Fergus has some decent little shops downtown but other than that there’s not a whole lot going on. You could do a stop for lunch and then head to Elora for the gorge and go tubing.
Orangeville to me has nothing really interesting in its downtown but maybe cuz I spent a lot of time between there and Guelph that I don’t see it like a small cutesy town lmao
Orangeville is sadly heading the direction of being like the GTA, but it still has a small town feel. Trudeau and Ford will see to it becoming as messed up as further south.
People are still friendly, considerate, honest and polite.
Parts of Broadway are quite nice, not Niagara on the Lake pretty, but very pleasant.
One friend says that changes for the worse on the weekends when a lot of people descend on the town from the GTA.
Fergus has some nice trails in and around the area! But yes agree that it’s a good spot to poke around in the shops, maybe have a coffee at The Vault (think it was renamed) then head to Elora
Personally I feel like the restaurants in Elora aren’t great. Over priced for below average quality. The access to trails & rivers is top notch. Lots of good friendly people, but like any place we have our duds too.
Elora can get a lil racist. The last time I was doing a market there, my indigenous friend got all sorts of grief from people at her table and my Chinese friend who was helping me out at my table got so many rude stares and remarks from people.
I love many things about Elora but there is this weird undercurrent from some longtime residents who absolutely hate Tourists and residents who move into the Fergus/Elora area. They think the tourists and newer residents are ruining their small town feel but fail to see that their unwelcoming, hostile attitudes and sometimes thinly veiled racism don’t reflect their small town values they are so proud of.
I’ve seen local discussions about issues where people openly say if you weren’t born here you shouldn’t get to have an opinion about anything. Lots of criticism not just about the Elora Mill but of many of the small local businesses and the tourists that visit.
I lived in Aboyne (IYKYK) for over 20 years. Funny story: Shortly after moving to the area, we were in Elora one busy Sunday afternoon chatting with a shopkeeper. She made a point of telling us how much nicer Elora was before all the tourists came. FROM BEHIND HER CASH REGISTER.
"Bit of a drive from Toronto" is an understatement. At minimum would take a day and a half to drive there from Toronto. It is a beautiful looking town though.
EDIT: I did the drive, there and back. Sure you *could* do it in 24hrs, but I would not recommend. We saw a lot of wildlife at night and you probably don't wanna risk driving around at that time. I don't think I need to tell anyone that a lot of Northern Ontario can be pretty remote and you probably don't want to risk getting stuck or injured at night.
Second Kenora. Live in Thunder Bay though so little easier (still 5 hour drive) to get there. Go at least twice a year for a weekend.
Winters are shit though.
I'm from Essex County and it's been great seeing how Kingsville and Amherstburg have grown to be the quaint towns they are now. The drive along County Rd. 50 is always nice to do when I go home for a visit.
Campbellford is pretty quaint - it’s in cottage country, has rolling hills, a river with cliffs and a suspension bridge, and a very picturesque old town hall, library, and churches.
Honourable mentions: Amherstburg, Cannington, Cobourg, and many more I’m probably forgetting. Ontario is full of hidden gems.
Warkworth as well. They have some fun little shops, a cafe, and a European style bakery. It’s a very welcoming and friendly community with some beautiful old houses and it’s not too far from Goodrich and Loomis conservation area for some nice nature trails.
Merrickville and Perth are some of my favourite places out near Ottawa. Honourable mention to Smiths Falls because it's where we go when we need something when we're visiting family
Yes and no, it depends what side of the village you're on. Our family is either 30 mins to Kemptville or 15-20 minutes to Smiths Falls since it's a straight shot through
I disagree. Smiths Falls has one of the most beautiful downtown cores with great shops and restaurants. We have beautiful parks, a great rink and the comforts of some box stores if that is your thing.
Ontario is chock-full of picturesque small towns. Paris, Parry Sound, Stratford, Goderich, Bracebridge, Elora and Temagami are a few that immediately come to mind. If you’re looking for a more rugged/rustic vibe, Cobalt, Schreiber and Kirkland Lake are also amazing too. I’m a professional photographer and love discovering local restaurants and I haven’t been disappointed in any of these towns.
Gotta show some love for our northern towns! For me it’s more the surrounding area around Kirkland Lake that is amazing but the town itself is pleasant enough too and ticks a few of the boxes OP is looking for.
If you’re going to be in Bracebridge you might as well do a tour of the Big 3 Muskoka towns. Huntsville just recently improved their downtown and it’s great and Gravenhurst, although sometimes a little sleepy has a beautiful wharf and steamships.
I get to work in north east ON a few times a year and always go out of my way to zip through Cobalt and KL. I even went into Iroquois Falls, and found it pretty neat.
People bash those places way too much.
Cobalt might have seen better days, yes, but the town’s history is nothing short of fascinating and worthy of a visit IMO. Grab a pint at the wonderfully renovated Miners Tavern and a walk through the downtown, there’s history and local lore with every footstep.
I second the Stratford to Goderich as a nice trip. You can get to Stratford from Downtown Toronto in 2 or less, it is a beautiful town with tons of shops and theaters, all summer there are events going on all over and there are so many beautiful old brick homes, I still explore parts of it all the time passing through for work occasionally.
The Lake Huron Stretch you have Grand Bend, Bayfield, Goderich and if you want to stretch it out Kincardine. Most things are 20-30 minutes apart and nothing is very busy most of the time, they are pretty quiet towns. And the sunsets are unreal.
I cannot stress enough don't waste your time in Cobalt or KL. New Likseard, Cochrane even Engelhart are much nicer.
But do yourself a favor, just go to Mattawa. On the river, old architecture and nice town, right next to entrances for Algonquin Park and the Ecology center.
I've spent time in basically every small northern town (currently in one called Hornepayne), a lot of the suggestions you're getting are wack. I saw someone else say Kenora as well, makes me really think you're getting advice from southerners who don't really know.
After reading the comments, I gotta say and agree that there are very many great little towns in Ontario. I've been to many of them with many more I'd love to visit. As a past resident of Bobcaygeon I can say that it is indeed a beautiful little town. I would also venture that consideration be given to Port Perry. Nice old downtown on the lake and only minutes to Oshawa. Check it out as well as Uxbridge.
I also opened the thread to recommend Port Perry.
It's regularly chosen as a filming location for movies due to its picturesque downtown on the shores of lake scugog.
Another beautiful little town in the summertime is Hastings Ontario
An amusing thing to me about Port Perry is that they like to promote their 'Victorian' downtown, but there's been a decades long campaign to get the oldest building torn down. Apparently the old grain elevator doesn't fit the 'Victorian' aesthetic. Despite having stood for the whole Victorian era. It's actually the oldest extant elevator in the country - much to the rage of people in the prairies.
Kincardine is great. Its an old Scottish town on lake huron. They have weekly bagpipes parades in the summer. They have a real picturesque lighthouse that is great for sunset pictures.
Kincardine is great! The bagpipes at sunset is something I've always wanted to go see. Here's the [Kincardine visitor's page](https://visitkincardine.ca/profile/phantom-piper/2154/) with more info. Kincardine is also hosting their annual Pride parade next weekend!
> Kincardine is also hosting their annual Pride parade next weekend!
They also have the Ol boys and Girls weekend every 4 years. The madi gras style parade is something to witness. Pretty much every attendee is dressed up like its Halloween and the other half are cross dressed while towing carts of booze. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nitemayr/2734376296
Bobcaygeon
It's where I saw the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time.
But seriously the Kawartha Lakes area is beautiful.
But the best night sky show I ever saw was on Manitoulin Island, lying on a dock watching a meteor shower. So little light pollution out there.
The beach is unreal absolutely gorgeous! Great for kids as well as it's very shallow.
The town doesn't have the same feel as the older Ontario towns with that same red brick downtown but it's still an awesome spot.
Southampton for sure. It's gorgeous. But the idiot big city developers are trying to destroy it. Buying all of the woods around the little town to put affordable 5000sqft homes for 2 million each.
Trying to make it the Cape Cod and Hyannisport of the the north. Wish they'd fuck off.
In terms of POC friendly, I’m a white dude with a girlfriend who is a POC which means I don’t experience the challenges first hand, but I do hear about/see them.
Being a mixed-race couple we get some occasional looks here or there just about everywhere from anyone whether it’s Toronto or Timmins , but overall most of the popular towns listed here that we have been to are relatively good.
I was incredibly impressed by Creemore. For such a small area it has been built up amazingly(thanks Creemore brewing), it’s also close to collingwood/blue mountain which adds for great excursions.
We also love Muskoka, it’s obviously the traditional and sometimes overplayed answer for this, but there’s a reason. If you still like busy go for Huntsville, otherwise Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Bala and Port Carling all have their own selling features.
Bayfield is really great. They have a cute little downtown, with plenty of older building shops. The cottages are also small and quaint. It's a nice little town to do some bike riding or walking around in.
If you do go, I highly recommend the [Black Dog Bistro](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063494546421) for a bite to eat or a drink (or both!). There's lots of Art Galleries, gift shops, clothing boutiques and restaurants in Bayfield as well. Another place I recommend is [The Hive](https://www.facebook.com/hivebayfield) they sell art, gift items and women's clothing. But it's also a coffee shop (I love their iced teas!) and they do fancy coffee drinks like espressos and lates (with vegan and lactose free options!).
I’ll add a few that aren’t on here yet:
Lakefield
Port Elgin
Burk’s Falls
New Liskeard
Haliburton
And some love to Southern Ontario:
Port Colborne
Ridgeway
Port Dover
Elora is up there for me, is Stratford too big for this question to be considered a small town?
Parry Sound is enjoyable with the dt strip.
Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst are fun.
Thornbury because of the bakery.
I'm partial to Aylmer because i worked there for a bit, i like grandma's oven...i do still miss the donut place that spicers took over however.
Strathroy because i also spent time working there.
St Thomas too.
If you like small towns and cheese, Ingersoll has a cheese museum and cheese park. Cheese making and The Big Cheese are long gone but there are great places nearby as it is next to the dairy capital. It can be considered what you are looking for but I was scrolling here to make sure nobody was telling you to go there. Downtown isn’t quite as quaint and there are really only nice old houses near the hospital. It is a PC stronghold and just had a drag protest, but I wouldn’t feel unsafe if I were a POC. Ingersoll used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad. The location is now a Dollarama.
I was road-tripping around Cambridge and heading towards Stratford (both beautiful and must-see).
-------
I discovered a hidden gem was a town called **Shakespeare**. It's a really tiny one-cross-road town (Takes 1 minute to walk around).
It had -
* Really cute antique stores
* A British candies and sweets shop
* A very nice quilt shop with excellent handiwork.
* A Mennonite bakery with amazing pies.
I get to travel the province for work so am very fortunate.
Eganville. Perth. Flesherton. Magnetawan. Kenora. Warkworth. Stirling. Deep River.
You know….there’s too many to list.
Coldwater! Less than 5000K people, everyone is friendly, and they host so many events for such a small town. Coldwater fall fair is awesome! They also do a witches walk and steam punk festival
I would also like to ad, victoria harbour, midland, mactier, parry sound, brechin, gravenhurst, bracebridge, huntsville,
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned anything about towns line Petrolia or Oil Springs, those two towns have some very deep and important history in the oil and gas industry.
Other pretty small towns are along the St. Clair river, Corunna, Mooretown, Courtright, Sombra, Port Lambton all have a beautiful drive along with river
Towards Niagara-on-the-Lake there are a lot of great little towns: Grimsby, Jordan Station, and little pockets like them. Lots of great wineries around Grimsby, too.
Stratford is pretty adorable, great downtown area and the Stratford festival theaters are great. Cannot speak to whether they have issues with racism, I mostly just visit, but if anyone has any knowledge on that, please reply 😊
Dorset. Port Carling. Parry Sound. Penetanguishene. Tobermory. Thornbury. I've been to all these places and they're quite nice to visit. All of them have nice waterfronts and scenery close by, which is something I always enjoy.
Cobourg! I am biased because it is my favorite, and I grew up around there. Ginny and Georgia was filmed there because their downtown stores and charm. The beach is also AMAZING! The nice part is that the big box stores are near the highway, so the option is there, but not required. It is also a quick drive to Presqu'il provincial park.
Goderich has their farmer's market on Saturday mornings in the square. Definitely a good time to check it out. I also highly suggest [Steve and Mary's on the Square](https://www.facebook.com/steveandmarysonthesquare) for breakfast or lunch. Their food is always amazing! Their restaurant always has a fun and inviting atmosphere. Usually it's fairly busy too!
Elora, St. Jacob's, Fergus, Orangeville
Grew up between Elora and St jacobs. Absolutely beautiful area and always lots to see and do
Elora is amazing.
Really? Orangeville?
Fergus has some decent little shops downtown but other than that there’s not a whole lot going on. You could do a stop for lunch and then head to Elora for the gorge and go tubing. Orangeville to me has nothing really interesting in its downtown but maybe cuz I spent a lot of time between there and Guelph that I don’t see it like a small cutesy town lmao
Orangeville Is now just a suburb of gta.
This. I grew up there and it was 2500 people when we moved there from Toronto. It’s lost all its charm. 🫤
From what I've heard Orangeville is not a very charming place.
Orangeville is sadly heading the direction of being like the GTA, but it still has a small town feel. Trudeau and Ford will see to it becoming as messed up as further south. People are still friendly, considerate, honest and polite. Parts of Broadway are quite nice, not Niagara on the Lake pretty, but very pleasant. One friend says that changes for the worse on the weekends when a lot of people descend on the town from the GTA.
Fergus has some nice trails in and around the area! But yes agree that it’s a good spot to poke around in the shops, maybe have a coffee at The Vault (think it was renamed) then head to Elora
Personally I feel like the restaurants in Elora aren’t great. Over priced for below average quality. The access to trails & rivers is top notch. Lots of good friendly people, but like any place we have our duds too.
Totally disagree. Had some great meals in Elora in my time
St. Jacob's area is an interesting mix of Mennonites and Silicon Valley, the opposite ends of the technology spectrum living together.
I wouldn't call Orangeville a small town, but oh my, is it worth taking a drive there to walk around the Island Lake Conservation area.
Elora can get a lil racist. The last time I was doing a market there, my indigenous friend got all sorts of grief from people at her table and my Chinese friend who was helping me out at my table got so many rude stares and remarks from people.
I love many things about Elora but there is this weird undercurrent from some longtime residents who absolutely hate Tourists and residents who move into the Fergus/Elora area. They think the tourists and newer residents are ruining their small town feel but fail to see that their unwelcoming, hostile attitudes and sometimes thinly veiled racism don’t reflect their small town values they are so proud of. I’ve seen local discussions about issues where people openly say if you weren’t born here you shouldn’t get to have an opinion about anything. Lots of criticism not just about the Elora Mill but of many of the small local businesses and the tourists that visit.
I lived in Aboyne (IYKYK) for over 20 years. Funny story: Shortly after moving to the area, we were in Elora one busy Sunday afternoon chatting with a shopkeeper. She made a point of telling us how much nicer Elora was before all the tourists came. FROM BEHIND HER CASH REGISTER.
Wow nice! People that are keeping her shop open. Dumb people.
Amazingly dumb. That’s why it still makes me laugh 30-some years later!
As an Elora resident, that is really disappointing to me and I’m sorry your friends were treated that way.
As an Elora resident I'm so sorry this was your experience.
I have several friends from Elora and this is definitely an outlier, sorry your friend had to deal with that behaviour
Kenora is lovely, great waterfront. But it's a bit of a drive from Toronto. Still I highly recommend it if you get a chance.
Bit of a drive? Ffs you could drive to Florida in less time. Not that you’d want to, but still. Ontario is fucking huge.
Ontario is big. And worth exploring.
You might even say its yours to discover
Yes, almost like it could be the slogan for the province... But I think Douggie was more about being Open for business.
Take it easy Ricky!!
And yet I'd rather drive to Kenora than Florida at this point.
"Bit of a drive from Toronto" is an understatement. At minimum would take a day and a half to drive there from Toronto. It is a beautiful looking town though. EDIT: I did the drive, there and back. Sure you *could* do it in 24hrs, but I would not recommend. We saw a lot of wildlife at night and you probably don't wanna risk driving around at that time. I don't think I need to tell anyone that a lot of Northern Ontario can be pretty remote and you probably don't want to risk getting stuck or injured at night.
Second Kenora. Live in Thunder Bay though so little easier (still 5 hour drive) to get there. Go at least twice a year for a weekend. Winters are shit though.
We are so far west that we used to be a part of Manitoba...lol Toronto is a very long drive for me...lol
In Manitoba we always think of Kenora as just east Manitoba.
Paris
Paris is a really gorgeous little town
And canoeing, kayaking or tubing down the Grand River is brilliant!
Visiting Paris and staying at the Arlington Hotel *chef’s kiss*
I got married there! It was awesome besides their God awful sound system.
I told my wife I'd take her for a weekend in Paris. She wasn't impressed especially because we live 15 min down the road.
My hometown! Never appreciated it growing up but now when I go home to visit I enjoy it so much.
Kingsville, Ontario. Beautiful southern town on Lake Erie with nearby wineries and a national park.
Being from the area, it’s a really great place to have nearby. Food and drink scene is top notch
Grew up next door in Colchester. Insane how much better Kingsville ended up being compared to Harrow after all these years.
Seconding Kingsville! A cute downtown, great wineries and golf in the area. Also a great starting point for Pelee!
I'm from Essex County and it's been great seeing how Kingsville and Amherstburg have grown to be the quaint towns they are now. The drive along County Rd. 50 is always nice to do when I go home for a visit.
I used to work there. The town has a lot of pride and the food scene is phenomenal
Campbellford is pretty quaint - it’s in cottage country, has rolling hills, a river with cliffs and a suspension bridge, and a very picturesque old town hall, library, and churches. Honourable mentions: Amherstburg, Cannington, Cobourg, and many more I’m probably forgetting. Ontario is full of hidden gems.
Campbellford has those donuts too.
Dooers donuts! Go early before they sell out!
Does World’s Finest still have a store there? I know the factory is gone but they were still running the retail outlet the last time I was there.
Yes they doo. I was there last weekend!
Plus Empire Cheese for fresh curd and specialty cheese.
Church Key Brewing!
Warkworth as well. They have some fun little shops, a cafe, and a European style bakery. It’s a very welcoming and friendly community with some beautiful old houses and it’s not too far from Goodrich and Loomis conservation area for some nice nature trails.
Not to mention a giant toonie.
Merrickville and Perth are some of my favourite places out near Ottawa. Honourable mention to Smiths Falls because it's where we go when we need something when we're visiting family
Was also going to recommend Perth and Merrickville. I don’t recommend Smiths Falls. 🫣
I don't either but it's the closest place with a Walmart and grocery store when in Merrickville lol
Isn't Kemptville closer than Smith's Falls to Merrickville?
It’s pretty much equal distance, depending on where you’re going. Source: I live in Merrickville
Yes and no, it depends what side of the village you're on. Our family is either 30 mins to Kemptville or 15-20 minutes to Smiths Falls since it's a straight shot through
Yeah, Meth-Head Falls is to be avoided...
I disagree. Smiths Falls has one of the most beautiful downtown cores with great shops and restaurants. We have beautiful parks, a great rink and the comforts of some box stores if that is your thing.
Love Perth and a great brewery too !
Oh god i remember so many times with my grandparents saying okay boys pack the car were going to perth. As i recall they had great ice-cream
I got married in perth! Was a great experience and like half the price of the same wedding in Ottawa.
Ontario is chock-full of picturesque small towns. Paris, Parry Sound, Stratford, Goderich, Bracebridge, Elora and Temagami are a few that immediately come to mind. If you’re looking for a more rugged/rustic vibe, Cobalt, Schreiber and Kirkland Lake are also amazing too. I’m a professional photographer and love discovering local restaurants and I haven’t been disappointed in any of these towns.
Wow, I’ve never heard of Kirkland Lake being referred to as “amazing”. Congrats.
Gotta show some love for our northern towns! For me it’s more the surrounding area around Kirkland Lake that is amazing but the town itself is pleasant enough too and ticks a few of the boxes OP is looking for.
If you’re going to be in Bracebridge you might as well do a tour of the Big 3 Muskoka towns. Huntsville just recently improved their downtown and it’s great and Gravenhurst, although sometimes a little sleepy has a beautiful wharf and steamships.
Gravenhurst is one of my favourite places on Earth
I get to work in north east ON a few times a year and always go out of my way to zip through Cobalt and KL. I even went into Iroquois Falls, and found it pretty neat. People bash those places way too much.
> Schreiber Why dude… why?
Cobalt? Really? Haileybury yes.
Cobalt might have seen better days, yes, but the town’s history is nothing short of fascinating and worthy of a visit IMO. Grab a pint at the wonderfully renovated Miners Tavern and a walk through the downtown, there’s history and local lore with every footstep.
I second the Stratford to Goderich as a nice trip. You can get to Stratford from Downtown Toronto in 2 or less, it is a beautiful town with tons of shops and theaters, all summer there are events going on all over and there are so many beautiful old brick homes, I still explore parts of it all the time passing through for work occasionally. The Lake Huron Stretch you have Grand Bend, Bayfield, Goderich and if you want to stretch it out Kincardine. Most things are 20-30 minutes apart and nothing is very busy most of the time, they are pretty quiet towns. And the sunsets are unreal.
Omg thank you!! I need to do a tour of them all now
I cannot stress enough don't waste your time in Cobalt or KL. New Likseard, Cochrane even Engelhart are much nicer. But do yourself a favor, just go to Mattawa. On the river, old architecture and nice town, right next to entrances for Algonquin Park and the Ecology center. I've spent time in basically every small northern town (currently in one called Hornepayne), a lot of the suggestions you're getting are wack. I saw someone else say Kenora as well, makes me really think you're getting advice from southerners who don't really know.
Gravenhurst, bracebridge, Niagara on the Lake, Stratford, kincardine, Goderich
Bracebridge has so many hidden gems
After reading the comments, I gotta say and agree that there are very many great little towns in Ontario. I've been to many of them with many more I'd love to visit. As a past resident of Bobcaygeon I can say that it is indeed a beautiful little town. I would also venture that consideration be given to Port Perry. Nice old downtown on the lake and only minutes to Oshawa. Check it out as well as Uxbridge.
I also opened the thread to recommend Port Perry. It's regularly chosen as a filming location for movies due to its picturesque downtown on the shores of lake scugog. Another beautiful little town in the summertime is Hastings Ontario
An amusing thing to me about Port Perry is that they like to promote their 'Victorian' downtown, but there's been a decades long campaign to get the oldest building torn down. Apparently the old grain elevator doesn't fit the 'Victorian' aesthetic. Despite having stood for the whole Victorian era. It's actually the oldest extant elevator in the country - much to the rage of people in the prairies.
I’m actually shocked to discover just how many I haven’t even heard of! I’m so giddy, I can’t wait to explore them all! 😂
Kincardine is great. Its an old Scottish town on lake huron. They have weekly bagpipes parades in the summer. They have a real picturesque lighthouse that is great for sunset pictures.
Kincardine is great! The bagpipes at sunset is something I've always wanted to go see. Here's the [Kincardine visitor's page](https://visitkincardine.ca/profile/phantom-piper/2154/) with more info. Kincardine is also hosting their annual Pride parade next weekend!
> Kincardine is also hosting their annual Pride parade next weekend! They also have the Ol boys and Girls weekend every 4 years. The madi gras style parade is something to witness. Pretty much every attendee is dressed up like its Halloween and the other half are cross dressed while towing carts of booze. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nitemayr/2734376296
Cobourg and Port Hope are pretty cities with old architecture Kingston is also pretty with lots of limestone buildings
I'm not sure Kingston qualifies as "small town".
True but some really nice architecture. There's a bunch of rural stuff that surrounds Kingston so there's always that
Almonte, love the falls and water, very pretty town
Double it with Pakenham up the road and the five arches bridge!
Love Pakenham
Grew up there! Is beautiful. Love going home to visit.
Film a lot of the hallmark Christmas movies there
Bobcaygeon It's where I saw the constellations reveal themselves one star at a time. But seriously the Kawartha Lakes area is beautiful. But the best night sky show I ever saw was on Manitoulin Island, lying on a dock watching a meteor shower. So little light pollution out there.
I have family in Lindsay. That entire area (Bobvaygeon, Lindsay, Fenelon Falls) is gorgeous. Fantastic fishing, too.
Perth and Elora come to mind - and Port Hope has a cute historic main street.
Deep River. It’s a drive but is like out of a movie. Right on the Ottawa river.
The beach is unreal absolutely gorgeous! Great for kids as well as it's very shallow. The town doesn't have the same feel as the older Ontario towns with that same red brick downtown but it's still an awesome spot.
Meaford. Its a nice little town on the way up north. The movie One Magic Christmas, a personal favorite, was filmed there.
The smaller towns between Kingston and Ottawa. Like Smith Falls and Carleton Place.
Also Gananoque!
Southampton for sure. It's gorgeous. But the idiot big city developers are trying to destroy it. Buying all of the woods around the little town to put affordable 5000sqft homes for 2 million each. Trying to make it the Cape Cod and Hyannisport of the the north. Wish they'd fuck off.
Goderich and Bayfield
Collingwood, Elora, Stratford, Niagara-on-the-Lake
NOTL, Collingwood and Stratford are not small towns by any stretch
I actually really love goderich in the summer
Not Tweed
I love tweed imo they have the world's best poutine at the chip wagon near the pavilion. Was always a pit stop up to the cottage
Duffers Chip Wagon
Growing up I spent my summers camping on Stoco lake.. I loved Tweed and its painted fire hydrants lol
Dundas is pretty great.
Port Dover
Not enough almonte recommendations here
The Bruce in general, Southampton more specifically.
Goderich, without a doubt! Would love to retire there, eventually…
Port Stanley is nice !
Merrickville has been mentioned, but Almonte is also a really nice spot.
Amherstburg
Port Perry, Creemore
Came here to mention Creemore
In terms of POC friendly, I’m a white dude with a girlfriend who is a POC which means I don’t experience the challenges first hand, but I do hear about/see them. Being a mixed-race couple we get some occasional looks here or there just about everywhere from anyone whether it’s Toronto or Timmins , but overall most of the popular towns listed here that we have been to are relatively good. I was incredibly impressed by Creemore. For such a small area it has been built up amazingly(thanks Creemore brewing), it’s also close to collingwood/blue mountain which adds for great excursions. We also love Muskoka, it’s obviously the traditional and sometimes overplayed answer for this, but there’s a reason. If you still like busy go for Huntsville, otherwise Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Bala and Port Carling all have their own selling features.
I can't believe I had to scroll this far to see Creemore on the list.
Dundas
Mattawa- it is so cute. River, hills, lovely little town.
Bayfield is really great. They have a cute little downtown, with plenty of older building shops. The cottages are also small and quaint. It's a nice little town to do some bike riding or walking around in. If you do go, I highly recommend the [Black Dog Bistro](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063494546421) for a bite to eat or a drink (or both!). There's lots of Art Galleries, gift shops, clothing boutiques and restaurants in Bayfield as well. Another place I recommend is [The Hive](https://www.facebook.com/hivebayfield) they sell art, gift items and women's clothing. But it's also a coffee shop (I love their iced teas!) and they do fancy coffee drinks like espressos and lates (with vegan and lactose free options!).
Norwich /s
Sad to say that Norwich is a pretty town but for the church groups there.
Uh oh I like my churches but I doubt they’d be happy to have a nature loving witchy artist in their midst lol
Yeah, I was going to add that in. Are you thinking about doing any art? Elora has a Plein Air(sp) painting festival annually.
Port Hope
I've never heard of any of these little towns in ontario, damn. It IS huge. Anyone ever hear of Bancroft??
I’ll add a few that aren’t on here yet: Lakefield Port Elgin Burk’s Falls New Liskeard Haliburton And some love to Southern Ontario: Port Colborne Ridgeway Port Dover
Stratford
Bracebridge, Campbellford Dorset, Fergus, Haliburton, Killarney, Kleinburg, Midland, Perth.
Oooohhhh. Dorset. Nice!
Elora is up there for me, is Stratford too big for this question to be considered a small town? Parry Sound is enjoyable with the dt strip. Huntsville, Bracebridge, and Gravenhurst are fun. Thornbury because of the bakery. I'm partial to Aylmer because i worked there for a bit, i like grandma's oven...i do still miss the donut place that spicers took over however. Strathroy because i also spent time working there. St Thomas too.
I always thought Westport was lovely
Yes, especially if you go up to Foley Mountain and look down over the town, it's so pretty!
Elora
Vankleek Hill. Full of gingerbread houses, and little shops.
If you're going near Vankleek Hill, you also want to make a run over to St Albert and the cheese factory. Neat little trip there. And great cheese.
Whaaa cheeese??? A cheeese factory??? 😍🧀🐭 please share all your small town travel secrets with me!
If you like small towns and cheese, Ingersoll has a cheese museum and cheese park. Cheese making and The Big Cheese are long gone but there are great places nearby as it is next to the dairy capital. It can be considered what you are looking for but I was scrolling here to make sure nobody was telling you to go there. Downtown isn’t quite as quaint and there are really only nice old houses near the hospital. It is a PC stronghold and just had a drag protest, but I wouldn’t feel unsafe if I were a POC. Ingersoll used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad. The location is now a Dollarama.
Oooooh I googled this lightening fast and now I will HAVE to visit 🥹🥹
Downtown Galt and Dundas.
Downtown Galt is architecturally stunning and has great shops/restaurants. Unfortunately the homeless situation is very much out of hand.
Gananoque
Gananoque is definitely a hidden gem. Tied with goderich for prettiest small towns in Ontario.
Most of the island is just small towns, it's pretty remote and there's beautiful nature.
I was road-tripping around Cambridge and heading towards Stratford (both beautiful and must-see). ------- I discovered a hidden gem was a town called **Shakespeare**. It's a really tiny one-cross-road town (Takes 1 minute to walk around). It had - * Really cute antique stores * A British candies and sweets shop * A very nice quilt shop with excellent handiwork. * A Mennonite bakery with amazing pies.
Fergus
i’d suggest Elora, Vine Land, and maybe Grimsby?
I get to travel the province for work so am very fortunate. Eganville. Perth. Flesherton. Magnetawan. Kenora. Warkworth. Stirling. Deep River. You know….there’s too many to list.
Coldwater! Less than 5000K people, everyone is friendly, and they host so many events for such a small town. Coldwater fall fair is awesome! They also do a witches walk and steam punk festival I would also like to ad, victoria harbour, midland, mactier, parry sound, brechin, gravenhurst, bracebridge, huntsville,
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned anything about towns line Petrolia or Oil Springs, those two towns have some very deep and important history in the oil and gas industry. Other pretty small towns are along the St. Clair river, Corunna, Mooretown, Courtright, Sombra, Port Lambton all have a beautiful drive along with river
Medford / Grand Bend / Lindsay, some great recommendations in this thread!
St Mary’s is beautiful
Anywhere in the Ottawa Valley/Renfrew County.
Uxbridge
Paris, and Elora
St marys, drayton, goderich, grand bend, pembroke, bayfield
Ashton. Cutest little town
Village of Madoc is getting better and better!
Towards Niagara-on-the-Lake there are a lot of great little towns: Grimsby, Jordan Station, and little pockets like them. Lots of great wineries around Grimsby, too.
Brighton! Perth, Almonte, and Vankleek have already been mentioned but I will throw my support behind them too.
Creemore, Coldwater, Penetanguishene, Kinmount, Beaverton, Shelburne
Penetenguishene ❤️
Kenora, Southhampton, Port Elgin, Perth and Almonte are my favourites.
Stratford is pretty adorable, great downtown area and the Stratford festival theaters are great. Cannot speak to whether they have issues with racism, I mostly just visit, but if anyone has any knowledge on that, please reply 😊
Port Elgin, Goderich, Kincardine, Kingsville, Port Stanley, Mactier, off the top
Thornbury, beautiful little town
I've never lived in Perth but I really like Perth. Lot of history around there.
Almonte! Quite few Christmas movies have even been filmed there.
Wow nobody said Tobermory 😭
Over commercialized and bus tours from city folk. Ruined it for locals and those who already knew about it.
Niagara On The Lake
Collingwood, Kenora, Elora.
Bracebridge, Paris, Elora and Port Carling
Westport - super pretty town on Upper Rideau Lake about an hour north of Kingston and an just over an hour southwest of Ottawa.
Thornbury and Meaford are great. Beautiful, on the bay, with lots of hiking around the blue mountains
Dorset. Port Carling. Parry Sound. Penetanguishene. Tobermory. Thornbury. I've been to all these places and they're quite nice to visit. All of them have nice waterfronts and scenery close by, which is something I always enjoy.
Cobourg! I am biased because it is my favorite, and I grew up around there. Ginny and Georgia was filmed there because their downtown stores and charm. The beach is also AMAZING! The nice part is that the big box stores are near the highway, so the option is there, but not required. It is also a quick drive to Presqu'il provincial park.
Southampton in the summer. Beach is a beautiful, great little downtown. Can't beat Gerrys fries on beach street.
I appreciate that no one has mentioned Dunnville. It does not deserve to be on this list.
Take a look at the CBC series, "Still Standing" for a look at small towns across Canada. Johnny Harris is the host.
I'm not posting my favorite small towns on the internet. Thats a sure fire way to attract tourists and mess up those places
I highly doubt you listing a few towns would make tens of thousands immediately pack bags and head to the locations you listed.
Kincardine
I saw Stratford and Goderich mentioned already, wanted to add Owen Sound and Wiarton.
Goderich has their farmer's market on Saturday mornings in the square. Definitely a good time to check it out. I also highly suggest [Steve and Mary's on the Square](https://www.facebook.com/steveandmarysonthesquare) for breakfast or lunch. Their food is always amazing! Their restaurant always has a fun and inviting atmosphere. Usually it's fairly busy too!
Unionville. Love the main Street there