Toronto and North York Hunt rides to hounds Saturday

It has become an annual tradition to line Mill Street in Creemore to await the Toronto and North York Hunt as it rides to hounds on Thanksgiving weekend, against a backdrop of fall colours.

The hunt, located just south of Creemore, considers the parade as a nod to its neighbours, a show of thanks for the community’s support.

Riding to hounds is an English fox hunting tradition. The Toronto and North York Hunt, founded in 1843, is the second oldest hunt in Canada.

In England, riders would meet in a small village with their horses and hounds and go off to hunt. It became so popular that people formed hunts where the dogs would be kept together in a kennel and cared for by the huntsman. It remains a popular activity today.

The hunt rides regularly during the season, heading out on parcels of land where they have permission to ride. The hunters do not carry weapons. The hounds sniff out and kill their prey, usually coyotes in these parts

The parade has become an annual community event and a tourist attraction.

Look for the horses to appear at the north end of Mill Street at 11 a.m. They make two passes through town before stopping at the Gordon Feed and Seed property across from Foodland for a blessing of the hounds and a meet-and-greet.