"One of the groups celebrating Bradford's 150th Anniversary is the Gwillim Group - a group of history buffs, under the aegis of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association, that is turning the spotlight on Upper Canada's First Lady.
Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim was not only the wife of Lieut.-Governor John Graves Simcoe, she was an ardent traveller, and exceptional hostess and an accomplished artist. The Gwillim Group has commissioned a bronze and rock sculpture, by artist Brenda Wainman Goulet, to be placed in the parkette beside the Post Office.
To raise funds, the Group has planned an evening of Dinner Theatre, in partnership with the Bradford District High School Drama Club. On June 8 and 9, the students will present "Bradford in 1857" - actually a history of Bradford, from the early days before incorporation, "to the present day - a fun celebratory tongue-in-cheek look at Bradford," says author and drama teacher Steve Bainborough.
The Gwillim Group will serve up a Spaghetti Dinner with Strawberry Shortcake for dessert, and there will be a Silent Auction; items include an original painting by artist Kathryn Bury."

"Dear editor,
We, the Gwillim group, a sub-committee of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association, are delighted to inform the community about our project to commemorate the Town's 150th Anniversary. We have commissioned a bronze sculpture of Elizabeth Posthuma Simcoe (nee Gwillim), to be placed in the Post Office Parkette on the corner of John and Barrie Streets (on the Yonge St. route). The sculptor is Brenda Wainman Goulet, who created the bronze sculptures of Dr. Bethune in Gravenhurst and the Tom Thomson in Huntsville."...

Newspaper article on the creation of the Elizabeth Gwillim Simcoe statue

"One of the groups celebrating Bradford's 150th Anniversary is the Gwillim Group - a group of history buffs, under the aegis of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association, that is turning the spotlight on Upper Canada's First Lady.
Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim was not only the wife of Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, she was an ardent traveller, a hostess equally at home in the wilderness and high society, and an accomplished artist. The Gwillim Group has commissioned a bronze and rock sculpture, by artist Brenda Wainman Goulet, which will be placed in the parkette beside the Post Office on Barrie St.
The Gwillim Group is holding a fundraising Dinner Theatre event tonight, June 9, in partnership with the Bradford District High School Drama Club. The students will present a homorous production of "Happy Birthday Bradford, or Who want a carrot for a mascot?" - while the Group serve up a Spaghetti Dinner, with Strawberry Shortcake for dessert, and there will be a silent auction of items that include an original painting by local artist Kathryn Bury."

Barbara Verney, Zelma Fuller and George Jackson thanking Lieutenant Governor Onley and presenting him with a copy of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Associations book "Governor Simcoe Slept Here; The Legacy of West Gwillimbury" at the official unveiling of the Elizabeth Gwillim Simcoe Statue.

"Demolition of the old convent on Barrie Street was scheduled to begin this week. The site, north of Frederick Street, will be the home of a new multi-service facility. When it's done in March 1995, it will be 15,000 square feet in size and will accommodate a child-care facility for 150 children. Bill Bowden, property manager for the Barrie and District Association for People with Special Needs and project manager for the new building, indicated the old convent has been totally trashed and nothing remains of any salvageable value. And as yet, there's no official name. "The Common Roof was the local name for the group attempting to get this project under way. It sort of stuck, I doubt if that will be the final, official name of the building," he said. Bowden said the new structure will house a number of agencies providing child-care services such as a daycare, a nursery, PALS resource centre and a number of other social service agencies for the child and family in the Bradford area. The new building will cost in the neighbourhood of $1.5 million. Bowden said the centre will "service in the neighborhood of 150 children each day. Children will be coming and going. Some will be there all day. Some will be there only in the morning and some only in the afternoon." The demolition work marks the end of a lengthy process. The Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association is working with the architect for the new building to include part of the old convent building in the new structure.

Contains news clippings and articles on various organizations of Bradford West Gwillimbury

Description : On the north side of the 7th Line, about 1 km. west of Bond Head, there is a metre-high cairn in the fence line, that marks the location of the home and church built by the Rev. Featherstone Osler in the late 1830s. The frame church, that would become Trinity Anglican Church in Bond Head, was initially planned a lecture base for divinity students, church school, and centre for baptisms and marriages. It was during this time, that four sons were born to the Oslers - Feathersone, Britton, Edmund and William. The two elder sons became lawyers of note, Edmund a banker, and William, a doctor who was knighted for his service to his fellow man, and whose work changed the nature of medical practice and diagnosis. A number of medical facilities in Ontario have been named in honour of Sir William Osler, and at Trinity Anglican Church today, a memorial window and brass plaque are of great interest to the members of the medical profession who come from all over the world to visit the birthplace of this leader of their chosen profession. The Osler timber-frame country church, with its stucco coating, was moved in September of 1885 from the 7th Line to the top of the hill, at the northwest corner of Bond Head. It was rollered down the rural road in sections, reassembled, then given a veneer of brick and a new steeple. New oak pews were installed, and the interior was trimmed in oak. Much of the original interior and exterior still survive, including items used by Rev. Osler himself. On December 20th, 1885, Rev. Osler travelled from his Dundas charge to officially open the renovated church in its new location. Recently, Dr. Watters, a local resident and retired surgeon, speaking to the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association, stated, "The old Osler church built and preached in by the Reverend Featherstone Osler, home to his astonishing family, is a piece of Canadian history of interest around the world. We must find some way to preserve the Osler church as part of that character, and as a reminder of the kind of people who began it."

Article about the sale of the Trinity Anglican Church in Bond Head, including a brief history.