Municipality : West Gwillimbury
Community : Holland Marsh
Lot : 8
Concession : 3

Description : This photo is taken from west of Hwy. 400 after Hurricane Hazel (Oct. 15, 1954). Debris is shown piled up along Hwy. 400, which is on the far side of the hydro poles. The top of a long pile of bagged onions can be seen in the foreground. Note: onions were not used as sandbags.

Municipality : West Gwillimbury
Community : Holland Marsh
Lot : 8
Concession : 2

Description : This photo was taken soon after the the flood caused by Hurricane Hazel (Oct. 15, 1954) of Charlie Davis' house, with Hwy. 400 in the foreground, facing north. The white house in the background is the De Peuter home which floated, with the family aboard, to land near the highway.

"Last week there were two incidents of cars hitting deers on Highway 400. Neither drivers was seriously injured. On Sunday, November 9, Gordon Walker of Newmarket was southbound on Highway 400 south of Innisfil Beach Road when he struck a deer in the centre lane. On Thursday, November 13, Laurence Blake of RR 2, Bradford, was northbound on Highway 400 south of Highway 88 when he struck a deer in the driving lane."

"When Southern Ontario residents put away all their snowmobiling equipment and winter clothes, they thought the long, cold winter had ended, but Old Man Winter decided he still had some say in the matter. Over a foot of snow covered southern Simcoe County and winds gusting up to 50 miles an hour created 15-foot drifts that blocked traffic, closed businesses, schools, and stranded travellers. The Ontario Provincial Police detachment had their hands full like everybody else. The detachment has waded through only a handful of accident reports and so far they report four property damage collisions involving six vehicles on Highway 400 between Highways 88 and 89. Five property damage collisions involving six vehicles south of Highway 88 were also looked into. There are still numerous accidents that have yet to be fully investigated."

"Miraculously, the driver of this truck survived. The flat bed tractor trailer had been carrying a load of steel south on Highway 400 when just south of the Highway 88 intersection it spun around and overturned in the west ditch facing northward. The car was demolished, the seat and windshield being forced out."

Debris from the marshland piling up along Highway 400. Photograph from Betty Kennedy's 'Hurricane Hazel,' found in the Local History Collection.

Meeting on the Highway 400 for clean-up. Photograph from in Betty Kennedy's 'Hurricane Hazel,' found in the Local History Collection.

This photo is taken from west of Hwy. 400 after Hurricane Hazel (Oct. 15, 1954). Debris is shown piled up along Hwy. 400, which is on the far side of the hydro poles. The top of a long pile of bagged onions can be seen in the foreground. Note: onions were not used as sandbags.