HartHouseAnnualReport-2017-18

Highlights from
2017–2018
WELLNESS DROP-IN
PROGRAMS
Taking a moment to pause during a busy
day can often be the best thing you can
do for yourself. Hart House offers free,
drop-in programs every week that provide
a simple, no-commitment way to enjoy fun
and enriching activities while meeting new
people and experiencing what it’s like to
be part of the Hart House community.
Board Game Café
Board games are a favourite way to
challenge the mind and indulge in some
friendly competition. The Reading Room
at Hart House is transformed into a Board
Game Café every Tuesday afternoon from
3–5 pm. Whether you’re in the mood for
strategy, cooperative play or just plain
silliness, there’s something to suit all tastes
in our growing collection of board games.
Drop-in Meditation
Mindful Moments are open to all students,
staff, faculty and Hart House members.
Sessions are held twice a week and
introduce meditation techniques that can
help reduce stress and increase resiliency.
Drop by Tuesdays and Wednesdays for a
little peace in your day.
Get Crafty
On Thursdays from 11 am–1 pm, the
Reading Room at Hart House is bustling
with busy crafters creating photo frames,
painted pots, custom journals, mini
piñatas and more. Destress, socialize and
take home your creations.
Family Sundays
The whole family can build memories,
improve fitness and indulge in creative
projects all at the same time. One Sunday
each month, families enjoy interactive and
educational activities that explore cultural
diversity through storytelling, music, arts
and crafts.
HART HOUSE FARM
Located along the scenic Niagara
Escarpment, the 150-acre Hart House
farm offers a welcome escape from the
city. Administered by the Hart House
Farm Committee, it is available for retreats
and events all year round. The farmhouse,
Ignatieff House, contains essentials like a
fully equipped kitchen and rudimentary
living quarters. The property features a
maple sugar bush, cleared fields and a
stone wall constructed entirely without
mortar. A well-trodden path leads to a
limestone palisade and a Finnish-style
log sauna build adjacent to one of three
scenic quarry ponds. Each year, the
committee hosts four major events each
marking the changes of the season:
Winter Escape
Held on February 10, 2018, this sold out
event invited guests to enjoy ice skating,
snowshoeing, walking the trails or taking a
polar plunge into a pond. In celebration of
Chinese New Year, the cold weather was
Below (clockwise from left): Get Crafty; Board Game Café; Family Sundays
offset by a hotpot and dumpling meal.
Guests also learned the traditional arts of
Tai Chi, calligraphy and kungfu tea.
Sugaring Off
The sap was flowing on the weekend of
March 24–25, 2018 and a new batch of
the beloved Hart House maple syrup was
bottled. Hart House Farm caretaker, Steve
Warn took students on a tour of the trees
and sugar shack to teach them the basics
of maple syrup production. International
student, Ofure Iribhogbe had a taste of
maple syrup for the first time. The aroma
reminded her of glass candy from her
home back in Nigeria.
Midsummer’s Eve
When school is out and the days are
long, visitors pack their swimsuits and
sunscreen and head to the Hart House
Farm for this annual event. The weekend
of June 24–25, 2017 was spent hiking
through trails to view natural cliffs and
crevices, swimming and relaxing in the
sauna. Saturday ended with a BBQ,
bonfire and an evening of stargazing.
Cider & Song
The crisp days of autumn are the perfect
time to watch the leaves change colour
and take a stroll in the countryside. On
October 14, 2017 guests at Hart House
Farm explored the surrounding cliffs and
caves and took baking or craft workshops.
Of course, the best part of the day was
pressing newly harvested apples into cider
and enjoying a fresh glass alongside a
hearty lunch.
The 150-acre Hart
House farm offers
a welcome escape
from the city.
Top: Hart House Farm
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