Media Release
June 2001

A St Jacobs Day in the Life: A Travel Writer's Perspective

Note to Journalists: This article was prepared by Helga Loverseed as background material used in the June 2001 three day media tour.

The breakfast room at Benjamin's Restaurant & Inn looks out over King Street, St. Jacobs' main thoroughfare and as I tucked into a plate of cereal, I could hear the clip-clopping of a horse - a nostalgic sound. Outside was a black buggy pulled by a gleaming chestnut horse. Its driver was a traditional Old Order Mennonite, one of approximately 4,000 who live in this rich agricultural area of Ontario.

St. Jacobs, on that morning, seemed caught in a time warp. There were few people on the streets. The historic old buildings which line King Street and the streets around it, also conjured up a bygone era. At first glance they appeared to be much as they were in the 19th century, but they actually house craft studios, antique stores, gift stores, restaurants and a theatre - some of the attractions that have made this village and its surroundings (collectively known as St. Jacobs Country) the rural tourism capital of Ontario. People come here to enjoy the attractions that a small country town has to offer and to get away from the stresses of living in the city.

The O.J. Smith Shoe Company, for example, a former factory at 8 Spring Street has been turned into an antique market. Room after room is crammed with memorabilia - silver-framed photographs, old posters, clocks, furniture and blanket chests. St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre (11 Albert Street), was, as its name suggests, built for educating children, in 1867. Hamel Broom (1411 King Street) was once a blacksmith's forge. It's no longer used to shoe horses (though there are a number of blacksmiths and harness makers in the area) but visitors can buy handmade brooms, fashioned on the premises.

Benjamin's Restaurant & Inn (1430 King Street North) where I stayed, is one of the few buildings in St. Jacobs that serves its original purpose. Built in 1852, it was a stagecoach stop in the nineteenth century. Its nine rooms have recently been refurbished, but they're decorated in traditional style, with quilts, pine furniture and wrought iron lamps. The dining room too, has historic touches - stucco walls, a beamed ceiling and fireplaces, but there's nothing old-fashioned about the menu. Dinner offerings include Warm Woolwich County goat Cheese Salad, Baked Seabass and at least two intiqriuing dinner specials each day.

St. Jacobs has many other interesting eateries. The Stone Crock (1396 King Street), has a huge salad bar (the choice is quite daunting) and at lunch time serves soups and freshly baked, pies and bread.

After breakfast, I wandered out into King Street only to find that the look of the village had changed entirely. Now the streets were thronged with people clutching plastic bags, the evidence of a couple of hours' shopping. There's lots to tempt those looking for presents or knick-knacks to brighten up their homes. St. Jacobs Country is home to many skilled craftsmen and artists. Woven rag rugs and quilts are particularly good buys. They aren't necessarily cheap, because many are handmade, but there is a wide selection of colors and styles.

The St. Jacobs Weavery has been in business since 1890. It's run by Salome Bauman, a member of the Old Mennonite Order. Ruffled Elegance which sells quilts and quilting supplies is a more modern establishment but it's housed in one of the first homes ever builtin the village. A curiosity here is a child's shoe, lodged in the wall. It came to light when the building was renovated. Apparently, in some parts of Germany, a child's shoe was believed to ward off evil spirits.

There's another quilt shop at the entrance to the St. Jacobs Farmers Market & Flea Market, one of two such markets (the other is the more traditional Waterloo Farmers Market) just 3 kilomtres south of town. The markets, along with the neighboring factory outlet mall (35 stores selling well-known brand names such as Reebok, Royal Doulton, Levi's), the village itself and the entrepreneurial spirit of the locals, have helped to turn St. Jacobs Country into a major venue for rural tourism. St. Jacobs now attracts an estimated three million visitors per year.

Quilted Heirlooms, as the shop at the St. Jacobs Farmers Market & Flea Market is called, was once a log cabin. Spread over two storeys, the store is piled from floor to ceiling with quilts, folk art and books about Amish cooking and culture. The day that I visited, a gray-haired Mennonite lady was sitting at a quilt frame, quietly sewing a few patches. When I asked her if quilt making was still a tradition in the Mennonite community, she sighed and said wistfully, "Not as much as it used to be. These days, the young folk seem to have other interests."

Those other interests might include shopping until they drop - an easy task at either of the St. Jacobs markets. There's lots to tempt visitors and residents alike to open their pocket books. The markets have over 600 vendors who peddle everything from knock-off designer clothing to summer sausage and popcorn. At the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market & Flea Market, the vendors hail from every corner of the globe. Wandering past stalls overflowing with merchandise, I heard languages from all over the world - Punjabi, Arabic, Italian, Greek and a Slavic tongue that I couldn't quite identify.

The Waterloo Farmers' Market was just as colorful in its own way. Horses and buggies were tied up outside in the parking lot, vying for space with cars, trucks and SUVs, driven by city slickers buying fresh fruit, meat and vegetables from the farmers. At this market the emphasis is on food (though local produce is sold in both places) and there's plenty of it - farm eggs, fish, smoked pork chops, sesame seed bread, Hungarian sausage, mustard, honey, maple syrup, cinammon buns and cheese, to name but a few of the delicious things offered for sale.

As I wandered through the market, the vendors, consummate salespeople, urged me to sample their wares. It was very hard to refuse. Not that I wanted to. Nibbling as you go, is part of the fun of visiting a market - just one of the many "rural tourism" activities that can be enjoyed in St. Jacobs Country.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

The Mennonite Visitor Centre at 1406 King Street, tel: (519) 664-3518; top-drawer musical theatre presented by Drayton Entertainment, tel: (519)638-5555; and various performances at the Church Theatre over the course of the year, tel: (519)664-1134.

For information about accommodation, attractions and tour packages, check www.stjacobs.com or contact St. Jacobs Country, tel: (800) 265-3353

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St. Jacobs Country Media Contact:

Toll Free: 1-800-265-3353, ext.220
E-mail: getaway@stjacobs.com