Discover the many reasons why folks love to visit Amherst Island. It’s an old-fashioned traditional rural community, with lots to see and to do.

Frontenac ll in morning mist

It’s easy to visit Amherst Island

A 2 – 3 hour drive from Ottawa or Toronto will bring you to our ferry. See contact us for detailed directions. Our ferry leaves the mainland on the half hour from 6:30 am to 1:30 am. For more information click here.

For information for sailors, there are government-maintained docks and excellent harbours for mooring your boat. (Topsy Farms will rent one bike free from our Stella Bike rental store for groups coming to visit us.).

Accommodation

The Lodge, Foot Flat Farms and the B&B, Poplar Dell (613 389-2012) rent rooms or cabins. Contact us for further listings. Also search https://www.airbnb.ca/s/Amherst-Island–ON/homes

Food

Barbara and Leslie with fresh-picked berries and baking

Your hosts will offer some meal options or you can choose housekeeping and bring your own food, supplementing from Island gardens and kitchens. The community-run diner, The Back Kitchen, offers great meals.The Allen Farm has all their own fresh produce in season; eggs year ’round; beef, chicken and pork; and maple syrup they’ve tapped, available at a farm stand by the ferry. The Women’s Institute has a bake sale Fridays of each long weekend. Terry McGinn from Maplemarsh Farm and Barb Reid have baking and produce in season at the weekly Saturday market. McGinn’s Amherst Island General Store offers, drinks, snacks, breakfast and lunch sandwiches.

Activities

Chickadee in the Owl Woods

• explore over 40 miles of bicycle roads on the Island, most by waterfront, as well as many in the nearby area.
• enjoy our birding wealth, envied throughout North America
• have fun at our seasonal events: nurturing foster  lambs or shearing at Topsy Farms, Canada Day Parade, Fantastic Island Fiesta, Back Kitchen Talks, Women’s Institute Bake Sales, Fish Fry, Percheron wagon rides, Annual Cow Count, Annual Winter Bird Count, Dances, St. Paul’s Garden Party, (Sat July 28th in 2018) The Wooly Bully race along the shoreline, The Fall Festival, and the Parade of Lights. An International Dry Stone event took place September 2015 with many free activities for kids and adults, with more workshops planned. For information check www.drystonecanada.com , CJAI radio, or the Amherst Island website. Or get a self-guided tour book at the Museum or The Wool Shed at Topsy Farms.
• St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, St. Albans Anglican Church and St. Bartholemew’s Catholic Church welcome you. (At present there are no regular services at the latter.)
• public sand beaches, and quiet corners with water and rock are here for your quiet pleasure.

   

  

  Rosie Peeking Out

Music

• Waterside Music Festival attracts top international performers of classical music.
• Emerald Music Festival is a joyous bluegrass and country Island event
• Our “Islanders” informal music group entertains at many events.

Places to go when you visit Amherst Island

• The Neilson Store Museum and Cultural Centre
• The Weasel and Easel, Fine Art and Handicrafts Gallery
• The Wool Shed at Topsy Farms, offering lamb, sheepskin and wool products, and some garden produce and cut flowers, seasonally
• Shirley Miller at aislandartist@gmail.com has Watercolours Etc gallery in her home, 4505 Second Concession where she also offers classes
• The Little Gallery at 1355 Second Concession has great photos, cards and prints. Call 613-389-3111 brianlittlephoto@gmail.com
• Island Gallery at 125 MacDonald’s Lane is open seasonally by appointment. call Woody Woodiwiss at 613 384-0887
• Paper/Scissors/Stone Art Gallery: original silk-screen prints/ contemporary paintings; modern vases. Elizabeth Barry/Don Newgren 12485 Front Rd. 613 389-7782 Open May/Sept (call first) don@chive.ca / elizabeth@chive.ca  647-987-7589 (cell)
• Lynn’s Lids – handmade felted wool hats & fibre art (cosies, ornaments). Open by appointment. Call/text 343-989-1550 or email lynnslids@gmail.com 
• Rossland gallery: studio for Bijouxbead by Darlene Martin and rosbilt metal stringed instruments. For appointment  please text: 416-892-3418 or email ironuke@rosbilt.com
• for a site map:  https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1BWNERFCah47AglsO9cj9SyvmZJc&ll=44.14140737516271%2C-76.71652814072263&z=12

Media

• CJAI 92.1FM Music from the Barn also broadcasts on the internet, with many live eclectic shows
• The Beacon, Amherst Island’s monthly 20 page (or so) newsletter is free on-line. It was published for close to 40 years.

There’s lots more for you to discover when you visit Amherst Island.

You’ll enjoy the fact that there are far more sheep and cattle than people; that there are many services and a great deal of mutual-aid caring on our Island; that you can trust our ferry crew to guide you. Most of all, that when you visit Amherst Island we all wave at each other, confidently expecting you will wave back.

Cardboard Wars

Water, rocks, sun and shade await

The post Visit Amherst Island appeared first on Topsy Farms, Canadian Made Wool Products.