History Group is Established

An historical society for the Scotch Settlement was established last week at Fred C. Cook Senior Public School.

Mrs. Eleanor Reid, of Lefroy, a descendant of one of the Scotch settlers, was named the president of the group, and Dave Sheppard, was named secretary.

The group will gather historical data pertaining to the history of the settlers, from their tragic exile from Scotland to their settlement on the lands in this area.

The most important priority for the group now is to collect all of the information concerning the Scotch Settlement that they can.

Mr. Sheppard said it was crucial that the information was gathered soon, because much of it is in the minds of elderly people in the community, and if they fail to pass it on, it could be lost forever.

Mrs. Reid said she was "really quite pleased with the turnout last week and the interest and enthusiasm shown."

She said the Scotch Settlement was one of Ontario's most important historical sites, and the story of the hardships of the settlers is not only historically interesting, but also romantic.

Many descendants of the settlers still live in the area, and former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker also traces his family back to the Scotch settlers.

The historical society is appealing to anyone who has information, photos or other memorabilia, to contact Mrs. Reid at Box 148, Lefroy.

The next meeting of the society will be held in the Scotch Settlement church June 10.

Article on the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Hazel, with recollections from Marsh and Bradford residents

"Feeding refugees:
Marsh refugees enjoy a hot meal in the Bradford town hall after their flight from the flooded Holland Marsh. Most spent the winter in an emergency trailer camp set up where the community centre stands today."

Summary of an interview with Herbie Hughes in 1994 . The interviewer is Irene Moriarty. Anne Coffey and Joe Saint are also present. Herbie discusses his memories of the area, including from his childhood and from being a local politician. See the Related Descriptions below for the audio.

Audio of an interview with Herbie Hughes in 1994 . The interviewer is Irene Moriarty. Anne Coffey and Joe Saint are also present. Herbie discusses his memories of the area, including from his childhood and from being a local politician. See the Related Descriptions below for the summary.

Mural on the back of 73 Holland Street East by artist "Jimmy". Mural depicted the sports and cultural activities of Bradford West Gwillimbury that hold the community together.

On May 13th, parents and other members of the school communities of Fred C. Cook, W.H. Day and Sir William Osler Public Schools met to consider the names suggested for the new Bradford elementary school on Professor Day Drive. Following the protocol established by the Simcoe County District School Board, parents and students at the three "feeder" schools were invited to submit names for consideration. Among the suggestions: Susan Cassidy, the first teacher in Bradford; Charles Evans,; Jean Kell; Gordon Compton; Dr. Blackwell; and Kristin Coombes. Not all the suggestions were people: some were descriptive, like Trillium, Fieldcrest, Hillside and Windy Hill. On May 21st, a special committee consisting of a parent representative from each school council, a member of the Town Council, Superintendent Stan Wells, Trustee Bob Evans, and new Principal Marlane Brooks, will meet to select 3 names, to be recommended to the School Board - which will make the final decision, possibly on June 16th. Brooks emphasized the importance of the name selection process, noting, "It's a new beginning."

A newspaper article about the creation of the Gwen Taylor Memorial Library as a community library in Newtown Robinson. The library was conceived after the Newton Robinson branch of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library was closed.

"The Gwen Taylor Memorial Library is an example of what a community can achieve, when it pulls together. The community library in Newton Robinson was opened by residents of the hamlet, after the local branch of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library was closed by the Library Board..."