7 alternative attractions in Ontario you may not have heard of

Haliburton Sculpture Forest in the Autumn

In between the cities of Toronto and Ottawa, the Haliburton Sculpture Forest in Glebe Park is a unique and unusual collection of outdoor artworks. Canadian and international artists have contributed pieces to the forest, with some inspired by Canada’s history and Indigenous people, and others inspired by nature. Walking or biking through the forest in each season brings a different perspective, but for a particularly colourful display head here a little off-season in autumn, when the orange and yellow leaves start to fill the forest floor.

St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market and Mennonite Country

Step back in time to experience a simpler life in quaint St. Jacobs, a village steeped in Mennonite heritage. Start your day at the famous St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, held on Thursdays and Saturdays year-round, additional on Tuesdays during Summer month, where hundreds of vendors display their wares. It’s a bustling place with Old Order Mennonite farmers, artisans, furniture makers and buskers. Be sure not to leave without trying an apple fritter!

Catch the horse-drawn trolley tour that provides the rare opportunity to visit a Mennonite farm. Or explore the countryside by bike with Grand Experiences.  Browse antique, craft and furniture shops in the Village’s downtown, and purchase some of the finest quilt work in the world. Visit the Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario. Stay overnight in a charming inn and enjoy cuisine that showcases the bounty of regional growers.

Lake Superior Provincial Park

Spread out along the coast of Lake Superior, this provincial run park offers a large variety of terrain and attractions. If you’re a fan of diverse, scenic campsites, adventurous hiking trails and ancient rock paintings, this is the place for you. The Agawa Rock Pictographs consist of 35 fascinating red ochre images thought to have been there for centuries. They’re accessible via a short but rugged trail off the Trans Canada Highway 17 in the park, and are among the few pictograph sites in Ontario accessible by foot.

Hike through the Algoma Hills or spend time by the water’s edge, trout fishing, paddling or exploring one of the eight canoe routes. More than 250 bird species have been identified within the park, which is also home to red foxes, beavers, reindeer, lynx and bears.

Wawa