The County in winter

Perhaps it was the brilliant blue skies that lured folks outdoors this past weekend. Or perhaps just impatience with a winter and snowfall that never seems to end. Or maybe it is the plunging value of the Canadian dollar. Or is it that we are getting better at winter in Prince Edward County?

The County has always been a fascinating and rewarding place to explore in January and February. But until recently, we couldn’t count on snow. Only a few years ago the UPS guy could be spotted well into January sporting his brown uniform shorts while making deliveries on Main Street. February was as likely to bring rain as flurries.

But the last couple of years have brought back vivid memories of a time when snow banks were piled so high, it put telephone lines within reach of the King of the Castle. This weekend temperatures fell to levels that haven’t been experienced here in 21 years. No one is wearing shorts outdoors anymore. I can’t remember being warm.

We used to hold our collective breath waiting for winter’s harsher bits to pass over us. But that doesn’t work now. Winter is too long. We don’t have enough breath. We are compelled to go out, to tromp through snow, or glide across it or snowshoe on top of it.

We push back the snow on ice-covered ponds. The sand dunes at the park are shaped into exhilarating toboggan runs. And when the cold or exhaustion becomes too much, many of the County’s wineries, restaurants and other venues are ready to embrace and recharge the hardy winter revellers. Gourmet chili. Hot chocolate. And wine, spirits and beer.

Our pages this week are full of images of folks enjoying the County in winter. So much so that Times’ photographer Kathleen Sabyan insists upon a visit soon to the County Farm Centre for serious boots. Not stylish. Nothing with frills or heels. Nothing with a goose on it. Just sturdy, rugged and, above all, toasty warm winter boots. It is vital gear when your job calls for you to stand perfectly still in a snow bank.

There is an eagerness in the air for a new visitor season to begin. There is much anticipation as the wine sector continues to expand and gain notice around the world. We will also see at least two new beer makers in the County this year, filling out an important category—joining Barley Days and others. More are coming. Also enjoying much-deserved acclaim and popularity is 66 Gilead, the County’s only producer of spirits, with an ever-expanding range including hand-crafted gin, rum, vodka and whisky—each made in small batches from County ingredients.

The venerable Hayloft has changed hands, and early plans see much more live music and events on Athol Bay. The Drake Devonshire is already in full swing. The number and variety of places to stay are expanding—encouraging visitors to stay longer, spend more and take home great County memories.

Wellington may at long last see a gas station open in the village. Perhaps some donuts too.

It all bodes well for a busy and productive year of growth in the County. Today more than 40 employers will assemble at the community centre in Picton, looking for staff. It is estimated these businesses and organizations are looking to fill about 200 jobs—full-time, part-time, year-round and seasonal jobs.

It won’t quell the naysayers who bemoan the lack of industrial or manufacturing jobs in Prince Edward County. But those jobs weren’t coming to the County. And they won’t. Increasingly those jobs are moving away from North America and the competition for the few that remain is beyond the reach of a community like ours.

Instead this economy has used its strengths to expand and enhance its tourism market advantage. We used to watch tourists drive in and out the County on their way to the beach. We have become much better at providing a richer, more diverse experience and expanding the season well beyond the shoulders of summer.

This past weekend, hundreds of visitors prowled the County’s sideroads, searching out wineries and other attractions. Now that they have discovered the County in winter, they will be back. Next month, we will attract many more to Maple in the County. In April, Countylicious will put out a giant welcome mat to some of the finest and most innovative kitchens in the province. And in May the Great Canadian Cheese Festival will celebrate the fast-growing market for innovative, compelling and creative food. Then the 11th annual Terroir pulls back the veil on the County’s 2014 vintage. Each event has the feel of a grand coming out party.

It was good to see Dan Taylor and Rebecca LeHeup among the winter revellers this past weekend. Both were instrumental in expanding the tourism economy in the County—working to stretch the season beyond a few months and encouraging investors to move the County’s proposition upmarket. It is no accident that Time’s Travel and Liesure magazine now considers the County among the most attractive destinations in the world. This took a decade of hard work, savvy marketing, risky investment and patient capital by a great many folks.

Get rested while you can. It is going to be a busy year.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca