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Volunteers handing out meals and clothing for those relocated by the Holland Marsh flood after Hurricane Hazel hit the area. Helping serve the food are Mrs. C.J. Bowden, Mrs. Ben Steers, B.M. Evans, and G.E. Boyd.

The interior of Springdale Christian Reformed Church in 1952, before Hurricane Hazel in 1954.

The hamlet of Springdale taken prior to the flood caused by Hurricane Hazel (Oct. 15, 1954) Photo is taken facing north.

Photo was taken near the Bradford Pump House at the junction of the canal and the Holland River near Hwy. 11. The pumps were flown in from Western Canada by the Armed Forces, arranged by Mr. Stoddart. A tractor was used to run the pump. Water was pumped from the flooded land over the dyke and into the canal from where it flowed along the Holland River and into Cook's Bay.

The Bradford Model School pictured was constructed in 1878 to replace a previous building destroyed by fire.
Mr. Frank Wood was the first principal in 1878.
It was established by Simcoe County Council for the training of teachers, and by 1907, 496 teachers were trained there.
Upon the discontinuance of Model training in Ontario, the building continued to be Bradford Public School until the new Bradford Public School was erected in 1951. The Model School was located east of the present school.
It consisted of three rooms downstairs, and two large ones upstairs. It was made of brick, and was heated by two coal furnaces.

Photo shows the North Canal Bank prior to the storm (Hurricane Hazel) Taken facing north. The trees are starting to lose their leaves. Carrots in the foreground are Nantes, the sweetest variety. In the background, Mr. William Horlings stands with his new car.

This photo was taken soon after the post office was built.

This was the home of Sam and Gilbert Lukes. It was originally built by John MacLean Stevenson in 1876. It was sold, first to Robert Bingham in 1877, then to James Boddy in 1894(?) who named it "Fairview". Later, after a number of other sales, it became the property of Rev. Egerton R. Young in 1903, and was renamed "Algonquin Lodge". Rev. Young in turn sold it to the Lukes family in 1910. The Lukes family, who owned the Bradford Flour Mill, made several repairs and alterations to the house under their ownership. In 1949, the house and property was sold to the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Toronto, but they soon sold the house to the Ursuline Order of the Diocese of London. In the years since, the building has been sold, re-sold, had court cases fought over ownership until late in the 1980's. In 1994, the building was torn down and the "Common Roof" facility was built.

Description : On Thursday October 18, WEGWHIST - the West Gwillimbury History project - met for a Reunion, and a celebration of the reprinting of their 2-volume set, "Governor Simcoe Slept Here: The Legacy of West Gwillimbury." The book was put together by the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association, and volunteers from the community. The WEGWHIST group first met on October 11, 2001 with almost no experience in publishing, but with a desire to share their memories and stories. For the next four years, they collected and collated the histories of the families and farms of West Gwillimbury. The finished book contains over 4,000 historical photographs and tells the story of the people, churches, schools and activities of West Gwillimbury, from the date the Township was first settled to the post-war years. It was one year ago that the final draft was sent off to the printer, and on December 15th, 2005,the first books arrived in Bradford West Gwillimbury. By January 15, every copy had sold out. Last Thursday, five years after the start of the project, WEGWHIST volunteers invited representatives from 13 different schools to the Bradford Public Library, to receive two donated copies each, for the school libraries.

Description : The reprint of the magnificent 2-volume local history book, Governor Simcoe Slept Here: The Legacy of West Gwillimbury is now available. Those who wish to mail out a copy as a Christmas gift should call Bill Marks or George Jackson.