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This dreamy Ontario park has a boardwalk trail and a swing bridge with a magical waterfall
It's a scenic hidden gem.
Fall is one of the most magical seasons in Ontario, with crisp leaves blanketing the ground, vibrant trees, and the smell of cinnamon wafting through the air.
It's the perfect time to get outdoors and soak up the scenery, and if you're looking for an especially enchanting spot to visit, keep this place in mind.
Belfountain Conservation Area is a stunning gem nestled in Caledon, about an hour from Toronto.
With colourful foliage, winding trails and beautiful river views, this park is a gorgeous place to soak up the magic of fall.
You'll find limestone cliffs, historic landmarks and wooden boardwalks that follow the river through the scenic landscape.
One highlight is the suspension bridge, which hangs beside a cascading waterfall. As you cross, you can admire the vibrant autumn leaves surrounding the gorge while listening to the water rushing below.
To reach the falls, take either the Gorge Trail or the Riverside Trail, a boardwalk path with scenic lookouts, from the parking lot. Keep in mind that the Gorge Trail is rated difficult, so be sure to wear sturdy footwear and come prepared for a more challenging hike.
There's more to discover around the conservation area, including a historic fountain, the Yellowstone Cave, and the Lucky the Fox statue.
After exploring the park, you can make your way into the nearby hamlet, where heritage buildings, little shops and quiet streets make for a cozy autumn day.
With roots dating back to the early 19th century, Belfountain has lots of small-town charm, and the surrounding fall foliage adds an extra layer of beauty. It's a quaint place to spend an afternoon taking in the scenery and browsing the local shops.
It just isn't fall without a cozy drink, and there are several cute cafes that will have you feeling like you're in an episode of Gilmore Girls. Higher Ground Café and The Belfountain Café are worth popping into if you're after a sweet treat and warm drink.
You can also enjoy a self-guided heritage walking tour, which takes you past old-world buildings and hidden gems that will whisk you away to another era.
For more fall hikes, you can head to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, where you'll find stunning trails and another picturesque waterfall. Don't forget to make a reservation in advance.
Reservations for Belfountain Conservation Area are available online until October 25, so start planning that magical fall outing.
Belfountain Conservation Area
Price: $8.50 per adult
When: Until October 25, 2026
Address: 819 Forks of the Credit Rd., Caledon, ON
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Daniel Allain new leader of New Brunswick's Progressive Conservatives
Daniel Allain new leader of New Brunswick Tories
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eli J. Ridder
Daniel Allain is the new leader of New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservative party after taking the majority of ballots in a two-person race.
The upbeat former provincial cabinet minister took to the stage after he was declared the winner Saturday at a party leadership convention and vowed to create a “broad and welcoming” coalition.
“Whether you’re a man or a woman; English or French; rural or urban; North, South, East, West; a person of faith, a member of the LGBTQ community, a young person … you belong to this party,” he said.
Now, he said, the party needs to put aside its differences and offer the province an alternative to the country's only Liberal provincial government.
"We are at our best when we are socially progressive, fiscally conservative, believe in the rights of the individual, prioritize private growth, believe in bilingualism, care for society's most vulnerable, are fiscally responsible, and work to create strong families and communities."
He criticized Premier Susan Holt's government for multibillion-dollar budget deficits, deteriorating health care access, poor public education outcomes, high cost of living and public safety concerns.
And he announced plans for a party policy convention in early 2027 to work out a platform for the next general election scheduled for October 2028.
"We will show you a better plan for a stronger New Brunswick," he told hundreds of party members at a convention hall in downtown Fredericton.
"I need you with me because it's time to think big."
Allain, who does not have a seat in the legislature, replaces former premier Blaine Higgs who quit after the party lost its majority government to the Liberals in the 2024 election.
After serving four years as a city councillor for francophone-majority Dieppe, N.B., Allain was elected to the provincial legislature in 2020 and appointed local government minister by Higgs.
He was kicked from cabinet three years later when he voted with opposition parties to request a review of the Higgs government's changes to a school policy on LGBTQ students.
Allain told reporters the party will have a "robust discussion" on the topic as the party firms up its election platform ahead of the next election scheduled for October 2028.
But he added the party has chosen a leader that believes in a "socially progressive party and a fiscally conservative party."
Allain won the leadership with 58.5 per cent of the ballots over his competitor Don Monahan, a rookie legislator who was elected to the New Brunswick's legislative assembly two years ago.
Some party members said their new leader worked a tireless ground game for the last two years to get the support he did, after he decided not to run in the 2024 provincial election.
For his part, Monahan said he supported Allain's leadership and called for a unified party. He added it was up to Allain to chose a house leader that would serve as the leader of the official Opposition.
Allain said he didn't need a seat in the legislative assembly as he leads an effort to rebuild the party. He pointed out former PC premier Bernard Lord and current Premier Susan Holt did not have seats when they were elected leader.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Conservatives will turn their attention to the legislature with the fall session set to begin Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2026.
By Eli Ridder | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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N.L. faces ‘serious liability questions’ over Ithaca Energy’s entry into province’s oil sector, legal expert warns
Ithaca’s majority owner, Delek Group, is blacklisted by the UN over alleged human rights concerns.
The provincial government doesn’t intend to stop Ithaca Energy’s entry into Newfoundland and Labrador’s oil sector despite the company’s ties to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.
Ithaca is majority-owned by Israeli energy conglomerate Delek Group, which is blacklisted by the United Nations for its alleged role in “activities that raised particular human rights concerns.”
On Wednesday Wakeham said he won’t comment on Ithaca’s “political things,” and that the company’s involvement in the province’s oil and gas sector “bodes well for our industry.”
His comments come nearly a week after provincial Energy Minister Lloyd Parrot did not answer questions from The Independent about what the PC government will do, if anything, in response to Ithaca’s takeover of Canadian oil company Suncor’s stakes in the Terra Nova, White Rose and West White Rose offshore oil projects.
Human rights advocates say the impending acquisition should be stopped, while a legal expert says the federal and provincial governments – as well as Suncor and provincial crown corporation OilCo – face legal risks if they fail to intervene.
“Gaza has been razed. Families have been erased, children have been starved and buried under rubble, and the West Bank is being cleared village by village,” local Palestinian solidarity group Palestine Action YYT told The Independent in a statement. “Newfoundlanders and Labradorians did not build an offshore industry to underwrite that. Not one barrel of our oil should pad the profits of anyone tied to apartheid and ethnic cleansing.”
Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) – one of the country’s leading voices speaking out against Israel’s war and occupation in the occupied Palestinian territories – calls Ithaca’s acquisition “unacceptable” and wants political leaders to step in.
“As the International Court of Justice has determined, our political leaders are obliged to avoid economic dealings with companies involved in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine,” he said in a statement to The Independent.
“This underscores the urgent need for Canada to intervene and impose comprehensive sanctions to stop all economic trade with those who profit from and facilitate Israel’s illegal settlements.”
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Delek Group is providing “services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements, including transport,” and of using “natural resources, in particular water and land, for business purposes.”
The Independent sent questions to Delek Group but did not hear back.
Carney needs to clarify commitment to sanctions
In September, Prime Minister Mark Carney committed to banning trade in goods with Israel’s settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. “Settlements are illegal under international law,” he said at the time.
But details of Canada’s new sanctions have not yet been announced.
CJPME and others, including federal MP Heather McPherson – an outspoken critic of Canada’s relations with Israel amid what many argue amounts to Israel’s genocide against Palestinians – are calling on the Liberals to expand Canada’s sanctions against Israel and prohibit trade in services, too.
Heidi Matthews, an assistant professor of law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto and an expert in international criminal law, says the Carney government needs to ensure its new policy is “comprehensive enough to capture things like federal and provincial procurement, and involvement in economic deals with corporations that in one way or another are engaged in illegal activity in occupied Palestine.”
The Independent reached out to Global Affairs Canada for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Legal risks for governments, corporations: Professor
Matthews says Wakeham’s characterisation of Ithaca and Delek’s ties to Israel’s occupation of Palestine as ‘political things’ is “inattentive to the realities of their commercial dealings,” which, she says, “cannot – according to the evidence that’s been documented by the UN database – be disassociated from violations of international law.
“It is well established that the occupation of the Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, is unlawful because it violates the Palestinian right to self-determination, and also because it amounts to the acquisition of territory by the use of force, as well as systemic racial discrimination and apartheid. All of this was found by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its 2024 advisory opinion on the question.”
In December 2023, South Africa instituted proceedings at the ICJ, accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians and violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. The court isn’t expected to render a decision until 2029 or 2030. In 2024, however, the court issued an advisory opinion on the “legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.”
The ICJ said Israel “has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible,” and “must immediately cease all new settlement activity.”
The court also said states dealing with Israel have a legal obligation to “take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
In August, the federal government warned Canadian businesses that, “Engagement in, or connection to, settlement-related activities presents significant legal, financial and reputational risks [which] arise in part because, under international law, settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are not recognized as part of Israel’s territory.
“Activities may involve assets or resources subject to dispute and may expose businesses to increased scrutiny from investors, partners and civil society,” the advisory reads. “Businesses may also face disputes related to land, water, minerals or other natural resources associated with investments or transactions.”
Matthews points to the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2020 decision in Nevsun Resources Ltd. v Araya, which she says, “very clearly established that Canadian corporations can be held directly liable for violating these peremptory norms of international law, and that would include the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.”
This means Suncor and Newfoundland and Labrador crown energy corporation OilCo could arguably face litigation, Matthews says. “But I do think the key question would be about whether or not the relationship between Suncor or OilCo. and Delek is too attenuated, by virtue of Ithaca in the middle. So whether doing business essentially with a company whose parent company is engaged in human rights violations – whether or not that’s a close enough link.”
Though states are legally bound to international law, including human rights law, states’ subnational jurisdictions could face legal consequences, too.
Matthews says Ithaca’s entry into the province’s oil sector raises “serious liability questions” for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, “in the sense that under international law […] the actions of [provinces or territories] are still attributable to the central government itself.
“Canada has several obligations under international law, including to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the occupation, which would include but not be limited to the settlement economy,” she continues. “So the provincial government also shares in that obligation.”
‘Silence is complicity,’ says local Palestine solidarity group
When asked Wednesday if he had the power to stop Ithaca’s acquisition of Suncor’s stakes in the oil projects, Wakeham said it’s “not something that I’m looking at.”
The premier said he is “focused on making sure that we have what the world needs, and we wanna make sure that if, as long as the world has a demand for oil, that Newfoundland and Labrador is part of that solution.”
“For Wakeham to say that somehow the province is not bound by international law with respect to its connection to, or involvement in, these violations shows a basic misunderstanding of provincial obligations under international law.”
Palestine Action YYT, which has held rallies, marches and other protest actions since 2023, says the federal government’s actions so far are inadequate, but pale in comparison to the provincial government’s. “Ottawa talks about banning settlement trade. Premier Wakeham and Minister Parrott won’t even say the word. Silence is complicity, and we won’t be silent,” the group says in its statement.
“We will resist this deal, and we expect oil and gas workers and their neighbours will stand with us.” The group says it is planning a public meeting in the near future, details of which will be announced this coming week. “Everyone who refuses to bankroll genocide is invited.”
With files from Kenny Sharpe.
Copyright 2026, The Independent. All rights reserved.
Justin Brake, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent.
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