PHOTO: SHERRI TELENKO Day Tripper Story and photos by Sherri Telenko Asmall Ontario town with an extensive rural history, Ingersoll would like to see Canada reduce its dependency on foreign cheese. Okay, not really, but if you are talking cheese in Ontario, this town tops the list. Ingersoll is the cheese capital of Southern Ontario, is home to a Cheese and Agricultural Museum, and was the first cheese production community in Upper Canada. Ingersoll is part of Oxford County, located midway between Toronto and Windsor,along both Highways 401.The county calls itself the Dairy Capital of Canada and in 1840 James Harris opened a cheese production facility in Ingersoll. Between 1860 and 1920, Harris?s company was joined by 98 similar facilities located throughout the county. Today, the Harris family estate home has been converted to the Elm Hurst Inn and Country Spa (800 561- 5321; www.elmhurstinn.com), 415 Harris Street, arguably the main reason visitors head west for the weekend to enjoy the comfortably cosy rural ways of Ingersoll. Most of PHOTO: SHERRI TELENKO
