Hall Road Enclave, Ontario
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THE HALL ROAD ENCLAVE
The Hall Road Enclave, in Norval of Halton Hills Ontario, is one of the easternmost neighbourhoods of Halton Hills, Ontario. The Hall Road Enclave is a jewel of quiet romantic trails and homes, yet it remains anonymous within the Greater Toronto Area mind. In 1877 the site was already identified as being in Norval (County Atlas Project, Halton, Esquesing, 1877). Norval was the community of Lucy Maud Montgomery for 9 years.
Norval proper today, lies just east of the enclave, minutes away. Norval is the former home of Lucy Maud Montgomery of Ann of Green Gables fame. You can still walk the streets and houses Lucy walked. The old red brick homes, former post office and bank, and three old churches (Presbyterian, Anglican, United) she met her friends in are still present. The Credit River still runs through it.
Lucy Links: http://www.georgetownon.ca/index.php/culture/museums-in-georgetown/767-l-m-montgomery-museum http://www.lmmontgomerynorval.com/
The Hall Road Enclave, part of the larger community of Georgetown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgetown,_Ontario.
Unknown to most is the fact the enclave fits into the rolling uplands of the Credit River to the east. Deeply incised valleys, incised into the red Queenston Shale formation, are heavily treed. Silvercreek and its tributaries are in those valleys. The soils at the surface are typically the Fox Series, a well drained calcareous sandy outwash luvisol. Naturally the upper soils were yellowish brown with a pH of 6 to 6.8. The underlying Fox natural soils were grayish brown sands with a ph of about 7.3. The Fox series was considered suitable for a wide variety of crops, including fruits and corn. See Ontario Report 43, Soils of Halton for more details. A map showing the Fox Series (Fn) from the report is below:
The forests fill with Trilliums and lilies in the spring, Joe Pie Weed, day lilies and other colourful plants in the summer and fall. Fall is characterized by the beautiful coloured canopy of a mature Carolinian Forest. Deer and other wildlife are present. A several kilometer long trail, both groomed, built up, or still raw runs along the Silver Creek Valley (http://haltonhills.ca/trails/index.php). One can wander for hours up and down hills, along the creek, almost oblivious to the larger world. The trail with large vistas and intimate grotos, with picture worthy nooks for shutterbugs forms seems completely in the wild.
A YMCA camp formerly operated on the lands of the enclave and some footings are still present in the forest. The trail and valley lands offers hours and years of playing territory for children and for those who love walking or nature. Intimate walks and hours of calm are possible.
The old Guelph Toronto Electric Rail passed the enclave from about 1912 to 1930. Some of the embankments and foundations still remain around the enclave and Georgetown.
In season, salmon over 1m long fill the Credit River.
The Enclave is accessible by vehicle only off of Hall Road from the North. A small parkette for children borders on forest lands.
The Hall Road Enclave is less than 5km from downtown Georgetown, less than 20 kilometres from from Brampton, about 20 minutes to Pearson Airport, and 45 minutes to the Core of Toronto. One can drive to Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Guelph, Cambridge, Waterloo, Kitchener, Orangeville, Oshawa and other communities in about 1 hour. A Government of Ontario Transit (GO) stop is at the edge of the enclave, while three GO Train terminals are within 10km of the site (Lisgar, Georgetown, Mount Pleasant). The 401 and 407 are both within about 13km of the Hall Road Enclave.
Educational opportunities include access to Public, Catholic, Christian grade and highschools, Montesori schools. Universities within commuting distance include the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, York University, Redeemer University-College, Guelph University, Sheridan College, Humber College, Mohawk College, and McMaster University.