:Judging from the above heading which preceded a local item in the Era of last week, what a time there will be in Newmarket when the Trent Valley Canal branch (so called) is completed through to that town from the Holland River. A gentleman who had spent several days in Newmarket last week and in passing through our village on Monday, wondered if the Laurier Government had gone completely crazy by making a preliminary grant of $700 000 to build a good sized ditch a distance of 8 miles to an inland town. He looked upon it as a political sop. There is no kick coming from the Newmarket Era, however, as may be seen from the following item: "Mr. Grant one of the contractors for Newmarket end of the Canal, has been in town all week making arrangements to commence work. The stone house and one of the barns on the Hulse farm have been leased for a term. Sixty horses arrived here yesterday and more expected to-day. It is said that the contractors intend to employ 300 teams and 400 men. Work will commence this week if not already started, in the vicinity of the "Green Lane," a mile and a quarter north of Newmarket, where a lock and basin will be constructed. The United Factories have received orders to vacate their property on Huron St., where the survey runs, and are advertising a quantity of wood for sale at a low price to save handling twice. It certainly begins to look as if the Newmarket Canal is not all talk."

Article detailed the opening of the bridge near the Holland Marsh pumphouse which "serves a considerable portion of the Holland Marsh, [and] replaces the old wooden structure which was in a bad state of repair". Officials for Simcoe and York Counties, and King Township attended.

A view of the Marsh Canal looking north from the 5th line bridge.

A proposed drainage scheme to relocate the drainage canals in the Holland Marsh will cost an estimated $8.7 million. This sum is too great for the Marsh farmers alone so they are attempting to extend the assessment area to 65,000 acres of upland property in Bradford West Gwillimbury, King Township, New Tecumseth, Newmarket, East Gwillimbury, and Caledon but this idea has been met with legal challenges. Due to the legal fees surrounding this the Holland Marsh Drainage Committee has asked the province for $2 million in extraordinary funding for the scheme. After being completed in 1930 the 17.5 miles of canals that ring the Holland Marsh have been dredged several times, and after Hurricane Hazel were even widened and deepened. Although, recent studies show that the canal is almost filled in at certain points. Studies have also shown that due to south canal being filled in so much the north canal is handling four times the flow of the south canal. Relocation of the canal is the preferred solution to this problem.

Art Janse has been involved in the Holland Marsh all of his life, as a resident, a farmer, a Town employee for 45 years, and drainage superintendent for Bradford West Gwillimbury and King Township. Janse is retiring due to the response from many of the farmers to his ideas for the Holland Marsh Drainage Scheme improvements that would also improve the safety for motorists. The project has a high price tag of bout $17 million but Janse has won the right to assess upland residents a share of the cost, and has made the case for contributions from municipalities, OMAFRA, Transportation, Natural Resources and Environmental Ministries, and Conservation Authorities.

"Professor W.H. Day is the original father of the Holland Marsh but for the past 36 years, that role has fallen to Art Janse. On April 30th, Janse retired from his role and it is now up to the new Holland Marsh Governance body to make the new Marsh relocation scheme a reality..."
Article continues on to highlight Art Janse's contributions to the marsh, and upcoming projects and renovations.

Bradford West Gwillimbury and King Township received $10.2 million from the Ontario government to reconstruct the Holland Marsh canal.

The Canal Bank Lunch and Garage on the south west corner of the north canal bank and Simcoe road, owned by the Hrynyk’s

Marsh Canal