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Day Tripper
Story and photos by Sherri Telenko
One of
a Kind
Glen Williams is a
year-round art
and craft show
Tucked away from the bustle of commuter towns and
highways that kiss its boundaries, Glen Williams is an
art-lovers’ haven. Located 45 minutes from Toronto
next to Georgetown along Highway 7, this scenic historic
hamlet is defined by artists’studios and slow-moving waterways
snaking through the wooded landscape.
Glen Williams is all about the finer things — such as
paintings and handcrafted home accessories — blended
with the small-town charm of Mayberry.The centre of the
village is a three-way stop, so narrow the school bus has to
make a three-point turn to get through.Whether you want
to or not, you’ll slow down here. So take a long exhale and
get ready to stroll through retail studios, walk along wooded
trails, or sit comfortably with a pint in hand at the one
and only British-style pub.
July/August 2008 • 43 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
Hand-blown glass oil lamps from
Glen Williams' Glass Studio.
Contemporary signage greets visitors at in
front of historic Glen Williams' mill buildings.
Originally the site of a working sawmill,the land in this
area was first purchased by Benajah Williams in 1825
because of its proximity to a strong current.The name was
changed to Glen Williams in 1852 when the town got a
post office. Restored as The Williams Mill Visual Art
Centre (www.williamsmill.com) in the 1990s, two of the
buildings that once housed the town’s second mill and
electrical power station are now filled with artists’ workshops.
Today, the appeal of this shopping experience is that
you can buy fine art and crafts directly from the artists who
create it. Glen Williams currently houses 18 artists’ studios,
which are home to 36 working artists including stone
carvers, glass blowers, potters, jewellery makers, stained
glass makers, a metal smith, a quilter, clothing designers,