Glen Haffy Side Trail — A Trail to Find Tranquillity
The Glen Haffy Side Trail runs in a north-south direction along the eastern side of the Glen Haffy Conservation Area. The name “Glen” originates from Scottish Gaelic and Irish, meaning ‘a narrow, deep valley’.
This area (the north-east corner of Peel County) formerly known as Albion Township, was surveyed in 1819. As was frequently the case, settlers immediately followed the survey. Many Irish families sought land in this area to improve their lot in life.
An 1877 map of Albion Township shows James Haffey, an early Irish settler with his family on 50 acres in Concession 1, Lot 37, a few lots south of the village of Mono Mills in the approximate area of what is today the main entrance to Glen Haffy Conservation Area.
The specific location of James Haffey’s lot and the local history of Irish settlement appear to link the name of the Conservation Area and this Side Trail to James Haffey, in the very minimum as a representative of the Irish families who settled here.*
Into the Side Trail
Along the white blazes of the Caledon Hills Main Bruce Trail, a single blue blaze quietly parts the way. From Coolihans Side Road, the Glen Haffy Side Trail unfolds north – and when walked together with the Main Trail, it completes a seamless loop. Within this stretch of Side Trail lie the gentle rhythms of rural Ontario, the quiet record of a land that has slowly healed itself, and the kind of rest that stays with you long after the walk is done.
A Country Roadside in Blue
Following the blue blazes north along Glen Haffy Road, the tidy fences of Donnyweir Farm keep you company for a while. A little further on, a hand-lettered sign at Briardale Farm reads Farm Fresh Eggs – $5: a quiet reminder of a time when trusting one another was simply the way of things.
The Crossing at Highway 9
Then comes Highway 9. Traffic moves fast here, and careful attention is required as you cross. Once across, the trail bends right, then left, threading onto and along the Mono-Adjala Townline. Somewhere along that stretch, a hushed plantation of pine trees comes into view – straight, orderly, almost solemn. Your first impression is one of neatness, even serenity.
The Sand Beneath the Pines
Beneath that calm and orderliness, however, lies a far less gentle story. There was a time in Dufferin County and Caledon when logging and early farming practices had stripped the land bare. Sand drifted into dunes six feet deep, and horse-drawn graders had to reopen the roads buried beneath the sand.** The pines standing here today were planted, tree by tree, to hold those wandering sands in place. Beneath their scent rests the quiet labour of generations.
Over the Stile, Into the Forest
Further along, the trail turns left once more and steps over a wooden stile, parting ways with the country road. With each rung, you pass from the world of cars into the world of the forest – a small ceremony of crossings, almost ritual in its quietness.
A Bridge on the Humber
The path eases down into the valley of the Humber River, where a small bridge reveals itself. Sunlight scatters in fine grains across the water, and hemlocks cast their deep, cool shadows on either side. If you can, pause here for a while. There is shade, the sound of water, and a breeze of just the right weight.
The Ridge and the Hardwoods
Beyond the bridge, the trail climbs steeply from the valley onto a ridge. Just as your breath quickens, the view opens wide – farmland in the distance, and forest beyond. The path then enters a mature hardwood woodland. At your feet, in spring, wildflowers begin to show themselves – bloodroot, trillium, hepatica, trout lily, Dutchman’s breeches. Above, the canopy weaves together maple and beech, ironwood, white and yellow birch, tamarack, hemlock, and cedar in quiet, overlapping layers. Walking beneath the scent of conifers and the shade of hardwoods, you arrive – almost without noticing – at the point where the Side Trail rejoins the Main Trail once again.
A Trail Remembered
A trail remembered not by its distance but by its layers. The stillness of the farms, the slumbering time beneath the pines, the small bridge above the river: each step folds them gently, one upon another. May you walk this trail peacefully – a trail as tranquil as it is beautiful. And on the bridge, may you pause, just for a moment.
Glen Haffy Side Trail Synopses
References:
* Town of Caledon. Cultural Heritage Landscapes Inventory: Section 9. Town of Caledon,
www.caledon.ca/en/living-here/resources/Documents/recreation-leisure/Cultural_Heritage_Landscapes_Inventory_Section9.pdf. Accessed 17 June 2024.
** Ross, Nicola. Dufferin County. Foreword by Sheldon Anderson, Dundurn Press, 2003.
