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"Councillor Peter Dykie Jr. has been busy, helping to spruce up Bradford for the Sesquicentennial celebration this year. In particular, he has made it his project to raise the funds to restore the Town's murals, in time for the 150th Anniversary - starting with the historic mural on Holland St. Eact, painted by artist Bill Lewotchko to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Yonge St..."

The mural of Yonge Street's 200th anniversary restored for Bradford's Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary).
"After: From left, sponsor Larry Timbers of Home Depot, Mayor Doug White, Councillor Peter Dykie Jr., Artist Bill Lewotchko, and assistant Rick Mackay (Home Depot) in front of restored mural."

"It's graced Barrie Street for over 118 years, but last week, the "Old Convent" met the fate it had evaded for so long and fell to the wreckers.
Built in 1876, as the home of attorney and Reeve of Bradford, John MacLean Stevenson, it was one of the few Italianate villa-style Victorian buildings left in Canada. ..."

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.

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.

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."

Description : Amsterdam, Botchtown, Middleton, The Hollows... are names included in the history of Bradford and West Gwillimbury, "Governor Simcoe Slept Here." The book also contains the story of how Bradford grew from a single hostelry in 1820 - Milloy's Tavern - to a town of 1,000 inhabitants by 1858, and how it came to be the market town, when the overland supply route to Kempenfeldt met the route followed by new settlers in West Gwillimbury, on their way to Holland Landing. Governor Simcoe Slept Here is available at the Holiday price of $55 for the 2-volume set, at the Bradford Public Library, Simcoe County Museum, Condy Books et cetera in Bradford.

Description : The West Gwillimbury History Project (WEGWHIST) meets Weds., Oct. 1st, in the Compton Room of the Bradford Library, 100 Holland Court, at 2 p.m. There are still some "missing families"... If you want your family history to be included, the Project must receive your information by October 1st! WWI Vetereans...To date, the project has the names of only 2 persons who served in WWI and returned home.

Description : As we approach the end of the writing and editing, we are faced with the challenge of marketing our product, the book. We need someone who can help us develop a marketing plan and execute it. We offer the same pay and benefits that we all enjoy as volunteers - an interesting project, good fellowship, positive enthusiasm and the real feeling of accomplishment. Governor Simcoe Slept Here: The Legacy of West Gwillimbury is the book being written by the volunteers of the WEGWHIST project. To help pay for publication costs, a Patrons Page has been established. Donors will be recognized in print, in this wonderful book that will be published this year, and hopefully available by December.

WEGWHIST (the West Gwillimbury History Project) book, Governor Simcoe Slept Here: The Legacy of West Gwillimbury, is now at the printer. The project needs a volunteer who can help develop a marketing plan and sales program for this unique chronicle, which captures the stories of the families who settled and built the Township. The book could be available as early as December.