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"Jack and Diane Kooiman and family recently moved into a new home on the 11th Concession, and found the perfect way to both celebrate Canada's birthday, and beautify their property. The three Kooiman sons, their friends and girl friends came up to Bradford West Gwillimbury for the day, and planted blue spruce and maple trees along the property's edge/
Their reward was a barbeque, followed by fireworks. And on Sunday, the Kooimans will be holding their first annual family reunion, with family members from as far away as Kingston coming up for the weekend.
A birthday, notes Jack, is a special thing. "It only happens once a year - and your 125th is a wonderful day!"

"The table was decorated with red and white flags, candles and napkins, and a red and white cake, for a multi-generation Canada Day party and Toast held at the home of Tom and Zelma Fuller, Jr. The Guests of Honor were Mae and Bill Fuller." ...

This article is a transcript of Mayor Pat Storey's speech to a crowd at the Bradford Arena on Canada Day.

"The Walking Parade left the old St. Mary's school yard at noon, led by the Bradford West GWillimbury Police, Fire Department, and St. John's Ambulance, as crowds holding red and white balloons lined Simcoe Street.
To the stirring sound of the Innisfil Pipes and Drums, marchers - including the IODE, members of the Portuguese Community, a contingent from the Base Camp Borden and the Colour Guard of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 521 - paraded down Simcoe to the Arena, where they marshalled on the soccer pitch. In the reviewing stand, representing the community, were Nick Chreptiuk, Renee Desjardins, Helen and George Jackson, Pat and Ron Kneeshaw, Jamie Snow, Marianne and Trevor Wilson, and Mayor Pat Storey, who read a special Canada Day message.
Then the birthday party began, and what a party it was, with 50 cent hot dogs sold by the Lions, 50 cent drinks sold by the Rotary Club, free watermelon from Bak's Market, and an enormous Canada 125 cake, courtesy of former Deputy Reeve Frances Reid.
There were games for the kids (and their parents), soccer and baseball exhibition games, a bike decorating contest, talent show, a dance out in the open air, and as the finale, the largest display of fireworks ever put on by the Chamber of Commerce, which organized the day's celebrations.
"It's really nice to see so many out, when I understand a lot of people have to work today," said Mayor Storey. "People really are interested in a community event that they can take in - it's like an old-fashioned picnic." "

"Bill and Brenda Vernon's home on the 9th Concession was the scene of a family reunion, barbeque and flag raising on Canada Day. Bill Vernon built a new 33' flagpole for the occasion, and spruced up the yard with landscaping that included putting in new gate posts, a decorative old-fashioned water pump - and a wagon wheel.
The wheel is part of the family history, all that remains of the turn-of-the-century 4 wheeled "Democrat" that belonged to Brenda Vernon's grandparents.
Her mother, Mrs. Murphy, now in her 80s, remembers one trip in the Democrat, when she was only 6 years old. It was Christmas, but a green Christmas with no snow, and the family decided to take the four wheeler, rather than a sleigh, for the annual trip from West Gwillimbury to her grandparent's farm in Uxbridge.
Normally, the whole trip took three days - one to get to the farm, with a stopover in Holland Landing for lunch and to feed the horses, Christmas Day with the family, and a day to return home.
That year, however, it snowed heavily on Christmas day. "They had a long, long lane, and it was full of snow the day after Christmas," says Mrs. Murphy. The entire length of the lane had to be shovelled out before they could begin their return journey, a trip that took substantially longer than usually."

An article about the creation of a "Booketeria" in order to help provide library services to the Bond Head area.

"What is a Booketeria? It's a self-serve mini-library, a new and innovative way to make library resources more available in a small community. With the help of the Bond Head Post Mistress Judith Baguely, room was found in the tiny Bond Head Post Office for shelving that holds approximately 450 paperback books, ranging from adult titles to kids' literature, and from romance and murder mysteries, to the latest works by Canadian authors..."

"Rev. Phillip Carroll, Pastor at the Bradford Pentecostal Assembly just North of Town, is getting tired of crawling under buildings to unfreeze water pipes.
With that as an incentive, and a growing flock of parishioners to contend with, a unique building project is set to begin at the end of March. For five weeks, volunteer workers from across the province will give up their vacation time to help construct a new church, replacing the two small portable structures at the South-east corner of Highway 11 and the 9th Concession.
Each week, the Bradford Pentecostal Assembly holds services for 40 to 60 people in an area no bigger than a primary school classroom. A cold winter helped convince Carroll of the need for larger, modern facilities. The present building "just isn't meeting our needs," he said.
The Church building project is being organized under the auspices of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Plans are now in the final stages of preparation, and onl;y a few building permits and a fire code inspection remain as hurdles, before the ceremonial ground-breaking two weeks from now.
The new church will have seating for 170, and a full basement with kitchen facilities and classrooms. Carroll estimates the building will cost about $175,000, less than half what it would cost using a more traditional method of construction.
A similar project in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, was accomplished in just under two months, and Carroll is sure things will work out in Bradford.
"It's going to be very inspiring to watch...the building rise" "

"It seemed like a reasonable idea, a good idea: in this, the 50th anniversary of D-Day, to recognize some of the municipality's most highly decorated veterans, by renaming duplicate street names in their honour.
The list of names, compiled by the Royal Canadian Legion with the assistance of Bradford West Gwillimbury Police Service researchers, included Gunner JohN Douglas Breeze, recipient of the Military Medal for bravery, and Squadron Commander Brad walker, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The idea was to honor the war veterans, while they were still alive; to eliminate the risk of confusion of street names in an emergency, by changing similar names; and perhaps, to untie the Municipality in a gesture towards its veterans.
Instead, it re-opened old wounds, and contributed towards new grievances. ..."

"Frank Jonkman got into politics very much the same way that he got into the greenhouse business - to meet a need. Jonkman started by building greenhouses for his father's farming operation, using recycled materials that included old television aerials. In the 1970s, other Marsh farmers began to call on him for help with putting up their greenhouses, as his reputation gre for getting the work done at a reasonable cost..."

Article about the amalgamation of the Bradford and Innisfil Police Departments.