Belleville

Zone Athletics, formerly Pegasus Cheer Athletics, was founded in 2014. Now in their 10th year, they operate in three sections of the building — with programming available for all ages, from newborns to adults. They offer recreational cheerleading, tumbling and parkour, day camps, birthday parties, pre-school classes, gym rentals and much more. They also offer Quinte’s only all-star cheerleading program.

Meyers Creek Brewing took possession of this building in the Fall of 2018. Over the course of the next five years — through the pandemic — they slowly peeled back the layers of renovations, ultimately uncovering the original 1884 brick building and its rich history. This beautiful space is now their taproom, with additions housing the brewery production business.

The Wellington Heritage Museum is located in the heart of the village of Wellington. It was built in 1885 as a Quaker meeting house. Today, it features exhibits on local history and a beautiful heritage garden — developed by the Friends of the Museum’s Heritage Garden Project — that showcases an original work of contemporary sculpture by Philippe Pallafray.

Macaulay Heritage Park is a picturesque site featuring Macaulay House (built in the 1830s and restored to the mid-1850s), the historical former Church of St. Mary Magdalene (now a museum), the old St. Mary Magdalene Parish Cemetery, heritage gardens and Carriage House. The museum currently houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Indigenous history of Prince Edward County.

Ameliasburgh Heritage Village has grown from one building (a Wesleyan Methodist Church built in 1868) into a complex of museum buildings and displays. Come and visit a log cabin, display barns, an operational blacksmith shop, a carpenter’s shop, a sap shanty, dairy and beekeeping buildings, a stone building housing the Goldie Corliss flywheel and the de Vries Natural Heritage Collection.

Join this unique tour of Belleville sites that have had new power systems installed and learn more about these renewable power sources – such as solar panels and new power systems. We start with the Meyers Pier and the Water Treatment Plant, which boast rooftop solar panels. Next is the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, which has both an extensive solar rooftop array as well as power converters that send AC back to the grid. In addition, the Centre uses Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems – which produce both electricity and heat from a single fuel source onsite. In addition to reducing emissions, CHP systems also improve energy efficiency (up to 90 per cent in some locations), which also means lower costs. Finally, check out Belleville Transit, the Sewage Plant and the City of Belleville’s Human Resources building for more examples of renewable power sources. Learn more about CHP systems here. And, as part of Digital Doors Open, explore these sites – with their aerial views and photos.

The Community Garden Program was initiated by the City of Belleville Green Task Force in 2012. It gives residents a place to grow vegetables and flowers in designated parks. Anyone living in the Belleville area can apply. No special skills are required. The gardens include the Bayview Heights Community Gardens, the Ponton Park Community Gardens and the West Hill Park Community Gardens. Garden beds are awarded in March each year by lottery. Each name drawn will be assigned a garden bed and given exclusive use for the season (May to October). The program is free. Each garden bed provides 3.7 square metres (40 square feet) of growing space. Learn more about the gardens and the rules of the program and COVID-19 guidelines here. And, for Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour of these community gardens here.

The Belleville Wastewater Treatment Plant is located by the Bay of Quinte in Belleville’s east end. It deals with wastewater that goes down drains in our homes, public buildings and commercial facilities. Wastewater travels through the city’s sanitary sewer system to the Water Pollution Control Plant at the same complex. Wastewater then goes through an extensive treatment process and is returned to the Bay of Quinte. Biosolids are used as fertilizer for agricultural purposes. As of 2020, city water staff have been testing a new odour-control product to break down and control sulfur compounds that can fill the autumn air surrounding the city’s wastewater treatment plant. A storm sewer is a pipeline designed to direct stormwater to a stormwater management pond or receiving stream or body of water. Stormwater is rainfall and melting snow that soaks into the ground or runs off surfaces into storm sewers and nearby waterways. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this treatment plant here.

Most of Belleville's drinking water is treated at the Gerry O'Connor Water Treatment Plant, located in the west end overlooking the Bay of Quinte. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and treats 72 million litres of water daily, which is enough to fill Belleville's water tower 24 times over. Its distribution system serves over 40,000 residents and businesses every day through 224 km (139 miles) of water mains. Energy projects have been done at the plant. Old boilers were replaced with new models to reduce natural gas consumption. Roof insulation was upgraded to R18. And new solar energy products were brought online. Belleville was recognized as a leader in energy conservation in 2015 and 2017 by Save on Energy and Veridian, now Elexicon Energy. As part of Digital Doors Open, you can take a virtual tour and learn more about the Water Treatment Plant here.

This paved and lit trail is 1.6 kilometres long (1 mile), travelling along the Moira River behind the historical downtown. Along this trail is a footbridge, opened in October 2022 to replace the early 1800s original. To the north, it connects to the Riverside Trail. To the south, it connects to the Zwicks Trail and the Kiwanis Bayshore Trail.

Glanmore is an excellent example of Second Empire architecture in Canada. Now a regional museum, it was built for banker J.P.C. Phillips. This year, with Glanmore celebrating its 50th anniversary as a museum and its 140th since the house was constructed, it will be hosting a special exhibit in the basement. Visitors can also take part in a scavenger hunt.

This 1824 stone building was once the home and bakery of Henry Corby (the bakery’s remains are still visible in the basement). The foundation and large open hearth are original. A third storey was added in about 1883 and the present brick façade in 1891. The original wood and tin ceiling is still visible on the store level.

The Corby Park Rose Garden is in the old east village of Belleville, a great area for exploring heritage homes, just a few blocks from the Bay of Quinte. The garden has a stunning water fountain and, at the centre of it all, you get a beautiful view of the entire garden — perfect for a family outing or wedding.

The Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County opened in 2016. A collaborative project, it was built as a partnership between the City of Belleville, the County of Hastings and the Hastings County Historical Society. The archives preserve the history of the community through records of local governments, individuals, families, businesses and organizations.

Constructed in 1872-73 by architect John D. Evans (the builder was John Forin) as Belleville’s market building and town hall, this attractive structure — with its tall clock tower — has dominated the downtown landscape for 150 years. Architect Bill White’s imaginative renovations (1987-88) preserved many original interior architectural features, while adding 929 square metres (10,000 square feet) of new space.