MUST RING OUT
After a five-year hiatus, the bell tower of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Cobourg is proudly ringing once again. Repairs to the tower were completed last year and Canada’s Dominion Carillonneur Andrea McCrady, the bell player of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, came to the church in December to re-introduce the signature bells to the people of Cobourg. She also hosted workshops for volunteers who wanted to try being carillonneurs themselves, by pulling down the levers that control the bells. “These bells sound quite lovely,” she says of the St. Peter’s bells, which were first installed between 1904 and 1905 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the new church. Now 120 years on, the joyous music has returned. Let the bells be rung!
MUST CONTEMPLATE
Film Access Northumberland is dedicated to celebrating film as a way to transcend language and cultural barriers. The stories we tell by film can bring us a sense of community and understanding about who we are and why we’re here. They can be mirrors of our personal experiences or dreams we aspire to – or they can just wake us up to a whole new perspective! The group’s fourth annual three-day Eye2Eye Festival at historic Victoria Hall in Cobourg presents films that span fiction, non-fiction, animation and digital works, with the aim of highlighting Canadian and local talent alongside international titles. Don’t miss the chance to submit your film for entry consideration and join the festival.
June 7 to 9
MUST HEAD OUT
Hiking is an amazing way to connect with nature. If you’re looking for fellow hikers who make the most of all the seasons, check out the Pineridge Hiking Club, a group of adventurers who welcome new members with a little or a lot of experience with trekking poles. Spring can offer outings that are rated easy or moderate, from 6 to 12 km. Another group, the Oak Ridges Trail Association, schedules guided hikes throughout the year.
The appeal of hiking in a group is the chance to share an incredible view, catch sight of an owl, watch a sunset and enjoy the camaraderie, all in the safety of friends. Running out of drinking water or twisting an ankle in the backcountry is much riskier when you are solo than when you’re with a group.
MUST TAP INTO
Steam is rising from the smokestacks of the sugar shacks that are nestled in our local woodlots as they boil maple sap down into syrup. Fun fact: Sugar maple trees aren’t usually tapped until they are 30 years old; once they’re old enough to be tapped, they can produce up to 45 litres of sap in a season. But – and it’s a big but – it takes 40 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup. Maple sap itself is a popular beverage with health-promoting minerals, amino acids and phenolic compounds. It’s so worth the visit to a sugar bush to see the process in action and enjoy maple taffy and the good stuff on pancakes.
Local spots to try:
Sandy Flat Sugar Bush, Warkworth
Hubbs Sugarbush, Belleville
Fosterholm Farms, Picton
Bata Maples Sugarbush, Quinte West
MUST ECLIPSE
Mark your calendars! A total eclipse of the sun will take place on April 8, turning daylight to total darkness as the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and the sun. The total eclipse is predicted to begin at 3:26 p.m. ET and last for one minute and 27 seconds (depending on where you are). This is when scientists get a chance to study the corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere that becomes visible during the event. Get ready, because according to NASA, the next total solar eclipse in our region won’t take place for another 20 years, on August 23, 2044. Sunglasses won’t cut it – never look directly at the sun – so choose special eclipse glasses to safely observe the event as it’s happening.
MUST FLY HIGH
The Quinte International Air Show returns to CFB Trenton in a big way this year. Vintage aircraft will line the runway and demonstrations of precision aerobatics will fill the skies as the iconic Canadian Forces Snow birds jets headline the show. April 1, 2024 marks the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100 years of service as a distinct military element, and CFB Trenton is pulling out all the stops for one of the most anticipated tourism events in the region. The aim is to honour military heritage and expertise, and inspire future generations of Canadians to pursue careers in aviation and space through STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – activities at the show. For ticket information and to discover more about the Quinte International Air Show, visit: www.quinteairshow.ca
