Funding to support the local tourism economy
Up to $100,000 in non-repayable contributions for incorporated tourism businesses and organizations!
Investment Blogs
Christine McLean named new Small Business Coordinator for Hastings County
The Planning and Development Department of Hastings County is pleased to announce its new Small Business Coordinator, Christine McLean.
Investment Opportunity!
Looking for a new venture? Want to leave the big city? Live and work on the same property where you run your own craft cider business! Just North of the Village of Stirling is Kings Mill Cider. The owners are looking to retire and are seeking a buyer for their property and venture. To learn …
Business Opportunity!
Update… SOLD! Looking for a new venture? Want to leave the big city? Nestled in the village of Coe Hill is Tin House Wood Working. The owners are looking to retire and are seeking a buyer for their property. Included is a timber frame styled main building in its original state, meticulously maintained with a …
Resources available for businesses who are hiring, looking for grants and funding
If you’re starting a business, or already operating one, figuring out what resources are available to help you hire new employees can be time consuming and sometimes maybe a bit confusing. Business owners are already busy with the regular day-to-day operations and may not have the time to figure out what’s available. Here at Hastings …
Resources available for businesses who are hiring, looking for grants and funding Read More »
Susan Lewis – Emerald Earring
Susan Lewis recently made the move to Hastings County from the big city and opened her new business, the Emerald Earring on September 16, 2021. In this episode of the I Left The City Show, Susan describes the authenticity of the people, and the friendly welcoming she has received, as just a couple of reasons …
Culinary Tourism Alliance Launches Unique Recovery Program Promoting Hyperlocal Travel as Ontario Prepares to Welcome Back Visitors
The Great Taste of Ontario will help rebuild capacity in the food, tourism and hospitality sectors, while connecting Ontario residents with regions and experiences that are ready to safely receive them. Recovery Program to help Ontario’s culinary tourism and hospitality sectors build back better from the pandemic. Initiative involves +90 partners, including Destination Marketing Organizations …
Indian Food Meets Hastings County and it’s ‘Truly’ Authentic
An authentic Indian food restaurant recently opened its doors in the village of Tweed and the food is incredibly delicious! Given the timing, this new venture is an example of ‘smart risk-taking’ that not only benefits the community but adds to the cultural diversity of Hastings County. Tweed Desi is a welcome addition to Tweed …
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To Market, To Market…
“To market, to market, to buy a fat pig locally grown, Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.” Updating a nursery rhyme that dates back to the 16th century is no easy task – but going to the market still is – and there are lots to choose from in Hastings County. Farmers’ markets and farm stands …
The Monument of Maynooth
In the unassuming village of Maynooth, there’s a corner store that has stood tall for over a century. Upon first glance, the average passerby might not think anything special of it, but this landmark is oozing with history and its walls have stories to tell. Days ago, we had the chance to chat with the shop’s owner for the past 35 years, Carla Van Balen Walter, who tells us of the store’s peculiar past.
Janice Chrysler – Mindful Journey
Headquartered in Marmora & Lake, Janice Chrysler started Mindful Journey to assist others in awakening spirituality in all aspects of their life. Having grown up in Hastings County she could live anywhere else in the world, but describes why Hastings is a great place to live and run her business as a Spiritual Growth Facilitator. …
From Farmer to Grocer in Coe Hill
Wendy Mortimer officially opened the newly renovated Coe Hill Grocery Store this past week. Mortimer is a local organic farmer who settled in Coe Hill in 2017. The community now has a bigger store with a different focus, more selection and more organic produce.
Shari Pearce – Madoc and District Chamber of Commerce
Shari Pearce is President of the Chamber of Commerce that covers and supports the community of Madoc and Centre Hastings. Shari grew up in the local region and then left to spend the early part of her career in Kelowna, BC. Seven years ago she moved back and settled in Madoc where she runs her …
Shari Pearce – Madoc and District Chamber of Commerce Read More »
Madoc’s Familial Goldmine
In the quaint community of Madoc lies a boutique bakery that cherishes carefully crafted, old-fashioned baking. Hastings County’s Hidden Goldmine Bakery is a family-owned business that has mastered traditional, preservative-free dessert recipes. Hidden Goldmine Bakery is run by the Freeman family, and they have successfully translated their family’s passion for baking into a rapidly growing …
Trailblazer Experiential Tourism E-Training Program
Discover how to deliver memorable experiences that focus beyond what the visitor can see and do, by harnessing the unique assets of the community in its people, culture, and regional identity.
Come together with other operators to celebrate the unique skills, talents and abilities of each individual, each organization, and work with your tourism industry allies to achieve extraordinary things that no one can compete with.
Margaret & Kees – Kings Mill Cider
Margaret and Kees own and operate Kings Mill Cider in Stirling-Rawdon. After working and living around the world, they made the decision to settle permanently in Hastings County. Learn more about them and their business in the latest episode of the I Left The City Show Podcast. I Left The City Show · Kings Mill …
Christine McLean of Creative Minds Retreat
“What I’m building here feels like a calling. What I’m building is my dream, but it’s also a dream I want to share with people,” she said. “I think everyone is a creator, so it really is open to anyone who wants to think creatively.”
Joyce Ioannou – Cedars Wellness Clinic
Joyce recently moved with her family to Hastings County, settling on a waterfront home in Marmora and Lake. She owns and operates Cedars Wellness Clinic and enjoys the quality time she’s able to spend with her family that just wasn’t possible back in the big city. Learn more about Joyce in the latest episode of …
Natasha Kasmaii Alves – Technical Curriculum Developer, Presenter & Entrepreneur
Natasha and her family wanted to live full-time in a rural community like Hastings County. So they left the big city where she works remotely as a technical curriculum developer, presenter and entrepreneur owning and operating For the Halibut Fish & Chips with her husband in Bancroft. Learn more about Natasha in the latest episode …
Natasha Kasmaii Alves – Technical Curriculum Developer, Presenter & Entrepreneur Read More »
Kelly Beaulieu – The Good Daughter
Kelly Beaulieu couldn’t wait for the two months each year she’d spend away from the city at her cottage. So she eventually decided to make Hastings County her home full-time. Learn more about Kelly and her business The Good Daughter in the latest episode of the I Left The City Show. I Left The City …
Hastings Trailblazer | Frost House
The joy and spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Tweed at a new holiday vendor market just opened for the season. Frost House, located on Jamieson Street in the village, welcomes customers with a vintage, old-fashioned Christmas vibe, with holiday music playing on a retro record player, antiques from Christmases of the past, and a vast array of local, handmade items.
Christine McLean – Creative Minds Retreat
Christine McLean wanted to immerse herself in a better quality of life and be close to nature. Learn more about Christine and her business Creative Minds Retreat in the latest episode of the I Left The City Show. I Left The City Show · Christine McLean Episode 27 Want to leave the city as …
Hastings Trailblazer | Enright Cattle Co.
A fourth-generation farming business, Enright Cattle Co. sits on a 95-acre parcel of land, where Kara, Darold and their children, Corben and Evelyn, take great pride in operating an environmentally-friendly operation where the well-being of the land and the animals that inhabit it is the priority.
Emily O’Donnell-MacKinnon – Mack Attack Outdoors
In this episode of the I Left The City Show Podcast, Andrew Redden chats with Emily O’Donnell-MacKinnon, owner and operator of Mack Attack Outdoors in Bancroft. Listen to why Emily chose Hastings as the place to live and become the home base for her business.
Be Remarkable
Print, Radio and TV were once the only options for advertisers. Each required a significant upfront budget that was out of reach for many small businesses. With the dawn of digital marketing – a whole new world of affordable possibilities has since opened up to small businesses to reach potential customers. But just because you can, doesn’t always mean you should…
On-Demand Webinar: Digital Marketing Basics for Small Business
Since the start of this pandemic, it has become clear how important having a digital presence is for small businesses. But that doesn’t mean it needs to be expensive or complicated. Join Andrew & Katrina of Kasama Marketing in this FREE interactive webinar as they simply and clearly walk through some digital marketing tools and strategies that you can immediately apply to your business.
Webinar: How to Start Selling Online (On-Demand)
Thinking about expanding your businesses to go virtual, but aren’t sure where to start? Be prepared to enter the e-commerce world during the pandemic. This FREE eCommerce 101 workshop is designed to help you start selling online and different offerings you could consider for your customers that ensures a safe and positive purchasing experience.
5 Ways to Decrease Expenses as an Online Entrepreneur
You had to pivot and re-invent yourself and your business for the “new normal” but what else can you do to stay afloat and even grow your business at this point?
Kasama Marketing
Crafting a successful marketing and consulting business in a rural village has proven itself to be incredibly rewarding. After busy careers in the city, both Andrew and Katrina looked for a place to relocate where they could enjoy work-at-home careers and spend quality time with their children.
Hastings Trailblazer | Potter Settlement Winery
Off the beaten path in Tweed is a quiet vineyard, where rows and rows of sweet, dark grapes glisten in the autumn sun, ready for picking. Potter Settlement Winery, just north of the village, boasts 13 acres and 13 different varieties of grapes, all hand-grown and hand-cultivated by Sandor Johnson and his small team of staff, including his partner Erin Reitav.
The Tree Trunk
Making the move from the city to a rural community has meant a change in scenery, but also a shift in clientele. Lucas says shoppers who pop into the store love that the product isn’t something to be found in a box store.
Find Entrepreneurial Freedom in Distributed Offices
On top of housing savings, you won’t have to sit in traffic commuting to an office, dropping your kids off at school, or trying to get to a meeting on time. When you do need to run out for an errand, there isn’t traffic or rush hour to contend with. You simply don’t waste time in city congestion anymore.
Dionne Baker – Shop Boss Secrets
In this episode of the I Left The City Show Podcast, Andrew Redden chats with Dionne Baker, founder and owner of Shop Boss Secrets. Listen to why Dionne chose Hastings as the place to live and become the home base for her business. I Left The City Show · Dionne Baker Episode 25
Stirling Mercantile
The sweet smell of old-fashioned candy lingers in the air at the Stirling General Mercantile. It’s a place you can’t help but feel nostalgic as you browse through dozens of different treats that bring back memories of childhood.
Laura Reavie – Skootamatta Environmental Consulting Inc.
In this episode of the I Left The City Show Podcast, Andrew Redden chats with Laura Reavie, founder and owner of Skootamatta Environmental Consulting Inc. Listen to why Laura chose Hastings as the place to live and become the home base for her consulting business. I Left The City Show · I Left The City …
Laura Reavie – Skootamatta Environmental Consulting Inc. Read More »
What’s it Like Raising Kids in Hastings County?
When you live in Hastings County, it’s easier to spend time together as a family in nature. You don’t have to schedule a weekend away and book an Airbnb or hotel. You can simply step outside and spend an hour with your kids snowshoeing, swimming, biking or hiking, depending on the season.
Limerick Lake Lodge and Marina
Limerick Lake is a unique body of water. Although it has 75 miles of shoreline, the entire lake has less than 160 cottages, many of which have been passed down through family generations since the 1920s and 1930s. The lake is quiet, pristine and mostly untouched, with no new builds since 1980. The reason? Limerick Lake is only accessible by boat.
Hastings Trailblazer | Alice’s Pantry
“I love it. Honestly, it was always my dream to own retail,” she said, “And here I get to create the culture and environment of the business.”
Meet Angie Smith, Owner of Oats and Honey Bulk Foods
A few years ago, Angie Smith found inspiration on a trip to New Brunswick. While visiting the rural community of St. Andrews, she stumbled upon an old-fashioned candy store. It reminded her of her childhood in Madoc when the community had a thriving bulk food store.
Hastings Trailblazer | Grail Springs Retreat
Located just south of Bancroft, Grail Springs Retreat is quietly hidden among the trees, known as a place where guests experience holistic wellness getaways in the serenity and calm of nature.
“It was never in my wildest dreams to ever create something like this,” said Grail Springs founder Madeleine Marentette, adding she originally attended college with an eye for design – a passion that is quite obvious in the unique architecture of the buildings at Grail Springs.
Over time, however, Marentette’s interest in wellness and holistic healing grew. She began a journey learning about yoga, meditation and self-awareness. It was from those experiences that her retreat was cultivated.
