Image of an invoice from A. Sutherland Grocery on Holland Street. The invoice is dated June 12th, 1926 and to Hazel Campbell. Alexander Sutherland also operated a bakery on Simcoe Road. His wife, Elizabeth was the sister of Bessie Campbell (wife of William Campbell).

A photograph depicting part of Holland Street in Bradford, taken by Lewis (Lew) Campbell in 1938. Hammell's Grocery Store, Gardner's Hardware and Queen's Hotel are visible in the photo.

An ad for Hammell’s Grocery Store in Bradford, c. 1933.

An ad for Sutherland’s Grocery in Bradford, c. 1933. Appeared in the Bradford Witness.

An ad for Cottrell’s Garage in Bradford, c. 1933. Appeared in the Bradford Witness.

The mid-block building located at 10 and 12 Holland St. West was built in the Ontario Vernacular style around 1872-1899. The two-storey, commercial, detached ‘row’ building had a narrow rectangular plan with an asymmetrical organization. ‘Main street’ frontage with a typical storefront façade was located at the street line. The plain façade was characterized by a high, flat, ‘boomtown’ façade and cornice with brick dentils. The two bay-façade each had its own entrance and storefront. Existing doors and storefronts are not original. The original, large, second-floor windows (characterized by segmented arch openings and concrete sills) have been partially bricked in, but are still visible from the brick voussoirs. The building has masonry construction with brick cladding and a flat, built-up tar and gravel roof. (1, 3)
The west side of the building (10 Holland St. West and the location of Pizzaville in this 1995 photo) was once the site of a drugstore run by W.L. "Billie" Campbell. Fred Cook helped him for a number of years. Billie’s son, Lou, and druggist Clarence Ritchie took over the business. Eventually Clarence Ritchie ran it on his own before he retired. Fred McKay sold phonographs on the upper floor and there was a pool room run by James Ferguson. The Salvation Army held services here in the 1930’s. (1, 2)
Sutherland’s Grocery Store was once found at 12 Holland St. West (site of Karen’s and Tina’s Flowers in this 1995 photo). Alec Sutherland was a baker. He had a bakeshop on the south side of Simcoe St. that was run for many years by his daughter Jessie and sister Mrs. Bessie Ryan (and her daughter Betty). They eventually retired and moved to St. Catherine’s. There were living quarters upstairs. William Compton and his wife bought the store and ran it as an IGA grocery store. Gord and Marilyn Compton later took over the store. They built a new store on John St. (where Frank Kilkenny’s house had been). The Comptons’ store eventually moved to what was known as the IGA plaza (located at the corner of Collings Ave. and Holland St. West). As of 2014, 12 Holland St. West is the site of The Holland Bloom florist shop. (1, 2)

An account bill made out to the Bradford Lawn Bowling Club by Whimster & Wilcox Goods Store, dated July 27th, 1912.

An announcement of the death of Bradford businessman and owner of Sutherland’s Grocery, Alexander Sutherland on July 24th, 1931. Appeared in the July 29th, 1931 issue of the Bradford Witness.

"Gordon Compton, who owns the Bradford IGA, was born in London, Ontario, where his father ran the local A and P store. Gord's family moved around quite a bit from the time he was born in 1933, until they settled in Bradford. His father owned the old IGA store, now the site of 'Flowers by Tina.' After graduating from high school, Gord studied for a year at the School of Mines in Haileybury, Ontario, but gave up his studies and returned to help out in the family business when his father became ill. He eventually took over the business and saw IGA move into its present home in 1966."

Description : For the first three months that the Compton's Garden Market IGA was open, it was both the newest and the oldest IGA store in Canada. The IGA located at the corner of Melbourne Drive and Holland Street West in Bradford, is still the oldest store in the country, celebrating 56 years of customer service this summer. Not only that, but the IGA is still owned by the Compton family - the third generation of Comptons - and that is something that makes Dave and Karen Compton proud. The original store, opened in 1944, was located at 12 Holland Street West; from 1969 to 1983, the store was on John Street West; and from 1983 to just last year, it was located in the Holland Square Plaza. When David Compton had the opportunity to follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps, and build a new facility, he jumped at the challenge, "It was almost a test: "Show us what you've learned." I think I put everything that I learned into the building of the store." For about 10 years, he had kept notes on what worked and what didn't - and the result is the "Market Garden", with its ample parking, high ceilings, wide aisles and generous entry-way, now being used as a model for other new IGA stores. The store will be marking its 56th anniversary with a 2 week celebration.