BRAESTONE’S REMARKABLES

Born of the land, Braestone’s Remarkables are simple and timeless amenities that have grown naturally out of the community’s own unique and magnificent landscape. Horseback riding, Nordic skiing, maple sugar tapping and orchard and berry picking are just some of the many remarkable experiences homeowners will enjoy living here. There are literally dozens of Remarkables that differentiate and define Braestone at a highly emotional level.

Purity and simplicity and their importance to life in a world that threatens to overwhelm us are articulated in the experience of pond-skating or sliding down an eigth-of-a-mile toboggan hill, walking waist-deep in a field of flowers to the berry patch or watching the sun set and the stars shine atop the observatory hill called Starfall. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” said Da Vinci and residents of Braestone will appreciate the nuances of this adage as they experience Braestone’s Remarkables firsthand.

Starfall

High on the ridge with a commanding view of Braestone and beyond is the hilltop observatory known as Starfall. It’s a place where you can almost touch the moon. Where the starry night sky is darker and fuller than you’ve ever seen before. Where residents will enjoy omnipresent views of meteor showers, passing satellites and, from time to time, the celestial spectacle known as the Northern lights. By design, Braestone’s International Dark Sky Lighting Standards will minimize light pollution and maximize your views of eternity. Starfall . . . just one of the many remarkables you will experience living at Braestone.

A Christmas Tree Farm

The land that makes up Braestone is a fertile and gentle place, perfect for growing families and ideal for growing Christmas trees. Among the many heartfelt experiences to be discovered here, Braestone will dedicate lands to its very own Christmas tree farm. Year after year, the fortunate families who live here can experience the joy of watching these trees mature – in your own back yard. After you explore, you can head for the warmth of home, carving sweeping trails through the snow as you head homewards. Once inside, you and your family can create new family traditions and enjoy the remarkable way of life at Braestone.

The Toboggan Hill

Topography has been a driving factor in the planning of Braestone; in particular the large hill, or ‘brae’ in Scottish, that dominates the site. It has helped to shape the neighbourhoods with their own distinctive characteristics. But more importantly, it has gifted to residents another of the Braestone Remarkables; their very own Toboggan Hill. In the spirit of the land and the simple pleasures we gain from our connection to it, pride of place belongs to our Toboggan Hill that will be the scene of laughter and rosey cheeks for all the Braestone families who will revel in snowy days spent together.

The Skating Pond

This is Braestone, where the landscape itself has gifted residents with an abundance of Remarkables like The Skating Pond. This one of three crystal-clear, aquifer-fed ponds nestled in the heart of our inspiring community will be a four season source of joy. All winter long, The Skating Pond will come alive with the sound of blades carving across the frozen ice. Games of pickup hockey will be played ‘til the last light of day and first time figure skaters will learn their cross-cuts and figure eights. In summer, the waters will be a magnet for family experiences and tadpole collecting. The Skating Pond is another remarkable reason to call Braestone home.

The Trails

Truly experiencing the picturesque countryside of the Braestone community is felt most powerfully when on foot and bike, skis or skates. It’s the touch of the ground, feeling close to the land. At Braestone, an extensive trail system will wind through forests, along streams, beside ponds – tracing the natural topography, skirting our farm’s pasture and joining neighbourhoods. Once complete, soft trails will be the preferred avenue for neighbours to visit each other. Children can skip and run on the many kilometers of trails, collect autumn leaves by the pathside and take them home to be pressed. The trails of Braestone will be truly remarkable.

Artful Architecture

In addition to its eco-sensitive plan, Braestone will be known for its artful architecture – a simple yet strikingly modern interpretation of country style influenced by the farmhouses, barns and sheds of the Oro-Medonte region. Each homestead’s interior details are a tribute to Braestone’s more refined lifestyle with each room and corridor contributing to a sense of warmth and spaciousness, but with evocative twists for walk-in pantries, reading nooks, boot rooms and more. Garages will have the option for bonus room expansions above them for use as offices, workshops or additional living space. Braestone’s majestic looking homesteads, with their wide and interesting layouts, will complement each other as well as their large lot sizes. In addition, strict architectural guidelines and controls will be implemented so that the exterior detailing of each homestead will remain consistent and of the level of quality befitting of this calibre of community.

The Sugar Shack

Braestone is remarkably fortunate in so many ways and one of them is the large number of sap-producing maple trees on the property. As one of our many Remarkables, Braestone will incorporate a charming Sugar Shack for the community and homeowners to learn about and participate in the age-old practice of tapping maple trees and boiling the sap to make maple syrup. In years to come, residents of Braestone can gather together at the Sugar Shack when the sap begins to run and enjoy their very own pure Braestone maple syrup.

Braestone Farm

Upon entering Braestone’s stone gate entrance, residents will pass by the fields and pastures of Braestone’s own working farm. On 108 of our 566 acres horses will graze, crops will be grown, Christmas trees will be harvested for the holiday season and a number of our ‘Remarkables’ will come to life including a fruit orchard and berry patch. Here, families will have an opportunity to experience first-hand a vanishing way of life in Ontario. The Farm’s caretakers will produce honey, maple syrup, jams and more. Braestone Farm’s efforts to promote artisan farming in the area will protect the natural beauty of the rural landscape, provide healthy food for our community and expose residents, their families and their circle of friends to the natural cycles of the land, from planting through cultivation to harvesting. For its residents, Braestone Farm will be a deeply meaningful and sociable experience of a vanishing but beguiling way of life.

The Berry Patch

Celebrating its roots in the Horseshoe Valley where a proud tradition of farming and self-sufficiency built deep connections to the land, Braestone will feature its very own berry patch as another ‘remarkable’ for its residents to enjoy. Berries grown here will include raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and gooseberries. Harvest will once again be a time of enjoyment for families as we revive a timeless country tradition – summer berry picking. A favourite annual pastime, berry picking has been the centre point of annual summer harvests in rural communities for centuries. The Berry Patch – just one of the many remarkable aspects of living at Braestone.

Gas Fired Lanterns

Braestone is rich in details that will make its features and finishes truly unique. As part of its artful architecture, this community will feature gas-fired lanterns on every home. The ambience they’ll create will truly differentiate the homes and streetscapes at Braestone, and provide a consistent and homogenous exterior lighting treatment for the community. The soft, flickering light will warmly greet visitors approaching the front of each home’s porch, and reinforce a near-vanished way of life that is both historic and in the moment. Gas-fired lanterns… just one of the many remarkable aspects of living at Braestone.

The Orchards

Planted on the Braestone Farm is an apple orchard, a pear orchard and a stand of cherry trees. Residents will be able to enjoy fresh picked fruit from the Farm’s own trees, a truly special pleasure. After all, what could be more delicious than a pear picked at the height of perfection from the orchard? Or a bowl of cherries ripe from the trees? A steaming pie homebaked in your kitchen with farm-fresh apples? There’s no better way to celebrate the harvest season than picking fruit on a crisp autumn afternoon. The orchards… just one of the many remarkable aspects of living at Braestone.

The Pumpkin Patch

Located on Braestone Farm is a pumpkin patch, a seasonal favourite for the whole family to enjoy. Over 300 pumpkins will be grown each summer, and come October, residents will be able to pick their own to take home and carve for Hallowe’en. As part of a timeless country tradition, families can celebrate autumn’s harvest and this community’s special connection to the land. The Pumpkin Patch…just one of the many remarkable aspects of living at Braestone.

The Apiary

Perhaps destined to be one of our most fascinating Remarkables, Braestone Farm will include an Apiary. This ‘Honey Hut’, with its hives of honeybees, will produce natural honey and be set up by our Friend of the Farm and Master Beekeeper, Tom Morrisey, from nearby Lavender Hill Farms. As a local producer, Tom harvests and sells his award-winning honey as well as handcrafted cosmetics, candles and soaps. The Apiary…just one of the many remarkable aspects of living at Braestone.

The Woodland Hideaway

As one of our most quintessentially Canadian pastimes, camping is an enjoyable way for kids and familites to spend time together in a natural setting. Braestone’s own Woodland Hideaway will be nestled in the Nature Preserve by our valley trails, the perfect base from which to explore and enjoy our wonderful 566-acre setting of fields and streams, forests and ponds. From setting up the tent to reciting scary ghost stories, camping under the stars is sure to make memories that will last a lifetime. The Woodland Hideaway… another remarkable aspect of life at Braestone.

Friends Of The Farm

For it’s residents, Braestone Farm will give an opportunity to experience first-hand a vanishing way of life in Ontario. A unique component to the farm is our Braestone Friends of the Farm – a select group of people, all of whom share and help bring the Braestone story to life. From a celebrity chef to an organic farmer, a storyteller to a beekeeper, these friends contribute their time and expertise to make Braestone a remarkable place to live. Click here to learn more about our friends of the farm.

The Nature Preserve

Part of the Braestone story is the aim to preserve, not recreate. Braestone has a 275 – acre nature preserve that flows through and around its neighbourhoods, with a connecting trail system that walkers, cyclists, cross country skiers and snowshoers can follow to explore the community. Over 60% of Braestone has been dedicated to preserving nature with its abundance of pine and sugar maple forests, streams, ponds and the diverse wildlife that thrives here. Calming silence, clean air and clear skies will define the concept behind Braestone, the last great estate home community in the Horseshoe Valley.

The Vineyard

Upon entering Braestone’s stone gate entrance, residents will pass by the fields and pastures of Braestone’s own working farm. Here, on 108 of our 566 acres, Braestone Farm will grow a berry patch, Christmas tree farm, pumpkin patch, orchards – and Braestone’s own vineyard. Our modest-sized vineyard is already producing three varieties of table grapes, perfect for jams and jellies, and a healthy crop was harvested last fall. Perhaps one day, families of Braestone will gather and toast what we have built together – a community that celebrates the beauty of the landscape and enjoys the fruits of the land, sociably. The Vineyard… just one of the many remarkables that residents will experience living at Braestone.

The Paddocks

As designer Ralph Lauren has discovered, few things so clearly define the culture of ‘country’ as horses, paddocks and fences – and Braestone has all three. When you drive down the quiet stretch of road to Braestone’s main entrance, underneath the leafy canopies of century old trees, the paddocks sharply delineate where the outside world ends and the storied world of Braestone begins. Classically constructed of black-stained, post-and-plank cedar fencing, the paddocks and their adjoining equestrian fields will buffer the community from any possibility of future development and ensure that residents arriving home will forever enjoy a warm and welcoming “sense of arrival” to the community. The Paddocks…just one of the many remarkable aspects of living at Braestone.

The Field of Dreams

In the spirit of family and neighbourhood, Braestone will also be a place to play. Many a summer’s evening will be spent in Braestone’s very own Field of Dreams, the community’s private baseball diamond inspired from the iconic movie of the same name. As corn stalks sway in the surrounding fields, the crack of bat on ball will be heard, immediately followed by the sounds of cheering and shouts of encouragement from loyal friends and supportive family there to cheer on the fun. In a time-tested way – through outdoor activity, healthy competition and skills development – neighbourhood kids grow strong and families forge bonds that will last a lifetime. The Field of Dreams… just one of the many remarkable aspects of living at Braestone.

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