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This Ontario village with little shops and rolling hills is like a cozy Hallmark scene
It's the perfect spot for a late-autumn outing. 🍂
Cozy small towns with quaint shops and charming streets don't just exist on screen. This Ontario village looks like it was plucked from an autumn Hallmark film, and it's only a road trip away from Toronto.
Tucked amid rolling hills and vibrant leaves, the destination is a magical place to explore in late fall.
Creemore is a picture-perfect village tucked into the scenic Niagara Escarpment, about 2 hours from Toronto.
According to the website, it is known as "the little village with the big heart," and the historic Main Street will whisk you away to a "simpler time."
You can stroll through the town, popping into cozy bookshops and local boutiques along the way.
Since autumn is all about spiced lattes and sweet treats, you'll want to stop by these charming cafes dotted throughout the area.
You can grab a baked good and seasonal drink from The Creemore Bakery, Bank Café or Good Grief Coffee Roasters.
Or enjoy a crisp local beer from the Creemore Springs Brewery.
There's more to Creemore than its quaint shops and charming main street.
The village is also home to some attractions, including North America's Smallest Jail, a tiny building dating back to the 1800s with just three cells.
If you're hoping to do some last-minute leaf-peeping, Creemore is close to several scenic fall hiking spots.
Devil's Glen Provincial Park is a must-visit, with forested trails and a boardwalk offering beautiful views of the valley below.
Nottawasaga Lookout is another beautiful place to take in the views, with sweeping vistas of the Niagara Escarpment framed by vibrant shades of red, orange and gold.
You can also explore the Bruce Trail, which passes through sections of the Niagara Escarpment and offers more opportunities to admire the autumn scenery.
Creemore is located just a short drive from Collingwood, another charming town with a lively main street, shops, and eateries. You can also pop over to Blue Mountain Village while in the area, a charming pedestrian village with outdoor attractions and more.
With its beautiful scenery and Hallmark-worthy charm, Creemore is an idyllic destination for a last-minute autumn getaway.
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Assisted living grant seeks to leverage community-level innovation
The first $50 million in grants will support projects that improve care across Alberta.
A pioneering way to deliver assisted living services could be percolating this minute in an Alberta outpost, the cabinet minister touting a new grant believes.
And a jolt of cash may be all that lies between that vision and better lives for more people in more places, said Nathan Neudorf, the minister of assisted living and social services.
"You never know where a great idea can come up," Neudorf said, as he explained the reasoning behind the $200-million Assisted Living Innovation Grant Program.
An approach developed in a small community could be “a really great idea and it’s working really well,” he said. “Can we replicate that across the province? That’s what we’re looking to do.”
Eligible businesses or groups need to gather their thoughts and materials soon to apply.
The deadline is 4 p.m. on Nov. 6 for proposals under an initial tranche of $50 million. Single-year projects will be considered for between $50,000 and $2 million, multi-year ones of up to three years for between $250,000 and $5 million.
Explained Neudorf: “What we need is a really good idea with some applicable information. Where is it going to be applied? How is it going to be applied? Why are you asking for the amount of money you're asking for?”
But he noted that proposals “can't be completely out of left field” and must be channeled through eligible organizations.
“Show us you can do it. We will evaluate it,” said Neudorf, who represents Lethbridge-East under the UCP banner. ”We think there are a lot of ideas out there.”
An information webinar happens this coming Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 2 to 3 p.m. And questions will be taken until 4 p.m. on Nov. 4.
Eligible projects might use technology like virtual and remote support services to help Albertans stay independent within their homes, the province suggests.
Novel approaches for supporting continuing care workers are fair game. So are community-based services that help support those receiving and giving care.
The program will also fund research into new approaches to improve care in ways that will work elsewhere, the government said in announcing the grant earlier this month.
A successful proposal “can look like a number of things, but at the end of the day, it's about Albertans having a better life for longer, wherever that might be for them,” said the minister.
Eligible organizations include non-profit, community and in certain cases for-profit groups involved in continuing, home and community care. Indigenous communities and organizations in Alberta, along with Alberta municipalities, are eligible.
Post-secondary and research institutions can make proposals that tap into the grant, too.
For-profit groups need to demonstrate innovation, education, system improvement or evidence generation in their proposals. Proposed spending must go beyond routine business.
Even if the province doesn’t get its money back in eventual savings, the program could prove successful, Neudorf said. The win would be that more Albertans who need care — many of them in the province’s ballooning contingent of senior citizens — receive it where and when it’s needed.
For rural and remote Alberta, that often means keeping older generations close or within their home communities for longer. Everyone benefits when seniors are nearby, the minister said.
“If kids just have to go down the road to see their grandparents, that’s great. They might stop in literally every day after school instead of only on certain weekends when they can make the trek to the big city,” Neudorf said.
Seniors connect communities and young people to a shared past, he said, and often put their experience and knowledge to work as volunteers.
Assisted living keeps jobs and care in rural Alberta, and “keeps the heartbeat alive, which is families and organizations."
For more information, visit alberta.ca and search for the Assisted Living Innovation Grant Program.
Copyright 2026, The Macleod Gazette. All rights reserved.
George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette.
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Winnipeg police suspend use of Crime Stoppers after data breach
Winnipeg police suspend use of Crime Stoppers
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert
Winnipeg police say they've suspended the use of Crime Stoppers in light of a massive data breach of the crime-reporting system.
The pause comes after CBC reported that 1.5 million tips submitted to Canadian Crime Stoppers programs over the last 25 years were stolen earlier this year.
Winnipeg police say they have been made aware that some data related to the city was included in the breach.
They are reviewing the additional safeguards and security measures being implemented by Crime Stoppers.
Other police forces in Canada have also suspended use of the service, including several in the Toronto region.
Crime Stoppers is a community-based intermediary that allows people to anonymously report information about crimes to police.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Auston Matthews' Famous Moustache Is In Danger & Only You Can Shave It
Shave the date! If you’ve never been a fan of Auston Matthews' moustache then you’re in luck. The Leafs star has promised to shave his fuzzy upper lip, but only if it’s for a good cause.
“Some of you love it, most of you hate it. And now, the fate of my moustache is in your hands,” Matthews shared in a video on Instagram.
The player says he will commit to shaving so long as he can raise $134,000 for Movember by the end of the month.
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The video goes on to show Matthews reading internet comments about his famous facial hair.
“Auston Matthews gets home after a long day of work and hangs that moustache up on his coat rack,” one comment reads.
Upon hearing the news, fans were torn, expressing their thoughts in the comments section of the video.
Some claim he’d raise more money if he promised to never shave. Other fans would be happy to see it go, convinced the stache has brought bad luck to the team.
Even Justin Bieber’s father Jeremy hopped in the comments to share his thoughts. “You shave your duster and I will grow mine,” he promised.
Whether you love it or hate it, the fate of Matthews' moustache lies in your hands now.