IN YOUR BACKYARD SUMMER GIVEAWAY
Inspired by our In Your Backyard virtual series, the Huron County Library and Ontario’s West Coast have partnered to present a summer giveaway you don’t want to miss! Explore the hidden gems found in your backyard for a chance to win a Huron County weekend get-away valued at over $1,400. To enter, download your entry sheet or pick up a copy from your local branch, and visit 10 or more hidden gems found across the County, answering a question specific to each location. Answers can be found at each location and written beneath each photo. And don’t forget to share photos of your journey across the County this summer tagging @HuronCountyLibrary and @OntariosWestCoast on social media. Entries are limited to one per person and must be dropped off at any Huron County Branch location or emailed by noon on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. Please review full contest rules below.
PRIZES
The In Your Backyard Summer Giveaway Grand Prize will be drawn Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, and is valued at over $1,400. The prize includes:
- A weekend retreat for two adults at the Benmiller Inn in a Deluxe Suite, featuring a King-size bed, seating area, kitchenette, two-person soaker tub, a dry sauna, a gas fireplace, a balcony overlooking the pond with breakfast and brunch in the mornings, accompanied by a couple’s massage, depending on availability, in our Petit Aveda Spa.
- $125 Cowbell Gift Card, two VIP tour tickets, 1 Cowbell hat, and 1 Cowbell crewneck sweater
- $100 gift certificate for Part II Bistro
- Wine tasting at a local winery, including a bottle of your favourite to take home
- Passes to visit the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol, including Museum merch
Return your entries early to be entered into weekly prizes drawn each Friday starting Friday, July 22, 2022. All entries, including weekly winners, will be included in the grand prize draw:
- July 22: Two tickets to It Runs in the Family at the Huron Country Playhouse
- July 29: Two tickets to The Waltz at the Blyth Festival
- Aug. 5: Two tickets to Behind the Bars at the Huron Historic Gaol
- Aug. 12: Prize pack from Shop Bike and a tasting flight from Hessenland Inn
- Aug. 19: Prize pack from the Town of Goderich
- Aug. 26: $25 gift certificates from the Central Huron BIA for Anger Management Destruction Therapy, Huron Christmas Store and The Dutch Store
LOCATIONS
MacNaughton Park, Exeter
1-35 McNaughton Dr., Exeter
MacNaughton Park Scenic Gardens, located on MacNaughton Drive, offers seasonal floral and arboreal displays. Sit back and enjoy the view from the shaded gazebo or one of the many benches found throughout the winding paths of the garden park.
Brussels Fairy Door Trail
445 Turnberry St., Brussels
Created by the Brussels & District Horticultural Society, the Fairy Door Trail is a free, outdoor, all ages activity. Let your imagination run wild deciding who lives behind each door and what type of magic lives at that house. Over 50 fairy doors on 3 different trails.
Vanastra Heritage Trail
26 Toronto Blvd., Vanastra
Explore Vanastra’s rich past through its innovative Heritage Walking Tour. Learn more about the home of the former Air Force Base RCAF No. 5 Clinton – from the Radome, to the Radar & Communications School, and beyond!
Huron Historic Gaol, Goderich
181 Victoria St. N., Goderich
Put yourself behind the bars at the Huron Historic Gaol’s Selfie Station! The Selfie Station features a recreation of the Gaol’s iconic iron doors and is a permanent structure available year round for visitors to share their visit to this National Historic Site. Touring the Gaol is also free with a Huron County Library card!
Lions Harbour Park, Goderich
Intersection of West & Harbour St., Goderich
Throughout Lions Harbour Park you will find a number of unique chainsaw carvings – several of the characters being carved from trees that were damaged during the 2011 Goderich Tornado.
Clinton Light Tunnel
23 Albert St., Clinton
The heart of Clinton is alight, thanks to its newest permanent installation – the Light Tunnel! This attraction is modified with every holiday and season – and is the perfect backdrop for your Instagram photos!
Naftel's Creek
79154 Bluewater Hwy., Goderich
This trails at Naftel’s Creek lead through mixed conifer plantations, hardwood and wetland areas – covering 49 hectares of beautiful forests altogether! Be sure to watch for trout as you cross the creek!
St. Joseph Heritage Park
Intersection of Hwy. 21 & Zurich-Hensall Road, St. Joseph
St. Joseph Heritage Park shares the story of how the French Canadian settlement came to be; of the founder, Narcisse Cantin, “one of the most interesting and visionary men Huron County has ever produced,” and a monument to St. Joseph the Patron Saint of Canada
Friends of Bayfield Library Reading Garden
18 Main St. N., Bayfield
In 2014, the Friends of the Bayfield Library, alongside the support of the community, created a beautiful, serene Reading Garden located behind the library – available to anyone visiting or living in the village.
Gairbraid
80501 River Ridge Cres., Goderich
See stunning views of the Maitland River Valley from Gairbraid, the burial place of eccentric Goderich founder, Dr. William “Tiger” Dunlop. Located on the site where he planned to build a new estate called Gairbraid. Tip: Take the Tiger Dunlop Trail and enjoy the scenic viewpoints from the Menestetung Bridge and trail.
Alice Munro Literary Garden
273 Josephine St., Wingham
The Alice Munro Literary Garden honours the work of Nobel-prize winning author and Wingham native. Tip: A self-guided walking tour of points of interest in the town of Wingham relating to Alice is available on the North Huron Township website.
Blyth Festival Art Gallery
431 Queen St., Blyth
In 1976, one year after the Blyth Festival began producing Original Canadian Theatre in Huron County, a committee of volunteers joined together to create a public art gallery as a complement to the Festival. This year due to Blyth Festival plays all being at the Harvest Stage, there will be a Community Art Showcase for the full summer.
150th Celebration Garden
45088 Harriston Rd., Gorrie
In honour of the 150th anniversary of Canada, this garden, which features a number of native plants was created. Many of the plants were chosen for supporting pollinators and providing food for birds. In addition, the garden has over 1000 red and white tulips!
Stevenson Tract
41502 Morris Rd., Brussels
Explore a piece of Ontario’s reforestation legacy on the beautiful mixed forest trails of the 200-acre Stevenson Tract. Bi-sected by the Maitland River and the Sunshine Creek, the tract features prime fish habitat, some of the best hiking trails in the County, and “eskers” (gravel ridges left over from the last Ice Age!).
Your pick!
Share with us your favourite hidden gem in Huron County.
To learn more about all of the amazing gems found across the County, visit Ontario’s West Coast!
CONTEST RULES
- The contest is open to residents of Canada over the age of 18 years old. Employees or volunteers of the County of Huron, or any affiliates and associates, such as employee and volunteer’s immediate family members and persons with whom such employees are domiciled are excluded from this contest.
- The prize is not redeemable in cash and must be accepted as awarded. The prizes are locally sourced and valued at over $1,400.
- Prizes will be drawn by random draw from eligible entries.
- By claiming the prize, the winner authorizes the use, without additional compensation of their name, and/or likeness, and/or voice/photograph, and municipality of residence for promotion and/or advertising purposes in any manner and in any medium (including without limitation, radio broadcasts, newspapers and other publications and in television or film releases, slides, videotape, distribution over the internet and picture data storage) which Huron County Library and Ontario’s West Coast may deem appropriate.
- In accepting the prize, the winner, and any guest(s), acknowledges that the County of Huron may not be held liable for any loss, damages or injury associated with accepting or using this prize(s).
- The person(s) whose name(s) is chosen as being the winner(s) of the specific prize will be required to answer a skill-testing question before the prize is awarded to them.
- Winners and any guests at the age of majority must sign a release form as prepared and accepted by the Huron County Library and Ontario’s West Coast acknowledging their acceptance and understanding of the complete contest rules.
- Huron County Library and Ontario’s West Coast retain the rights, in its absolute and sole discretion, to make substitutions of equivalent kind or approximate value in the event of the unavailability of any prize or component of the prize for any reason whatsoever.
- This contest is subject to all federal, provincial and municipal laws.
- Huron County Library and Ontario’s West Coast reserves the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.
- One entry per person.
- All entries become the sole property of the Sponsors and none will be returned for any reason. Entries must be received no later than the end of the Contest Period. Entries will be declared invalid if they are late, illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, mutilated, forged, garbled or mechanically or electronically reproduced. No communication or correspondence will be exchanged with entrants except with those selected for the Grand Prize and weekly prizes.