Parade of Elephants Comes to Tourism Office

The Parade of Elephants, a traveling art exhibit, is on display at the Elgin County Economic Development and Tourism office until February 28, 2013.

This public art initiative was launched by the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre in conjunction with the Elgin Arts Trail and its members. The exhibit is designed to generate interest in the local arts community and promote awareness about Elgin artists, galleries and studios featured on the Elgin Arts Trail.

"We are pleased to have the exhibit here at the Elgin County Tourism office," said Tourism Development Coordinator Kathryn Russell. "We encourage the public to come and see the elephants, meet the Elgin County staff and pick up an Elgin Arts Trail Guide."

The exhibit features papier maché elephants that are approximately 1.5 x 1.5 feet in size. Each elephant is uniquely decorated and reflects the artist who created it. The elephants pay homage to Jumbo, the African Elephant and star of the Barnum and Bailey circus that met his untimely end in St. Thomas in 1885.

Throughout 2013 the elephants will travel to different locations on the Elgin Arts Trail with a new elephant being created and added to the parade at each location. The exhibit will travel around Elgin County and St. Thomas until August 24, 2013 when it will end its journey at the St. Thomas Elgin-Public Art Centre. The elephants will then be displayed at the Art Centre and the public will be invited to view them at a reception with all the artists in attendance.

The Elgin County Tourism office is located at 450 Sunset Dr., St. Thomas and is open Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. For more information on the Parade of Elephants and a copy of the Parade of Elephants Tour Map, please visit

www.elginartstrail.ca/paradeofelephants or call (519) 631-1460 ext. 168.

Elgin County Takes Home Marketing Award

Elgin County Economic Development has received an Economic Developers Council of Ontario award in recognition of the combined 2012 Savour Elgin/Elgin Arts Trail Guide. The award was presented to Elgin County on February 7 at an event held at the London Convention Centre. In addition Elgin County received honourable mention for the Elgin County Living Television Series on Rogers TV and the ElginLicious Marketing Campaign.

"It is an honour for Elgin County to be recognized amongst our provincial peers," said Elgin County Warden Cameron McWilliam. "It is evidence of the Economic Development department’s commitment to the promotion, growth and support of our business community."

The guide was developed in conjunction with marketing firm Yfactor and Elgin Arts Trail partners the Elgin Business Resource Centre and the St. Thomas – Elgin Public Art Centre. The guide takes residents and visitors on a journey to some of the area’s best restaurants, farmers’ markets and wineries as well as the area’s finest art galleries, studios and artisan craft locations.

2012 marked the third season of the highly successful Savour Elgin Culinary Trail and the second season of the award winning Elgin Arts Trail. It was evident that Savour Elgin and the Elgin Arts Trail have similar audiences so in 2012 the decision was made to combine the two guides into one to allow for increased cross promotion.

For a copy of the combined 2012 Savour Elgin/Elgin Arts Trail visit www.savourelgin.ca, www.elginartstrail.ca or call (519) 631-1460 ext. 168.

(Left to right: Elgin County Warden, Cameron McWilliam; Tourism Development Coordinator, Kathryn Russell; Economic Development General Manager, Alan Smith; Business Development Coordinator, Kate Burns; 2012 EDCO President Robert Brindley.)

Howe Family Market Growing In County’s Agri-tourism Industry

A new season and a new generation are bringing changes to the Howe Family Farm Market, to the benefit of food lovers and tourists in Elgin County.

The first of June marks the opening of the third season for the market just south of the Town of Aylmer at the corner of John Wise Line and Rogers Road. After many years of selling strawberries, melons, cantaloupe, pumpkins and squash at a roadside fruit stand, the Howe family opened their market in June 2010 to sell their produce as well as products from other local growers in Elgin County.

Opening the market was Ryan Howe’s idea. He and his brothers Rick and Kevin are the fifth generation of farmers in the Howe family dating back to 1861, when William Howe came from England and settled on John Wise Line.

Ryan and his wife Jill recently had their first child and are busy helping new grandparents Glenn and Monica Howe to prepare for the new selling season and expansion into Elgin County’s agri-tourism industry. This spring Kevin completed an agricultural degree from the U of Guelph and is managing and expanding the greenhouse operation. Rick is pursuing a separate career, but contributes to the farming business whenever he can and where ever he is needed.

Monica, who retired last year as an elementary school teacher, recalls the origins of the market.

"Ryan is a graduate of the agricultural program at the U of Guelph. When he came home he had some ideas for expanding the farming operation."

"I always had a thought in the back of my mind that it would be wonderful to have a market," Monica smiles. "One day four or five years ago Ryan took me out for a drive and said, ‘Mom, here are some ideas I have for the market’ and showed me some buildings and greenhouses. I was really excited about that."

"In the spring of 2010 we built our market, which took the place of the little stand we had on the hill. In 2011 we built the greenhouse attached to it."

This year the Howes will deepen their involvement with Elgin County’s agri-tourism industry by joining the Savour Elgin Culinary Trail and Ontario Harvest organizations. They are already listed in the Experience Elgin County and St. Thomas Virtual Tour Guide (

www.elgintourist.com/Tourism/Virtual-Tour-Guide, page 30).

There’s constant visitor activity during the growing season, which lasts until early November. The farm – officially G & M Howe and Sons Ltd. – produces several varieties of strawberries, each with their own specific characteristics such as flavour, size, texture and colour. The farm also grows a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables.

Rich sandy loam, spring-fed ponds and an efficient drip irrigation system add to the quality of the crops. They are sold to grocery stores all over southwest Ontario, but now the advent of the market has extended the farm’s reputation far beyond provincial boundaries.

"People come from all over the world to camp at Port Burwell Provincial Park and Springwater Conservation area, and they come here day after day to get fresh produce," Monica says. "Having the market and selling directly to people is a very rewarding experience."

*This article first appeared in the Elgin County Economic Development Summer Newsletter in June 2012*

Elgin County at the London Wine & Food Show

An excellent way to get to know the flavours of Elgin County is to attend the London Wine & Food Show. The show will take place in the Progress Building at London's Western Fair on January 10 -12, 2013.

Over 10,000 people will attend this exciting event, and a significant portion of the show’s floor space will be taken up by the Elgin County display.

Visitors to the Elgin display will enjoy lively music, decorations in a western theme, and delicious samples created by some of the area’s finest restaurants, wineries and food producers.

With a generous helping of food connoisseurs and wine experts, tasting seminars, cooking demonstrations, sampling opportunities and informative exhibits the London Wine and Food Show is certain to satisfy your appetite.

http://www.westernfairdistrict.com/events/attend/2013wine_and_food_show