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"Mr. Charles Melbourne has been awarded the contract for another term of carrying His Majesty's mail between Bradford and Newton Robinson. It would be difficult to improve upon Charley."

"OTTAWA, Aug 5-The Honourable Jean-Paul Deschatelets, Minister of Public works, today announced the award of a $101,600 contract to the Gorsline Construction Limited of Weston, Ont., for the construction of a Federal Building at Bradford, Ont.
The firm was the successful bidder of four in response to advertising for public tenders which closed on June 10, 1964. The highest bid was $106, 396. The work is scheduled for completion in 10 months.
The one storey building, measuring 72 feet by 62 feet, will be located on the northwest corner of John and Barrie Streets. It will be of concrete and steel construction with an exterior finished in brick and the base covered with Canadian granite. The main entrance canopy will be of reinforced concrete and steel construction.
The interior partition will be of masonry construction and the finished will include plaster, terrazzo, ceramic tile, acoustic tile ceilings and linoleum floor covering.
The windows will be sealed, double glazed units, installed in aluminum frames. Lighting will be fluorescent and heating will be from a gas fired hot water system.
The parking area at the rear and side will be asphalt covered, while the north, west and south boundary lines will be closed in with a chain link fence.
Accommodation will be provided for the Post Office Department and the Department of Agriculture.
Plans and specifications were prepared in the Toronto District Architect's Office of the Department of Public Works. I.M. Saunders, District Architect of Toronto, Ont., will be responsible for supervision of the work."

Thomas Wells Opens School

The new Bradford District High School was officially opened by Education Minister Thomas Wells last Tuesday in a ceremony involving dignitaries from the province, the county, and the town of Bradford.

About 400 people braved the cold and blowing snow to attend the event, highlighted by a policy statement from the education minister, a tribute to Bradford resident Tom Gardner, and a key presentation from architects Adamson Associates and contractor C.A. Smith to principal Alex Taylor.

A moment of silence was also observed for Simcoe County Board of Education superintendent of planning Syd Owens who died the previous Sunday of a heart attack.

Trustee Sam Neilly said of Mr. Owens, "He was one of the most important men in the planning and design of this school. His sudden passing leaves us saddened."

Addresses followed by MPP George McCague (Dufferin-Simcoe), West Gwillimbury Reeve John Fennell, Bradford Mayor Roy Gordon, and York-Simcoe MPP Arthur Evans who introduced Mr. Wells.

Principal Alex Taylor gave a brief history of education in the Bradford area, which began in 1852 with the opening of a grammar school in Bond Head.

After the railway was opened to Bradford in 1859, Mr. Taylor said, the growth of Bradford warranted the establishment of a school there, and the grammar school was loaded onto wagons and moved to Bradford.

He joked that it was the first portable in the county.

Another school was built in 1890 which burned two years later, and a new brick school was built in 1893, but it too was destroyed by fire in 1923.

In 1923 Bradford District High School was constructed (now the Fred C. Cook Senior Public School) which served as the high school until last year.

Bradford's 1976 citizen of the year Tom Gardner, a long-time member of the school board before his retirement, was honored by the chairman of the Simcoe County Board of Education, C.W. Brown.

Mr. Brown called Tom Gardner "Mr. Education," and described his life-long efforts on behalf of education in the country.

He then presented Mr. Gardner with a plaque naming the resource centre in the school "The T.H. Gardner Resource Centre."

Mr. Gardner received a standing ovation from the assembly, and called the tribute "the highlight of my life."

Director of Education Jack Ramsay pointed out to Mr. Wells that the pressure would soon be on for the go-ahead to an extension for the new school next year.

He laughed, "We are optimistic that there will be no delay for that since Mr. Wells is present here."

Trustee Sam Neilly told the audience that today was Mr. Ramsay's birthday, and everyone promptly broke into a rendition of Happy Birthday.

The program concluded with a guided tour of the new high school.

"Mr. Geo. Stoddart has been awarded the contract of the Middleton School, which is to be either of cement of brick and finished by Dec. 1st."

"Mr. Geo. Stoddart, who is in the General Hospital, Toronto, continues in a very critical condition. Besides a broken leg other troubles of an inward nature have developed and the latest reports have not been encouraging."

"The school opened this week with Mr. Duncan McArthur in charge. He comes highly recommended and your scribe wishes him success. We have a fine school house with large play ground."

"We are informed that Mr. Geo. Stoddart who met with an accident at our school house, and who is at the Toronto General Hospital, is able to move himself around in an easy chair."

Ad for D.F. Porter, merchant tailor of Bradford in 1909.