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"Holland Marsh residents and everyone living in this district will always remember "Hurrican [sic] Hazel" and the worst storm in Ontario's history, a storm which inundated the rich Holland Marsh gardens, ruining all crops yet to be harvested, sweeping buildings away in the water currents, and submerging some of the most beautiful homes of the district under feet of dirty water. ..."

Thousands of people jammed Holland Street last July for the annual Salad Festival parade. Blessed with warm weather and sunny skies, the festival drew record crowds.

This photo appeared with a group of others in The Witness entitled "Bradford's year in photos."

Pretty 18-year-old Annette Grencer was chosen Salad Queen for the Festival. A student at Bradford District High School and the daughter of a marsh farmer, Annette was chosen over five other contestants. This photo appeared with a group of others in The Witness entitled "Bradford's year in photos."

"MPP Art Evans presented Sid Gapp with a portrait of the queen to be hung in the Gay Sixties senior citizens' rooms at the old St. Mary's school. Municipal officials from West Gwillimbury and Bradford, and representatives of provincial and county senior citizens organizations, were on hand Sunday when the Gay Sixties held their official ribbon cutting ceremony."

The following set of photographs were taken from the Bradford Witness August 21, 1957 edition, highlighting the Bradford Centennial parade and celebrations.
The second prize float of the Centennial Parade was Stroud's Women's Institute float.

Article about the confusion of naming the Holland River Schomberg River - and which branch of the river is named properly.

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.

"Sunday, June 10th marked the Centenary of Trinity Church, Bradford. Two services were held with congregations far exceeding the seating capacity of the church. The rector, Rev. H.G. Blake, conducted the services." ...

"A cyclone, accompanied by torrential rain and some hail, wrought heavy damage on a comparatively small acreage of the Holland Marsh gardens late last Thursday afternoon. The storm struck in the Springdale area and while crops in general in that area took a terrific beating, about three or four growers, directly in the path of the about half-mile wide storm, suffered the heaviest loss." ...

Invitation published in the Bradford Witness on the Auld Kirk Cemetery plaque unveiling. It would take place the following Sunday, August 24th, 1958 at 2:30pm. See Related Description links for a brief history of the Auld Kirk and the Scotch Settlement.