Good things brewing for Ontario town
Neustadt Hopes Beer Production Will Revitalize Area's Tourism
James Cown
National Post
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
NEUSTADT -The main street here runs uphill -- up past Granny's General Store, up past the Monk & Nun Piano Parlour, up past Noah's Inn, Monaghan's Antiques, the Riversong Art Gallery and the Harvest Room. The street curves as it ascends and at the top of the hill, at the end of the bend, stands the Neustadt Springs Brewery.
Built in 1869 by German stonemasons, the formidable gray fieldstone structure housed a creamery, an egg grading station and a pool hall over the years. But a decade ago, it was renovated and recommitted to its original purpose: the crafting of fine beer.
Its rebirth brought visitors to the village, starting with thirsty cottagers on their way north to the Bruce Peninsula.
"We're the one thing that a dad is willing to stop for," said Val Stimpson, who owns the brewery along with her husband, Andy. "He won't stop for the toilet, he won't stop for ice cream but he will stop for beer."
With barely 500 residents, Neustadt is south of Owen Sound in the heart of Ontario's Grey County. The cornfields run right to the village borders. It is not uncommon to see a tractor-trailer filled with white chickens drive through its streets.
The main drag itself is less than three blocks long. A string of empty storefronts testify to the fact the village still has not quite figured out how to capitalize on the brewery's success. It is a place of ample charm. Its quaintness could become a major draw. But there are plenty of towns that become caricatures of themselves as they chase tourists with knick-knack shops and tea rooms. Neustadt's challenge is attracting new visitors without losing itself in the process.
There is a small but dedicated contingent working to preserve one piece of the village's history, the small house where John Diefenbaker was born. Volunteers come from as far away as Toronto to keep it operating as a museum, pitching a tent in the backyard or sleeping on a cot among the exhibits. Walkerton's Jean and Dave Schaus, who tend the house each Friday, both grew up in the area and want to see its history preserved.
"We thought it was important," Mr. Schaus said.
"Besides," his wife added. "We like sitting on the porch and having a picnic."
At the other end of the village, Neustadt Springs offers its own hints at the past. The monolithic structure was once linked by tunnels to the village's mill and tavern. The passageways have collapsed over the years, but there is still evidence of them around town.
And then there are the catacombs under the brewery, once used to store barrels and still the place where a fresh water spring feeds its operations.
The Stimpsons purchased the catacombs -- along with the building above -- in 1997 after spending two decades working in the brewing industry in England and Wales. Both natives of the United Kingdom, the couple are like many of the people revitalizing Neustadt. Their roots are new but deep.
Many of Neustadt's most ardent boosters are fresh to the community. There is John Monaghan, another English expatriate who runs the town's premier antique shop. There is Gary Mc-Laughlin, a renowned commercial illustrator from Toronto who operates the Riversong art gallery. And there is Bryan Shenk, who grew up in the area but returned only recently to resuscitate the tavern, turning it into a place with a broad patio and first-rate chicken sandwiches.
Standing at the counter of his shop, Mr. Monaghan said the community concedes the village could use a few more visits from day trippers and a few less "For Rent" signs. But he said it is unlikely to become a generic roadside stop anytime soon.
"It is still the old village," he said. "We're surrounded by farmers who still come in for supplies. We're not going to lose that."