rodeo needs to be explored. Hopefully this blog inspires someone to step forward to do a more comphrensive look back at this part of Hespeler's history.

The Speed River Ranch Rodeo - Hespeler, Ontario - 1967 -