Caledon (Ontario) - town in Peel Region, Ontario, Canada

Caledon is a town of 76,600 people (2021), large in size and mostly rural, in the Peel region of the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario. The Niagara Escarpment and the Credit River run through the town, and there are many areas of natural beauty. Within Caledon is found the village of Bolton, whose historic centre stretches a few blocks on King Road and Queen Street. The village of Belfountain is quite pretty, with older-style wood buildings all around.

Understand

Caledon is the rural, northern part of Peel Region, consisting of an amalgamation of small urban areas, villages, and hamlets. Its major suburban centre is Bolton on its eastern side adjacent to York Region. These areas were settled in the early 1800s to take advantage of the area's two rivers (The Credit and the Humber) and fertile farming land. Today, while Bolton experiences some development pressure similar to the newer parts of Brampton, most of the land in Caledon is protected as either provincial greenbelt, conservation land, parkland, river valley or escarpment, and so it maintains much of the same character as it did a century ago - rolling countryside, with farms, fields, small waterfalls, and tiny villages.

History

By 1869, Belfountain was a village with a population of 100 in the Township of Caledon County Peel. It was established on the Credit River. There were stagecoaches to Erin and Georgetown.

Caledon was likely named by settlers who came from the area around Caledon, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.

Get in

• GO Transit bus # 37 from Brampton Bus Terminal, 6 times a day, 50 min, $8.25 cash fare ($7.33 with a Presto card).
• By car, it is about 60 km from downtown Toronto.

Get around

The town is rural and has no transit system, though the Bolton area has a small local bus line running M-F.

Taxi service is available in the Bolton area.

See

Caledon does not have any municipally-owned heritage attractions; its stories are told and its records are stored by the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives in downtown Brampton.

Do

• Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, 43.816°, -80.012°. The park is on the Bruce Trail, and is part of the Niagara Escarpment biosphere. The Credit River runs through the park. Other notable features of the park include a kettle lake and talus slope. 2021-01-27
• Cheltenham Badlands (The Erosion), 1739 Old Baseline Rd (north of Cheltenham on the Bruce Trail), 43.773611°, -79.944444°. Accessible boardwalks talk you through an amazing red rolling rocky landscape. Open seasonally from May. M-Th $11.30/ booking F-Su and holidays $22.60/ booking 2023-01-25
• Belfountain Conservation Area, 10 Credit St, 43.7942°, -80.0124°. Open daily Apr to late-Oct: 8AM-7PM, with later hours in summer (open until 9PM). An excellent nature area that was converted from an old property that was developed at the turn of the century. There are hiking trails that can get quite rugged for the unprepared, although most of the area has easy trails. The conservation area has a number of natural features, such as rapids, the river, and man-made features including the eponymous Bell Fountain and a cave carved into the rock. $7/3.25 (adult/child) 2016-11-04

Buy

Eat

• Villa Caledon Inn, 16626 Airport Rd (Caledon East), 43.88183°, -79.88424°, +1 905 584-0033, villacaledoninn@gmail.com. Tu-Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-8PM. Cosy inn. Great patio dining area in green surroundings. $20 mains 2023-01-25
• The Belfountain Village Store and Higher Ground Coffee, 43.79425°, -80.0141294°. A nice atmosphere of wooden-building tourist charm. They have standard coffee shop offerings, including lattes, Italian sodas, and baked goods. 2015-07-21
• Belfountain Inn, 791 Forks of the Credit Rd, 43.795446°, -80.0142164°, +1 519 927-9219. W-Su noon-close, dinner from 5PM. Cozy fine dining in gorgeous surroundings. Great atmosphere. $30-35 mains 2015-07-21
• Cool Scoops Original Ice Cream Parlour, 815 Forks of the Credit Rd, 43.7955016°, -80.013382°. 2017-11-04
• Symposium Cafe Restaurant Bolton, 192 McEwan Dr E (Bolton), 43.8633°, -79.7089°, +1 905-857-8818, symposium.bolton@symposiumcafe.com. 8AM-midnight. Casual family restaurant with breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, and lounge. 2023-01-11

Drink

• Spirit Tree, 1137 Boston Mills Road, 43.75783°, -79.94210°, +1 905-838-2530. W-Su 10AM-5PM. Cider house, with a bakery and a good bistro menu. $15 for a one-hour tour and guided cider tasting Sa Su 2PM. Open from spring until early January. 2018-06-13
• The Toby Jug, 15 Allan Dr (Bolton), 43.87244°, -79.72711°, +1 905-857-7494, info@tobyjug.ca. Sa-Th noon-9PM; F noon-10PM. Traditional pub, the village's place to get a good pint. 2023-01-25

Sleep

• Hampton Inn & Suites Bolton, 12700 Hwy 50, Bolton, 43.8615°, -79.7145°, +1 905-857-9990. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. The only large (and chain) hotel in Caledon. Indoor pool, fitness center, free Wi-fi and free hot breakfast. $160-205 in summer 2016-11-04
• Millcroft Inn & Spa, 55 John St, Alton, 43.8564°, -80.0766°, +1 519-941-8111. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Boutique hotel in a renovated textile mill with extensive grounds that include the old millpond and Shaws Creek Falls. Rooms are furnished with antique decor and include a sitting area and flat screen TV. There is also a spa (with outdoor hot springs pool), restaurant, fitness centre, bike rentals and other activities on the grounds including bocce ball, walking trails and volleyball. From $200 2016-11-04

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