Guelph Ontario: The Royal City

Often referred to as The Royal City, Guelph Ontario is home to almost 115 000 residents. Guelph is situated in Southwestern Ontario and is only about 100 km. from downtown Toronto.

The relatively close access to Toronto, combined with a rural feel make Guelph a popular place for families to settle down. Guelph is constantly named one of Canada’s most livable cities. Moneysense recently named it the fourth best place to live in Canada. Guelph offers a number of attractions and here are just a few:

1. The Sleeman Brewery: Sleeman keeps gaining in popularity. This nationally distributed beer known for it’s premium quality is Guelph’s own. The history of Sleeman Brewery dates back even farther than the history of Guelph. Their histories are definitely linked though. In fact, the first mayor of Guelph was no other than George Sleeman - the owner of Sleeman Brewery.

Besides the great product they produce, they also offer tours of their facility. You can book tours in advance for groups between 10 and 20 people. The price is also right - they only charge a $4 administrative charge per person. Now that is a great way to beat the summer heat.

2. Eramosa River Trail: Guelph has two rivers that meander through it, the Speed and Eramosa. There is a spectacular trail that follows the north side of the latter. The trail starts with a beautiful covered foot bridge. After about 2 km’s there is another bridge that crosses the river.

The trail continues along the south side of the river, offering a scenic view of canoers and kayakers enjoying the smooth moving water. This isn’t a trail that is made for serious hikers - coming in at only about 4 km. long. It is the perfect trail for a quick lunchtime walk or a casual stroll.

3. Arboretum of the University of Guelph: One of Guelph’s defining institutions is the University of Guelph, which is world renowned for its agricultural programs. One of the most interesting things about the University is it’s Arboretum. It is said to be designed in homage to the famous Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

The grounds span 408 acres and have 8.2 km. of marked trails. There are a whopping 1700 varieties of trees and shrubs. Just about every tree and shrub from Southwestern Ontario can be found here. It also happens to be home to 39 varieties of butterfly, 38 species of mammals and 188 different bird species. Definitely another great spot for a walk.

Two of the attractions listed here were outdoors. That is the biggest draw of Guelph. It has all the conveniences of big city living but it has managed to keep its rustic small town feel with plenty of green space and a ton of outdoor related attractions. There are not many cities that are better suited for a casual stroll.

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