"This year the West Gwillimbury chapter of the Imperial Order - Daughters of the Empire is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Last Saturday at the Bradford Community Centre several hundred people enjoyed the Red, White and Blue Ball. Several graduates of BDHS have furthered their education in nursing, hairdressing and community college with monetary aid from the IODE. In addition to its own activities the chapter cooperates with many local organizations in promoting and supporting many deserving projects around the area."
This folder contains photographs of various historic buildings in Bradford and accompanying descriptions on each. The photographs are found in the Bill & Erica Marks Archive Room and were originally compiled by George Jackson and Joe Saint. The text accompanying each photograph was researched and written in 2015-2017 by Janice Hopkins, a long-time library volunteer. She utilized many library resources in her research which are noted at the bottom of each description. See below for information on each reference.
"Kenneth Seim of Toronto, a former resident of Bradford, submitted this week's photograph. It shows the 35-piece Canadian Army Service Crops Brass Band performing in Bradford during "Three Gala Days" sponsored by the Royal Canadian Legion, Sunday, July 31, 1962, Mr. Seim thinks the band came from Camp Borden. "This used to be quite an occasion. We all used to look forward to it," says Mr. Seim."
"Remember when milk used to be delivered this way? Herbert Fraser used to do the rounds for the entire town of Bradford back in the 1940s and 50s until about 1956. His daughter, Mrs. Doris Church, who submitted these photos, recalls that her father would get up at 2 a.m. to feed the horse and load the wagon. The dairy in town at that time, Cousins (south of the Royal Bank, now Ingoglia's), provided all the dairy products for Bradford. In winter, before the town plowed any of the roads, the sleigh would be pressed into service, Mrs. Church said. Mrs. Carol Lund, Mrs. Church's daughter, is the little girl in the photo."
"The four gentlemen in the photo, taken around 1900, were members of the Orange Lodge. Orangemen were a powerful political force in Ontario around that time, but their influence has dropped off considerably since then. The man at the top right is Edgar Evans of Bradford, the man at the bottom right is Robert Wood of Coulsons. The two other men are unidentified, but the one seated left is from Fennell's Corners."
"More than 180 persons were on hand at the Bradford Community Centre Friday night to honor 'Uncle Joe' Magani on his retirement from 20 years in Bradford politics, the last 16 of those as mayor. Reeve Ken Wood was chairman for the evening, and he opened the meeting by introducing head table guests, and then handed the microphone over to Charlie Evans, former reeve, county warden, and town solicitor for Bradford. Chairman Ken Wood then called on Bradford Fire Chief Harold "Butch" Boyd to make another presentation. The gift from the firefighters was a gold-plated fire helmet naming Mr. Magani as honorary chief of the Bradford Fire Department."
"Norm Barron, owner of Barron's Dominion Hardware, has retired after 32 years in the hardware business. The store was founded by Norm's father Harry Barron in 1932 in a location now occupied by John Gaus Interiors and N.S. Smith Real Estate. The elder Mr. Barron, a native of Brampton, had been a foreman at the Peace Foundry before making a move to Bradford and starting in the hardware business. Norm helped his father part-time in the store until the Second World War broke out and he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was stationed in the western provinces during the war and taught aerial photography, and while out west met and married his wife Carol.After the war, Norm returned to Bradford and entered into full partnership with his father."
"After 31 years of teaching about 1,000 pupils at Bradford public school, Barbara Stewart is retiring at the end of this school year. It's a thought that brings a mixture of emotions for her. On one hand is the anticipation of doing the things she has been dreaming of for years: travelling extensively in winter and relaxing at her cottage in Minden in summer. On the other hand: "I'm going to miss the children," she admits, 'And the staff too. I have many good friends here. I retired as the organist last June. I guess you could say I'm tearing up all my roots...no, routines. I'm tearing up all my old routines.'Although she is leaving Bradford for good at the end of this school year, Miss Stewart has reassured her friends that she will be coming back often to visit."
