Welcome to the Beeton Heart! I have lived in Beeton for many years, and would like to share stories and photos about this small town--while it still is a small town! Beeton has one traffic light, one grocery store, one coffee shop, one recreation centre (which hosts an old-fashioned fall fair every September), one nursing home (Simcoe Manor), and soon: one gas station. However, it also has several good restaurants, which will be reviewed on this blog fairly soon.This view in this photo is one of the many country roads that surround the town of Beeton. Beeton is still largely a farming community with lovely views of rolling hills, cattle and horses, and crops. Occasionally we also see hot air balloons drifting overhead! There is a small core of older homes and stores, including some Victorian style, forming a 'T' at the centre of town. They are surrounded by modest-sized new housing developments which maintain the standard set by the older homes in town.
Outside of town, the town has a forest which has been left in its natural state to provide a home for wildlife, and it is not unusual to see the hoofprints of deer along the side of the road--or the see the deer itself dashing across a road or peeking over a fence. I once watched a mother retrieve her two fawns from my back yard. Herons and hawks are also a common site, as well as the occasional group of Wild Turkeys. This summer I was surprised to see not one but four bluebirds sitting on my fence!
For a small town that most of Ontario has never heard of, Beeton seems to attract its share of celebrities. This is due, in part, to the fact that South Simcoe Railroad crosses from Tottenham to Beeton, and this railroad is occasionally used by film companies who need an old fashioned steam engine in their film. A few years ago, Richard Dreyfuss filmed a scene from Who Is Cletis Tout here. Stuntmen jumped from the CN bridge, which crosses 7th Line, onto the top of the antique steam engine. (More about South Simcoe Railway, which is run entirely by volunteers, in another blog.) Richard Dreyfuss good-naturedly signed some autographs for local boys who watched the shoot. On another occasion, The Muddy Water Tavern posed as an American desert saloon in the television series Relic Hunter. Lally Cadeau, Jack Palance and former 'Wonder Woman' Lynda Carter have also appeared in Beeton on film projects.
Beeton and its neighbours, Tottenham and Alliston, also benefit from having one of the Good Brothers as a resident. Not only have the Good Brothers headlined many local concerts and livened up New Year's Eve festivities, they have also introduced us to new talents like Sean Bourke, and The Sadies.
Find Us!
Beeton, Ontario, is located approximately eight minutes drive north of Hwy 9 and approximately ten minutes drive west of Hwy 27. It does not take much longer for residents to reach Hwy 400. In order to visit Beeton, exit Hwy 400 at the Bond Head exit and drive west on Road 88. When you come to Hwy 27 turn right (north), and the next left (which is well marked by a sign: "BEETON") will take you straight into town. If you are already driving north on Hwy 27, watch for the intersection of 27 & 88 in Bond Head; Beeton's main road will be one intersection further north.
I will be posting more about Beeton--its history, its stats, its activities and also many links to other sites about Beeton and the neighbouring towns in the township of New Tecumseth. I will also blog about some of the local news, and provide some first hand anecdotes about life in this small town.
