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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. đ
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 âa really great idea and itâs working really well,â he said. âCan we replicate that across the province? Thatâs what weâre looking to do.â
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: âWhat 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?â
But he noted that proposals âcan't be completely out of left fieldâ and must be channeled through eligible organizations.
âShow us you can do it. We will evaluate it,â said Neudorf, who represents Lethbridge-East under the UCP banner. âWe think there are a lot of ideas out there.â
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 âcan 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,â 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 doesnât get its money back in eventual savings, the program could prove successful, Neudorf said. The win would be that more Albertans who need care â many of them in the provinceâs ballooning contingent of senior citizens â receive it where and when itâs 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.
âIf kids just have to go down the road to see their grandparents, thatâs 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,â 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 âkeeps the heartbeat alive, which is families and organizations."
For more information, visit alberta.ca and search for the Assisted Living Innovation Grant Program.
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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.Â
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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Trudeau Says Canada 'Is Not Broken' & Slammed Poilievre For 'Amplifying Conspiracy Theories'
He's accused Poilievre of "talking down" this country. đŹ
On December 14, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called out the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, for saying that Canada feels broken right now.
Not only that, but Trudeau came for the Tory leader in a bunch of other ways, including slamming him for "amplifying conspiracy theories" and his "undermining of democracy."
Per CTV News, the prime minister took aim at his Conservative counterpart during his speech to the Liberal caucus at their first Christmas party since before the pandemic.
"Mr. Poilievre might choose to undermine our democracy by amplifying conspiracy theories," said the prime minister.
"He might decide to run away from journalists when they ask him tough questionsâŠThat's his choice."
"But when he says that Canada is broken," said Trudeau, "that's where we draw the line."
"In Canada, better is always possible but I don't accept Canadians and politicians who talk down our country," he said to applause from the audience.
"Let me be very clear for the record: Canada is not broken."
Trudeau's reaction seems to have come in response to comments made by Poilievre on November 9 at a press conference in Vancouver.
"Unfortunately, it feels like everything is broken in this country," said the Tory leader.
Explaining this comment, Poilievre outlined issues like homelessness, the affordability crisis and the high inflation that's plaguing a lot of Canadians â with much of the blame being placed squarely on the Trudeau government by Poilievre.
"It's time to fix what's broken," said the leader, before answering reporter questions.
Of course, this isn't the first time that sparks have flown between the two political leaders.
Poilievre has come for Trudeau and the Liberal government many times, including challenging him to stop taxing Canadians.
Trudeau, in turn, has also made public comments about Poilievre.
When the former Ontario MP was elected as Conservative leader, Trudeau called out his "buzz words, dog whistles and careless attacks [that] don't add up to a plan for Canadians."
Looks like we won't be seeing a bromance between these two leaders in the near future. Ouch.