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An onion topper, the first step in harvest mechanization on the marsh.

Drying Onions.

Mechanized harvesting of onions using tractors and pallet boxes.

"A 19-year-old Downsview man, Robert O'Brien, was the second driver to end up in the canal in the past four weeks. Mr. O'Brien lost control of his car on Friday night after freezing rain covered area roads with slick ice. O'Brien was not hurt in the mishap."

Article detailed the opening of the bridge near the Holland Marsh pumphouse which "serves a considerable portion of the Holland Marsh, [and] replaces the old wooden structure which was in a bad state of repair". Officials for Simcoe and York Counties, and King Township attended.

"After several years of hard work by many people in the Holland Marsh, the senior citizens building in Ansnorveldt was officially opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday. King Township Mayor Margaret Britnell, after complimenting the people of the marsh for their efforts, cut the ribbon to open the club. Secretary of the club, John Van Dyke said the need for a community centre had been growing for several years. In the summer of 1972, Mr. Van Dyke said, a group of marsh citizens decided to organize a senior club. For a while the members used a church hall for meetings but it became apparent this would only serve as a temporary measure, and plans for a building were started. A building fund raised $8,000 in the tiny community and by the fall of 1976 the shell of the building had been erected. More fund-raising efforts through the winter brought the total donations up to $17,000, and grants from Wintario and the federal New Horizons programs added $26,700. Mr. Van Dyke thanked York MPP Bill Hodgson for his efforts, and York-Simcoe MP Sinclair Stevens for helping the club get registered as a non-profit organization."

"About 50 Holland Marsh farmers are suing the Townships of West Gwillimbury and King, claiming damage to crops in August because of flooding. The farmers served notice of their intentions through their lawyers last month, saying the two municipalities neglected to clean the Schomberg River, and that the pumps at a pumping station didn't work during the heavy rain of August 16. The petition signed by the farmers was sent to the councils by their lawyer Norman Borins of Toronto. It states that because of the failure of the pumphouse much of the land near or level with the river was covered with water. King Mayor Margaret Britnell said the township has no obligation to the farmers because the cleaning of the canal and pumping operations are under the jurisdiction of the Holland Marsh Drainage Commission. Council agreed to receive the letter and send it on to the commission. West Gwillimbury council has referred the matter to the township's insurance company, Frank Cowan Company Limited."

Article from the King Connection on King township's portion of the Holland Marsh, which West Gwillimbury traded for a train bridge into the town of Bradford in 1852.

Photograph of John Stam and Gertie (de Haan) Stam. John was born on July 20, 1907 in the Netherlands and died February 21, 1986. Gertie was born on April 17, 1915 in the Netherlands and died April 13, 2003. They married May 4, 1935 in the Netherlands, immigrating to Canada in 1953 and then moving to the Holland Marsh area in 1954. John's occupations included river barge operator and contractor and Gertie's was as a RNA in a Bradford nursing home. The couple had 11 children.

Mrs. Katarina Spek made the front cover of one of the Toronto newspapers after Hurricane Hazel struck. The caption reads: "Work of saving what they can from desolation of what was one of Canada's richest market gardening areas continues. Mrs. Rudolf Spek, mother of three children, including a son in the Canadian Army in Korea, has salvaged a bag of onions."