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Goodbye to Father McGinn

  • CA BWGPL PH14380

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Describes the farewell ceremonies for Father McGinn at St. Mary's School.

Historical Letter is Discovered

  • CA BWGPL PH25696

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Historical Letter is Discovered

What has been described as a "once in a life-time historical find," was uncovered last week in the home of Bernard Horne in Bradford.

President Eleanor Reid of the Scotch Settlement Historical Society and Ruby Faris were invited to Mr. Horne's home to view a collection of letters and memorabilia belonging to Scotch Settler Angus Sutherland.

On the very top of the pile, Mrs. Reid was amazed to discover a handwritten letter signed by Lord Selkirk, who launched the first major settlement of Scots in Canada.

"It took a couple of days for this discovery to sink in," Mrs. Reid said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime find."

Included with the letter are about 50 other historical items, including bills, letters and accounts.

Mr. Horne turned the material over to Mrs. Reid who donated it to the Simcoe County Archives where it is now being restored.

The letter from Lord Selkirk was probably sent to the ship's captain who would transport Mr. Sutherland, his mother Elizabeth and sister Betty to Fort Churchill in Manitoba.

It reads: "Golspie (in Scotland) May 28, 1813."

"Angus Sutherland, Auchvalch, has paid 28 pounds eight shillings, in part of the passage of himself and two others of his family who are to be received on board the ship at Stomness on paying the balance of four pounds, two shillings."

It was signed "Selkirk."

Written below by another person was "balance (sic) paid."

Another letter followed written by Alexander Sage, a minister at Kildonan, Scotland.

FREE FROM ANY SCANDAL

It reads: "These do certify that Elizabeth Sutherland in Auchvalch a widow who has family of one son and one daughter, both of them single and unmarried, are natives of the Parish of Kildonan and county of Sutherland, and during the residence in said parish have behaved themselves Decently and Inoffensively. Free from any Scandal.

Meeting Church Censure may be admitted into any Christian society where Providence may Assign their lot is attested at Kildonan in name, Presence and by appointment of the Kirk Session of Kildonan, the 14th day of June, Eighteen Hundred and Thirteen Years and subscribed by Alexander Sage, Minister and George McLeod Session Clerk. Her son's name is Angus Sutherland and her daughter's name is Elizabeth."

CONSUMPTION

History has recorded the voyage of the Sutherlands, and Betty's death from consumption at age 18, shortly after their arrival in Fort Churchill.

Angus and his mother later settled on the 5th Concession of West Gwillimbury where he farmed 100 acres.

The rugged pioneer life in West Gwillimbury must have agreed with Angus Sutherland.

He died in March, 1885, aged 103.

Mrs. Reid said copies of all the material found in the box will be donated to the Bradford Library.

She said the letter, once restored, will likely be on public view at the archives.

Holland River

  • CA BWGPL PH12737

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Part of a regular column, "Further Recollections: Old Times in Bradford," written by T.A. Pratt, Islington. Deals with subject of whether the Holland River should properly be called that, or if its true name is the Schomberg River.

Holland-Bradford Marshes

  • CA BWGPL PH25596

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Holland-Bradford Marshes

The Holland Marsh is perhaps the best known organic soil area in Ontario since it has been used for different purposes from the early days of settlement.

The Marsh is situated on the southern end of Lake Simcoe and was probably at one time, a bay extension of an ancient lake called "Algonquin". It is also the point at which the Holland River enters the Lake.

Part of the Holland River serves as a drainage channel for farms in the southern end of the Marsh.

History

The history of this marsh in short as as follows:

A glacial lake called Lake Algonquin covered the area about 10,000 years ago. The retreating glacier uncovered a lower outlet and at that time Lake Algonquin came to an end. The lake level dropped and left the Holland Marsh embayment dry.

As the land rose higher in the north than in the south, Lake Simcoe, which existed as a separate lake by this time, expanded and flooded the land south of Cook's Bay.

This flooding caused swampy conditions and the accumulation of organic matter such as muck and peat in the Marsh.

The organic accumulation varies from a few centimeters to as much as 27 meters and is underlain by fine sand, silt or clay.

The Marsh, approximately 3 km in width, extends 24 km inland from Cook's Bay.

The western border of the Marsh is mainly Schomberg clay, silt and sand deposits, whereas the eastern border is mainly till deposits (moulded mass of clay, sand, pebbles and boulders deposited by glaciers) with minor areas of Lake Algonquin sediments.

Drainage Schemes

Some 2900 ha (7200 acres) south and west of Highway 11 have been incorporated in the Holland Marsh Drainage Scheme constructed as diked areas under the Municipal Drainage Act, in the period 1925 to 1930.

Areas to the north of Highway 11 on each side of the river were developed later by private enterprise of individuals. Approximately nine or ten separate drainage systems have added another 1600 ha (4000 acres) of vegetable producing soil which is mainly between Highway 11 and Cook's Bay, some in the Cookstown area and some south-east of Alliston.

Abotu 800 ha (2000 acres) of the remaining peat and muck area have been or are being acquired by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for a wildlife preservation area.

The scheme for draining the Marsh was promoted by Mr. W.H. Day, Professor of Physics at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, to address a group of itnerested people on marsh drainage in December, 1909.

Until this time, the area was only known as a "mere ditch, swarming with bullfrogs and water snakes" -- so John Gait, an agent for the Canada Company described it in 1825.

Professor Day tested the soil and became enthusiastic about the possibilities of growing vegetables on it and actively promoted the scheme to drain all of the area. The implementation of the project was slowed by years of political maneuvering and the economic hardships of World War I, but in 1930, the Project was completed.

In 1930, Professor Day also reported a profit of $27,000 on his first crop of 15 ha (37 acres) of vegetables.

In 1931, some Dutch settlers had come to the marsh and by their industrious labours had achieved greater success than most. The Canadian representative of the Netherlands Emigration Foundation, Mr. J.J. Snor, saw a chance here for the rehabilitation of Dutch immigrants who had failed elsewhere in Ontario.

In 1934, eighteen Dutch families on relief were moved to this location from Toronto-Hamilton area. Each family received $600.00 (to be shared equally by the federal and municipal governments). The sum of $475.00 was to be repaid eventually by each family. The Dutch government contributed the $200.00 portion which was due by the municipality, when it was unable to produce this amount.

These eighteen original families formed the nucleus of the first settlement in the Marsh and it was and still is called "Ansnorveldt". After the war, more immigrants from the Netherlands came to settle here as well as people from practically every country in Europe.

There are large groups of Hungarian, German, Polish, Czechoslovakian, Ukrainian, and Italian immigrants as well as Portugese, Chinese and Japanese nationalities making their living from growing Marsh vegetables.

Organic Soils - A Disappearing Resource

An organic soil such the one in the Holland-Bradford Marshes is usually called on a pear or muck soil. It is estimated the Canada has approximately 1.3 million km square (500,000 square miles) of organic soils or in other words for every 7 ha (17 acres) of mineral soil, there is on ha (2.47 acres) of organic soil in Canada.

In recent years, Canadians are becoming much more aware of the need to take stock of Canada's resources and to use them wisely.

Organic soils are one of many irreplaceable Canadian natural resources. These soils were formed by nature under conditions of poor drainage and flooding. There formation takes place where plant materials (reeds, sedges, cat tails, bullrushes, mosses, shrubs, trees etc) gradually decompose but accumulate faster than the natural processes of decay are able to proceed.

It takes nature about 500 years to produce 30 cm (one foot) of organic soil. However, as soon as organic soils are drained and reclaimed from nature's water bound grasp, the undeniable fact is, that these soils start to disappear.

This disappearance or subsidence, the gradual loss of surface elevation, has been a chronic problem wherever organic soils have been reclaimed for agriculture. It is a natural process, which cannot be stopped if these soils continue to be used to grow crops. The rate of subsidence for average conditions varies from 1.13 cm per year, depending on water and farm management practices.

Several factors influence the rate of subsidence. Included in this list are: Height of water table, Oxidation, Compaction, Burning, wind, and Water Erosion, Shrinkage and Dehydration.

The Holland-Bradford Marsh, through proper water and farm management has about 40 to 50 years left until most of the 90 to 120 cm of muck and peat will have disappeared.

Hon. Earl Rowe Pleads to Electors for Strong

  • CA BWGPL PH25487

Municipality :
Community : Newton Robinson
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Hon. Earl Rowe Pleads to Electors for Strong "Yes" Vote on Plebiscite

Newton Robinson, Ontario,
April 22, 1942

TO THE ELECTORS OF DUFFERIN-SIMCOE:

As your representative in the House of Commons, I did oppose the principle of a Plebiscite. However, our government has asked for an expression of public opinion and, under our democratic system of government, it is your responsibility and mine to exercise our franchise on this very important question.

To those who feel this vote to be an entirely unnecessary evasion of responsibility, and to those who are indifferent because in their own minds they question the value of voting at all, I would ask that they let the past go until the future permits its review.

Self-preservation is the first law of National life. If we are to preserve our existence as a nation, then our Government should feel free to take whatever action may be deemed necessary to defend and preserve Canada. Since our Government has asked for this freedom of action, it is our responsibility to give it to them.

This is a war for our very existence. Either we win by making sacrifices now, or we lose and pay tribute to Hitler and his gangsters in the future. The entire Continent of Europe, which a few years ago was composed of free nations, is now reduced to a continent of servitude.

It is perhaps difficult for us, being yet distant from the field of actual conflict, to fully realize the necessity of our Government exercising freedom of action so essential to maintain freedom itself.

Never in the history of all mankind should our people be so firmly attached to freedom of religion when such is brutally denied in other lands; to freedom of speech and press when elsewhere terror and fear stifles comment; to freedom from unreasonable searches and seizure when practically the whole Continent of Europe languishes under the heel of the Gestapo; to trial by jury when thousands in other lands are rushed to concentration camps or firing squads by courts which make a mockery of justice.

These things are part of us and our mode of life. They will endure only so long as we continue to believe in them and possess the will to defend them.

The decision which our Government asks of us far from ends the bound of political faith or party allegiance , because the Government of Canada is your Government and mine alike.

I would ask the people of this loyal constituency of Dufferin-Simcoe to vote "Yes" on the Plebiscite and do everything in their power between now and April 27th to assure its passage with an unmistakable majority.

Yours faithfully,
W. Earl Rowe

Kneeshaw, John Stetheam

  • CA BWGPL PH14740

Municipality :
Community : Coulson's Hill
Lot :
Concession :
Description :

Letter from the Dominion Census Taker

  • CA BWGPL PH14257

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Letter from the Dominion Census Taker for Bradford, Mr. J.S. Cordingley, detailing the size of the population and the problems he encountered in carrying out his duties.

Letter to The Witness From Mr. G. Harrison

  • CA BWGPL PH12740

Municipality :
Community : Other - Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Describes a letter written by Mr. George Harrison of Port Hope about his time in Bradford.

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