Municipality : Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury Lot : Concession : Description : Attention, writers! Do you love to write! Enjoy history? Have some free time? Then the WEGWHIST History of West Gwillimbury Project would love to hear from you. WEGWHIST has been collecting the stories of those who have settled or moved to the former Township of West Gwillimbury. Family stories, genealogies, farming records, old photos have been and are being collected by the team of volunteers - but someone who is skilled in the writer's craft is needed to help put it all together, in a readable form for publication.
Municipality : Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury Lot : Concession : Description : "A mere ditch swarming with bullfrogs and water snakes," John Galt of the Canada Company wrote when he first glimpsed the Holland Marsh in 1825. Today, this mere ditch consists of some 7,000 acres of fertile marshlands, the breadbasket of Ontario. It wasn't an easy transition. In 1924, on petition of over two-thirds of the landowners in West Gwillimbury, the township council passed a bylaw approving the scheme of draining the marsh. The village of Bradford passed a similar bylaw, but the Township of King refused and appealed against the proposal. The Provincial Drainage Referee found the project sound under the Municipal Drainage Act of 1910 and King was forced to co-operate and assess its landowners for the purpose. There was no need to force King to co-operate with Bradford West Gwillimbury on April 22, 1993, when the first major improvement to the marsh was officially opened - Bradford Pumping Station 2 on Pumphouse Road. Six years in planning and obtaining the necessary approvals, Janse has shepherded the project through every stage. Total cost of the project is $1,014,426.50 and it has an estimated 50 year life span. The 7,000-acre marshlands serviced by Bradford Pumping Station 2, is only a small part of the Holland Marsh, which in its entirety comprises about 20,000 acres.
Municipality : Orillia Community : Other - Bradford Lot : Concession : Description : Orillia News-Letter - Lewis Campbell of Bradford, son of Mr. W. L. Campbell and nephew of Dr. Lacrosse player of former years, showed his prowess as a sprinter at the Boys' Camp of the Ontario Athletic Association on Lake Couchiching. His uncle, Dr. Lew Campbell, was an outstanding sprinter in his younger days, and young Lew is evidently following in his footsteps. Lewis won the 100 yard and 220 yard dashes quite handily, besides taking second place in the shot-put, an event in which he had never before competed.
Municipality : Community : Bond Head Lot : Concession : Description : Kate Aiken, on her "Good Luck" program talked about Bond Head and by-gone days of this district. "Bond Head is situated at the four corners where Highway 88 connects with Highway 27. It was founded in the early part of the last century and named after Sir Francis Bond Head who was the first Governor of Upper Canada. Many famous men have came from Bond Head such as Sir William Osler, Sir William Mulock, Sir Frederick Banting and Earl Rowe.
Municipality : Community : Bradford Lot : Concession : Description : We, the Downtown Revitalization Committee, wish to express our thanks to all those families who have agreed to sponsor the millennium clock. The response, in only the first three days, has been overwhelming. Family names, engraved on this millennium marker, will ensure a place in the history of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Thank you to our corporate sponsors: Vins Plastics, Gary Ross Memorial Fund, Ventera and Holy Trinity High School. Since space is limited, we encourage you to contact Bradford Print Shoppe, Royal Bank, or The Village Inn to secure your name on the millennium marker. The cost is $250 for 30 letters.
Municipality : Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury Lot : Concession : Description : Starting, today, all who live or work in the 905 area should add the area code to the 7-digit number when making local phone calls. Calls made without the code may be interrupted by a recorded announcement before the call will be connected. The announcement will disrupt local data calls (i.e. fax, modem, call forwarding, Internet dial-up, etc.) made with only 7 digits. It is important that everyone in the 905 area program their equipment to accommodate 10 digits immediately. Local 10 digit dialing becomes mandatory for all calls on June 9th, when the new 289 area code will be added to the "905" region. The area code is not required for 911, 411 or 611 calls.
Municipality : Community : Bradford Lot : Concession : Description : "Well, many of us oldtimers actually still call it a township although it's really a town," shrugged Wallace, past-president of Innisfil's historical society. He and Warrington, the current president, have come together to talk about the past of a community that is 150 years old this year. In the 1700s, the western border of Quebec ran right near the current town of Innisfil. Back to the Seven Year's War and a time when England and France were fighting it out for a continent, from Louisbourg to the Plains of Abraham. The names of descendants and the cemeteries that dot the area, stones of white standing out against patchworks of green. Places like Cherry Creek, Allandale and Belle Ewart have risen and fallen in importance. Wallace said, "I think today Innisfil doesn't have anything big enough to call a town - really they're not much more than villages.
Municipality : Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury Lot : Concession : Description : WEGWHIST, the West Gwillimbury History Project, is nearing completion, but there are still some families to be tracked down. The Project is looking for descendants or relatives of the following pioneering families: Holmes, McArthur, Bannerman, Fisher, McKeeman, Jeffs, Armson, Boddy, Whiteside, Draper, Kidd and Rogers. Are these your family names? Do you know the history of your family in West Gwillimbury? Can you help fill in the gaps?
Municipality : Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury Lot : Concession : Description : The WEGWHIST (West Gwillimbury History Project) team is happy to report that significant progress is being made, in the writing of the History of West Gwillimbury Town-ship. During recent after-noon sessions at the Bradford Public Library, the team collected family photo heirlooms to include in the book. The response has been overwhelming. The photos, and the unique stories that seem to accompany them, have provided a new source of information that has been truly inspiring.
Municipality : Community : West Gwillimbury Lot : Concession : Description : Dr. Ronald Stagg will be the guest speaker at the Historical Society meeting. The topic of the week is 1837 revisited.
