Exploring around Elora, Ontario can be one of my favourite things to do in the summer. The town is quite small but can seem much, much larger when you start discovering the nooks and crannies along the Grand River, both natural and historic.
I’ve been meaning to head over to Elora for some morning blue hour and sunrise photography and finally got to it on July 20, 2018. However, the conditions (for photography, at least) were less than ideal. There was not a cloud in the sky and the early morning colour was pretty basic. But, lemonade from lemons, I made the best of it.
Adding to the not so great light, the town is under some pretty extensive construction as ruins from the past are being transformed into a bright new future. I like to explore and am fascinated by the hints of life long gone by that has been left for us. For this reason, I’m always skeptical of ‘urban renewal’ and revitalization projects.
I find, what is left after the construction crews go home is nothing but a sniff of what once stood. The new old buildings tend to feel fake and are quite often off limits to most but those with money and privilege. However, I don’t think this is entirely the case with Elora.
There seems to be an effort to protect the past while bringing forth the new. Sure, there are condos going in where one formerly was free to roam on the south side of the Grand River. I understand that income in the form of residential and business taxes must come in in order to pay the bills. Sure, the restored Elora Mill is most likely an inn and spa that will only be accessible to those with fat wallets. But, the rest of the project looks to be accessible and looks to be quite awesome.
When it’s complete, the thing that will be most impressive will be the walkway across the Grand River, atop the structure that was once the Victoria Street Bridge. This will place pedestrians between the newer Victoria Street bridge and the Tooth of Time waterfall located adjacent to the Elora Mill.
Elora, Ontario Image Gallery
For full-size versions of any of the photos in the image gallery, simply click on the individual pictures. If you’re interested in using any of the photos here, please e-mail us (larger size files are available upon request).
About The Images
At the very top of the article, we have a pre-sunrise view across the Grand River at the Victoria Street bridge and the buildings that back off of Mill Street. This was taken from the area formerly the Little Folks Toy Factory. The ruins at the toy factory have already been transformed greatly over the past few years. Just below where this shot was taken from, the Drimmie Dam is in the process of being reconstructed as it was nearly to the point of crumbling.
In the gallery, the first four images were taken at the Bissell Dam. This curved concrete structure is located upstream from the downtown on the Grand River. the dam is named for T.E. Bissell, an early business leader in Elora. Subtle ‘ruins’ remain around the dam from days gone by. The dam can be reached via boardwalk in Bissell Park and there is a walking bridge just upstream to take pedestrians across the Grand River.
In the middle of the bottom row of the gallery is the newly renovated Elora Mill. This structure was first built in the 1830’s as a sawmill. It is now a luxury inn and spa.
The photo in the bottom right of the gallery shows the Gordon’s Block building. This flat iron building was completed in 1865 by Andrew Gordon and originally opened as the Dalby House Hotel.
About Elora, Ontario
Elora, Ontario, Canada is part of Centre Wellington, along with nearby Fergus, in Wellington County. The town was founded in 1832 along the Grand River and has many examples of 19th century limestone architecture. Today, it serves as a day trip retreat for those in the Greater Toronto Area, Guelph and nearby Kitchener-Waterloo.
Elora, Ontario Driving Tour Video
We took this driving tour video earlier this year. The driving tour takes you around the downtown core of Elora, Ontario. If you like what you see, please give the video a ‘Thumb’s Up’ in YouTube. If you love what you see and want to see more similar driving tour and travel related videos, please consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel!
