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"The annual meeting of the Public Library was held in the Council Chamber on Friday evening. The attendance was small, as usual. The Treasurer, Mr. Jas. Driffill, presented his report, which showed that the receipts for the year were $354, and the expenditure $310.17, leaving a balance on hand of $44.37. ..."

New catalogue in 1899 for the Library

New acquisitions for the Library catalogue in 1900.

New acquisitions for the Library catalogue in September 1900.

Plaque was hung in the Library Café at 425 Holland Street West in February, 2017. It accompanies the old Bradford Railway Sign hanging in the Café.

Plaque reads:
The railway station in Bradford has a long history serving the leisure travel, commuting and freight needs of our community. Bradford’s economy has always been strongly tied to railway access to Toronto; historically supporting booming livestock industry and facilitating other exports. Wagon loads of wheat were at times lined up back to Bond Head waiting to load their wheat onto rail cars. More
recently it serves as a commuter link with Union Station.

The present station was built around 1900 by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) in response to strong economic growth tied to industry.

The current station was acquired by GO Transit in December 1998, and over the next number of years undertook extensive renovations to help adapt it to its role as a vital commuter link along the Barrie to Union Station Line. The most significant renovations took place in 2006-2007 with the pouring of a new concrete foundation and the removal of parts of a previous
renovation from the 1950s.

Designed by Peter Wilson

"Bradford United Church celebrated its 168th anniversary on Sunday, September 15th. The pews were filled for the special service, which included guest speaker, Rev. Dr. William Fritz and the music ministry of Mark Holmes. Dr. fritz was the pastor of Collier St. United Church in Barrie for 20 years, president of the Toronto Conference, and most recently, Associate Pastor at St. Paul United Methodist church in Largo, Florida.
The United Church holds its annual Auction Sale on Saturday, Oct. 19th, 7:30 p.m. at the Church. Donations of goods and services are welcomed."

Ad for the new Library on Holland Street West

An article about the ground breaking for the new Library and Leisure Centres to be built on Holland Street W.

"The site of the new Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre and Public Library/Cultural Centre was off-limits, as the contractor's crews continued to move earth, in preparation for the start of construction - so the official groundbreaking ceremony took place across the road, at the Canadian Tire Store, and in front of the fencing on Holland St. West..."

Article featuring Ernst Heinrichs, engineer, and his proposal to the town council on the Holland River bridge's replacement needs. At the time, the bridge was 34 years old and had shifted two feet from its original position.

The annual Meeting of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association will be held in the Compton Room of the Bradford Public Library on Saturday, December 8th, 1:30 p.m. The BWG Local History Association was formed 17 years ago, in the spring of 1990, and has retrieved and documented many of the details of the history of this area, supported the Local History Room in the Library, and recently, published the 2-volume book, "Governor Simcoe Slept Here." The Association is now taking on new responsibility as the umbrella organization for other history-related groups in the community - The Gwillim Group, which has brought the statue of Elizabeth Gwillim Simcoe to Bradford; the Scotch Settlement Historical Association; and the WEGWHIST Group. The arrangement will provide an affiliation with the Ontario Historical Association that will open the door for sponsorship and fundraising in support of the Town's historical features. The Association has been involved in book writing, editing and sales for the past 4 years; now that Governor Simcoe Slept Here has been completed, the focus is returning to researching and recording local history, and there are opportunities for residents to get involved. Are you interested in history? Do you have time to research on line, index and file, or set up and explore your own special local history project? Come to the meeting to discuss the opportunities.