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History Group is Established

An historical society for the Scotch Settlement was established last week at Fred C. Cook Senior Public School.

Mrs. Eleanor Reid, of Lefroy, a descendant of one of the Scotch settlers, was named the president of the group, and Dave Sheppard, was named secretary.

The group will gather historical data pertaining to the history of the settlers, from their tragic exile from Scotland to their settlement on the lands in this area.

The most important priority for the group now is to collect all of the information concerning the Scotch Settlement that they can.

Mr. Sheppard said it was crucial that the information was gathered soon, because much of it is in the minds of elderly people in the community, and if they fail to pass it on, it could be lost forever.

Mrs. Reid said she was "really quite pleased with the turnout last week and the interest and enthusiasm shown."

She said the Scotch Settlement was one of Ontario's most important historical sites, and the story of the hardships of the settlers is not only historically interesting, but also romantic.

Many descendants of the settlers still live in the area, and former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker also traces his family back to the Scotch settlers.

The historical society is appealing to anyone who has information, photos or other memorabilia, to contact Mrs. Reid at Box 148, Lefroy.

The next meeting of the society will be held in the Scotch Settlement church June 10.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : A Look At Bradford Over 100 Years Ago

Dear Sir:
This is a copy of a letter written during the 1860's by my grandfather, Philip Crowder, at Manchester, England to the Herald. I received a copy from an uncle, Albert Crowder, now at Bangor, Maine.

I thought it might be of interest to you.
Sincerely yours,

Philip. A. Crowder
Star Route
Deerwood, Minnesota

A Look Into History

Mr. Editor
Dear sir:

Wishing to try my hand at writing a small article for the Working People's Supplement to the Herald I thought I would write from memory, some account of the first village I settled in and of the life in the Inhabitants lead.

I emigrated to Canada nine years ago with my wife and two little ones, the oldest child not quite two years old, and arrived in the City of Churches, as it is by some called, but better know as Toronto; where I found to my surpirse, tram cars running on several of the main streets. I soon got work at my trade but it being slack time of the year for it and I being unaccustomed to their way of working, I earned but little money and so left the shop to work on a sewer which was being made in Yonge Street, where I worked 'til it was finished. I applied for work at their mill at Bradford, only forty miles "up the Northern Track", so I went home and got my dinner and a change of clothes and started at quarter to three from the "Northern Depot" for Bradford where I arrived just after six.

It was on this journey that I saw a little of what the country in Canada looks like. I had only been through old settled country before, with here and there a bit of "bush" left for firewood; but now I passed through some new cleared land with the fields full of stumps and log huts here and there, and through the Holland River swamp, (which is now cleared up), and then thought I had some idea of the back woods; how soon we think we have learned soemthing. Arrived at Bradford Depot, (station), I enquired my road to the mill, where I luckily found the clerk, who was busy that night, and he gave me an order for admission to the boarding house, where I had supper and was then shown my bed, there being three double beds in that room.

At the front of the house I found my fellow boarders, and part of my future mates, collected, some seated on benches, some playing quoits, some leaning against a fence dividing the yard from the railway; (the house being in the lumber yard, one line of lumber piles being within ten yards of the back of the house), and all indulging in rough jests. A good number of them, like myself emigrants - English, Irish, Scotch, with three of these I struck up aquaintance. One was a pit sawer from Banbury, another a Cornish youth, and the last a carpenter from Brighton. As dark came on we went to bed as our inclination led us. As half pat five we were called by a bell for breakfast, which consisted of the remains of salt pork boiled the day before for dinner, served with bread, fried potatoes followed by bread and butter and that by fat cakes and molasses with tea to drink. At five minutes to six the first whistle blew when all hands started for the mill to be in their places when the whistle blew at six. I was put at first in a gang of six or eight who were making a ditch to go between the river and cistern intended to suppply the boilers of a new mill they were building at a distance of about a furlong from the old one, the road and railroad lying between them. At half past eleven the whistle blew for dinner when I saw most of the hands that lived at the boarding house running as fast as they could for that most desirable place. I thought them a very greedy set of fellows until I arrived at the back of the house where I saw some of the last ones rubbing themelves with the towels and the row of unemployed wash-bowls ready for myself and the few elderly men that was (sic) staying there and so this tremendous rush was only to get the bowls with clean water ready in them without the trouble of pumping it. By the time I was ready the bell rang for dinner when all walked quietly into the dining room and took his place.

Dinner consisted of salt pork boiled with potatoes and some kind of garden vegetable when in season, followed by pies such as apple, pumpkin, and citeron (sic) and finish up with fat cakes and molasses and finished with a cup of tea. At half past twelve the whistle blew for work and at six to "quit", when we got our supper which consisted of bread and butter and preserved fruit and hot cakes and molasses. On Sundays we had a joint of fresh meat roasted, or rather baked, in the oven of the cook stove and sometimes someone or other of the luxuries usual in the homes of even the labourers of the county. It was here I saw green corn eat (sic) for the first time. I was highly amused at the sight but would not be tempted to try it. Perhaps some of my readers have seen a "cob" of corn or Indain corn in some corn dealers window. Well these are fathered when the grain is full not but begun to ripen, and boiled for twenty minutes, and served on the table, the diner takes hold of the stalk end with his fingers of one hand and spreads butter on the cob with a knife held in the other, he then takes hold of the other end of the cob instead of the knife and bites off the grain much the same as you may have seen some one pick a bone. It well repays you for any loss of dignity you may have sustaiend from the awkward looking position, at least I thought so the following summer when I was persuaded at the house of a friend to try just one cob and tried another without any persuading and so thought the Irishman who having arrived on Toronto in September thought he saw peas being eaten in a new way. After having devoured his corn asked the waiter to "Please to put some more pays on this stick."

After a few days I was fetched to work at the mill where there was about seventy men and boys working in about it. It is situated on one side of the Holland River in which the logs lie as they have been brought up the river by small steam tugs from Lake Simcoe. it is a large wooden building two stories high...

Municipality :
Community : Beeton
Lot :
Concession :
Description : David A. Jones Made "Beetown" Famous

David Allanson Jones is credited as the founder of Beeton. He was the first commercial bee man in North America and made the community famous for its honey.

Honey bees were not native to North America and were brought in by the first settlers. Jones capitalized on the delicacy and won prizes and awards for his honey in fairs all over the world.

In 1874, Clarkville was renamed Beetown in recognition of Mr. Jones' work. The name has since become Beeton but the signs at the entrances to the village still use the beehive symbol in memory of Jones, who died in 1910.

Simcoe Centre MPP D. Arthur Evans was born in Beeton.

Probably the most famous person to call Beeton her home was Canadian radio star, Kate Aitken, who passed away last year. Mrs. Aitken remembered her childhood so fondly she often commented about Beeton in her radio shows. The history of the community is set down in her book, "Never A Day Too Bright."

Mrs. Aitken organized the first Women's Institute in Beeton in 1920 and was its first president. Mrs. Gordon Drury, curator of the Institute's Tweedsmuir History Book, said the first meeting was held in a building on the northwest corner of Main and Centry Sts. Each of the ladies donated a cup and saucer and at the second meeting, each donated a chair. To keep the place warm and cozy through the winter months, another lady donated a cord of firewood.

The Institute celebrated its 50th anniversary in October, 1970. One hundred seventy-four ladies have belonged to the organization since it began.

Each of the three churches in town has its wealth of history in the forming of the community.

Trinity Anglican Church was built in 1878 with the cornerstone laid by John MacDonald, M.P. There was probably another church on Main St. before fire destroyed the west half of the main block of stores (Jones' block) on the north side.

Mrs. Jack Camplin recalls the church was always filled for two services each Sunday, and the holders of rented pews had to be in their seats ten minutes before the service otherwise others were allowed to use the seats.

Rev. J. Cross has been the pastor at the church for the past five years.

St. Paul's Anglican Church was built in 1879 for $4,500 on land donated by the Hammell family. The opening service was preached by Bishop Sweetman on Feb. 10, 1880 and consecrated on Dec. 14, 1906 after becoming debt-free. The church seats 200 people and has a congregation of 100 families.

Church records indicate a congregation existed as early as 1867. Rev. William Davis has been the minister for the past five years.

Rev. Basil Das of Tottenham is the minister of the Presbyterian Church which was completed in 1890 and debt-free at its opening. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1941.

The original church, Second United Presbyterian Congregation of Tecumseth was started in 1859 and located on the south side of Main St.

The Beeton Telephone Co. is now part of the history of the community. In 1958 the company was sold to Bell Telephone when the dial system became widely used. Dr. McKelvey, the last president, said the company was formed in 1906 and owned the territory surrounding Bradford, Cookstown, Alliston, Rosemont and Tottenham.

Beeton was the first community in Ontario to have a covered ice rink. The old town hall was condemned and subsequently sold in 1947 for $5,500 and the money used to build the rink.

Dr. McKelvey, who was reeve at the time, said the arena didn't cost the ratepayers a nickel. The entire cost was raised through donations and social events.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : A Medical Missionary's Life in the Congo

Editor's note:

Dr. Jim Evans is the son of Bradford lawyer C.T.S. Evans and is currently serving with the United Church of Canada's Institute Medical Evangelique in the Republic of the Congo.

Jim and his wife will be writing to The Witness periodically on his experiences in the Congo.

Dear Friends,
We are somewhat uncertain as to how we should formulate our first circular letter as a married couple. Since many of you know only one of us, we feel that some sort of introduction is called for. Thumbnail biographical sketches will be unnecessary for some of you and inadequate for many of you. But they seem to be our only alternative for this kind of letter so we hope that you will understand.

Jim's home is Bradford, Ontario where he lived until he entered the University of Toronto. There he gained his medical degree and completed a year's internship. He then went to British Columbia to work in a home mission hospital of the United Church of Canada. After two years there he had a marked change of scene by going to Congo for four months. Upon his return he "dabbled" in theology for a year and then took a year's surgical residency in Vancouver. It was during the later experience that he decided to return to Congo. Thus, as an appointed missionary of the United Church of Canada, he took a tropical medicine course in Belgium and arrived in Congo in 1965. Three and a half years in Africa were not only quite interesting, but provided Jim with an opportunity to assess the needs. During an extended furlough he took various refresher courses and completed a Master of Public Health program at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. This new experience and knowledge should be helpful as he now oversees the Public Health program here at I.M.E. (Institute Medical Evangelique).

The ship docked in Baltimore on July 29 and it was exactly one month later that we were married. The first week back was spent with Jim's family in Canada and at the end of that time Jim's brother, Bob, was married -- two family weddings in one summer! Then Patty began a very busy but happy three weeks at home in California seeing family and friends after a year's absence and finishing up wedding plans.

Short Honeymoon

Our wedding was as meaningful and happy an occasion as we could have hoped for. All of our family and friends who were able to share this experience with us made it all the more special. For those who could not come, we wish we could tell about it in detail but there just is not enough space.

After a "mini honeymoon" of two days, we returned to pack our possessions and make arrangements necessary to enable us to leave a week and two days later! It was a hectic time but somehow everything was accomplished and we left Covina September 10, spent a day and half in Seattle seeing many of Patty's friends and family there, another day and a half in Toronto and Bradford, and on September 14, left for a two week honeymoon in Scandinavia.

What a wonderful two weeks that was! We spent the longest time in Norway where the scenery was spectacular. We traveled by plane, steamer, and train, thus getting a variety of views of many areas. We stopped in Stockholm for a couple of days and ended our Scandinavian visit in Copenhagen which is, indeed, the charming city it is reputed to be. This stay in Denmark included a trip to the Hans Christian Anderson country which was one of the highlights of our two weeks. September 29 we began the trip to Congo which included a planned layover in Brussels of eight hours and an unplanned layover in Geneva of six hours due to technical problems and the strict security measures. Were we ever happy to arrive in Kinshasa! We were happier still to arrive at I.M.E. which is now our home! After our many travels over the last year we were eager to settle into one place.

Like Home

We have been here six weeks now and, indeed, it does seem like home. Jim is very busy in the public health program for even as current programs continue, the public health team is evaluating the direction in which it is moving and potential opportunities for contributing further to the rural health program of this region, as well as public health interests here on the I.M.E. grounds, Jim is teaching two courses in the school of nursing in addition to taking his share of night calls for the hospital.

Parry has been quite busy as she supervised the painting of the interior of the house after our arrival and is presently doing those final touches to make it look like home. She is discovering the challenges of keeping house and cooking where there is no hot water (although now there is running water all day since the rains started), where there is the constant battle with the bugs, where all water must be boiled before drinking, where doing the laundry is not just pushing buttons on a washer and dryer, etc. One could go on forever -- but the important point is that such aspects of life do not continue to seem as inconveniences but rather become those things one just does in daily living. Patty is also making some progress in her Kikongo study as she attends class two times a week and tries to keep to regular study hours. Her best opportunities to hear it spoken so far have been on road trips when she has accompanied Jim. One trip was to a village with the public health team to carry on clinics, another to a village where T.B. patients were being followed up, and the third to a community health centre which was originally sponsored by I.M.E. and is now becoming independent. These have been fascinating trips as they have been opportunities to see some village life, to meet village people, and to understand better the physical, social and spiritual needs of the Congolese.

Hope

These are happy days for us as we are beginning our marriage, establishing our home, making and renewing many friendships, and joining in the effort to provide better health care. It is with the hope of helping to meet the many needs of these people that we have come; and we trust that our efforts, your prayers and God's participation turn our hope to reality, through our lives Christ himself will become a reality to those we encounter.

Especially, now as Christmas approaches, we are thankful for God's Gift of his Son and we want to take the opportunity of this season to share with each of you our wish that yours will be a most blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Sincerely, Dr. Jim and Patty Evans

Patty Evans

Patty (nee Parks) spent her pre-college years in various California cities where her father has pastored American Baptist churches. She began her college days at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, and after two years there, transferred to Standford University to complete the work for her nursing degree. Following a year's work in Covina, California (where her family now lives), Patty entered a Master's program at the University of Washington. She changed the role of student to that of faculty member at the end of a year and taught in a coronary care program at the University. In August, 1969 she began the challenging and exciting experience of sailing on the hospital shop the S.S. HOPE as it made its 8th voyage -- this time to Tunisia. It was a full and busy year as she worked in the Intensive Care Unit and had an opportunity to learn about the language and culture of the patients and the Tunisian counterpart nurses. It turned out to be a year not only for new nursing experiences but also for travel as well throughout Tunisia and to parts of Europe. One of these times was to meet Jim in London for two weeks at Christmas which was, of course, a most happy holiday. The year in Tunisia ended on a delightful note, for Jim, on completion of his program at Johns Hopkins, was able to go to Tunisia to work with the HOPE public health team for the last five weeks and then sail home with all the other "Hopies".

Description : Early Days of the Marsh

Today, one of the richest and most widely known Garden Tracts in Ontario is the Bradford or the Holland Marsh. In the vegetable stores across Canada and in parts of the United States you will see potatoes, celery, lettuce, onions, and carrots, etc., bearing the label "Bradford Marsh" or simply "Marsh" as a sign of quality. But, the Bradford Marsh was not always a gardener's paradise. Unbelieveable as it may now seem, it was once nothing but an impassable marsh of Tamarack swamp, covering thousands of acres.

Beginning about Schomberg and flowing, or moving in a very sluggish manner in a northeasterly direction towards Lake Simcoe is the stream known as the Holland River, so named after a Major S. Holland, Surveyor General of Canada, who in 1971 visited the river in making a general survey of the Lake Simcoe region. This is the main river and it is joined by an eastern or Holland Landing tributary at a place called Soldier's Landing or Soldier's Bay about seven miles from the mouth. At one time, navigation to Lake Simcoe points from Soldier's Landing consisted of small craft. In 1850, when boats were larger and the western or main branch of the river was found to be much easier to navigate, having deeper water and broader streams and not so choked with marsh as the eastern branch, the steamer "Beaver" went on to the Bradford Holland River Bridge.

In 1819, the first settlers in South Simcoe, the Wallaces, the Armstrongs and the Algeos, crossed the river with great difficulty and landed at what is now known as the old wharf in the Scotch Settlement. Here for some years was the only river crossing and that was by a ferry pulled by ropes.

But by this time, the settlement at Bradford had become an accomplished fact and the question of some method of crossing the marsh and so as to give easier access to the Holland Landing had arisen. Petitions were sent to county councils and to the Government and finally under the constant urging of William Armson, Reeve of West Gwillimbury and Warden of the County, money grants were given and a road was made from Bradford to the river by laying logs across a width of marsh and filling in with earth. This was the corduroy road, the logs of which were still visible many years afterwards. Then to cross the river a floating bridge was laid down and a through direct road from Bradford to the Landing was completed and the Marsh was at least partly conquered. The ferry at the old wharf was discontinued.

In 1837 George Lount, Government Surveyor, surveyed as a townsite, the spot on the south side of the river just beyond the floating bridge, known as Amsterdam and the streets were laid out bearing such good Holland names as DeRuyder, DeWitt, VanDyke, Rubens, etc., but the townsite remained as only a townsite and no town arose, so in 1869 a lumberman named Thompson Smith acquired the patent of the unused site and built two sawmills, one on each side of the road just beyond the bridge. And the marsh was still largely unconquered. Rafts of logs were brought up the river by the tugs Victoria and Isabella, and this helped to keep the river fairly clear of weeds. The wreck of the Isabella lay near the railway bridge not so many years ago and it now probably lying on the bottom of the river.

The superintendent of the sawmills was James Durham and in 1870, Mr. Durham cut the floating bridge in two in order to get his logs through and this caused a lot of trouble but led to the erection of a bridge above the water. This bridge was 420 feet long and was complete in April 1871, the builder being Thomas McKonkey of Gilford.

To the many men working in the mills the great marsh became a familiar sight and the thought entered someone's head, why not cut that marsh grass or hay, twist it into ropes and sell it, and so was born the marsh hay industry and some use at last was made of the great wasts of land. The hay was twisted into long ropes. Later, hay-balers were brought into use and the hay was baled instead of twisted into ropes.This marsh hay was used for stuffing mattresses. Marsh hay twisting and baling went on for years and might still be the only marsh industry had not a bright idea entered the head of one D. W. (Dane) Watson, an intelligent, energetic young farmer of the Scotch Settlement who, however, had come into Bradford and acquired a grocery business where the Village Inn now stands.

This bright idea was, why not dredge a canal and drain the marsh and so turn waste land into productive soil? Mr. Watson got Professor Day of Guelph Agricultural College, interested in his idea and so was laid the germ that has sprouted into the now famous Bradford Marsh Gardens.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : House Damaged by Early Morning Fire

Passerby and the Fire Brigade Control Blazes at Home of Mrs. Geo. Mapes

Fire which is thought to have started from a spark from a freshly lighted stove in the summer kitchen of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Geo Mapes, almost completely destroyed the summer kitchen (a frame extension to the main building), together with many kitchen utensils, grocery supplies, electric washing machine and other household articles, about 6.30 a.m. Friday.

Mr. Mapes had just kindled the fire in the summer kitchen and was in the adjoining room about five minutes later when he heard a sound beyond the door which he thought to be the family cat prowling about there. Upon opening the door leading to the summer kitchen, however, he was met by a sudden burst of flame which enveloped him and scorched his hair and whiskers.

Mr. Mapes rushed outdoors, shouting "Fire!" Mr. Harvey Aikens, his nearest neighbour, already up but not completely attired, heard the shout and at once made all haste to the fire hall, where he rang the fir alarm bell and then started the engine of the fire truck and got it on its way, picking up members of the fire brigade along the route.

In the meantime, Mr. Newman, proprietor of Bradford Dairy, who was passing on his delivery route when Mr. Mapes called, went to the latter's assistance. At this juncture a pail or two of water probably would have quenched the blaze, which appeared to be confined to a small space between the stove and wall of the summer kitchen. No pail was available, however, and the blaze made rapid headway during the very few minutes of delay. Mr. Newman then procured the garden hose, attached them and played water on the house until the arrival of the fire brigade, when the blaze was soon under control.

The summer kitchen was destroyed and all contents. The dining room was badly damaged with water and goods stored in the room above were destroyed. The repair work to be done will be considerable because as well as fire and water damage to the rear wing of the building the whole house was badly smoked. The loss is largely covered by insurance.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : BRADFORD - Former owner, publisher, and editor of The Bradford Witness, Ina McKenzie, died last Wednesday, July 8, after a lengthy illness.

She was 89.

Born Ina Galbraith in Paisley, Bruce County, Mrs. McKenzie's learned to be independent at an early age after the death of her father at age 29.

Her mother, a school teacher, struggled to raise her and younger sister Donalda.

"I went into teaching as well because there was nothing else a girl at that time could do, except become a nurse." Mrs. McKenzie remarked in an interview before her death.

TAUGHT

She taught for several years in the tough downtown Toronto core where her students included the famous Conacher brothers. "They were wonderful boys. Perhaps a bit mischievious thought." she recalled, laughing.

After marrying her childhood sweetheart, Stewart McKenzie (who died in 1975), she left teaching to move to Detroit with her husband.

"At that time - it wasin the 1920s - Detroit was a boom town. Everyone was playing the stock market and making a great deal of money - on paper at any rate. Stewart got a job on a financial publication called Saturday Night."

EXTENSIVE

Mr. McKenzie had an extensive background in the newspaper business. His father had owned the Paisley Advocate.

While in Detroit, the stock market crashed and Mr. McKenzie, because he was a Canadian citizen, was in danger of losing his job.

"I told Stewart, 'Let's look for a business now while you've still got a job.' so we went on vacation and looked at what appeared to be a very prosperous newspaper in Trenton." Mrs. McKenzie remembered.

However, being a very astute business woman, she noted that the paper printed a great deal of political material that would come to a halt if the government changed. They decided to look elsewhere.

Bradford was their next stop.

"When we arrived in Bradford, it was a beautiful day," she recalled. However the condition of the Bradford Witness was something else again.

"Stewart went in and told me 'The machinery is a disgrace,'" she remembered, but they loved the little town and decided to stay, contributing greatly to its prosperity and growth over the years.

In those first years of the Depression, Bradford was little more than a main street, the lower end shabby, the western portion relatively prosperous, she recalled.

"Everything was booming when we arrived in Bradford," Mrs. McKenzie noted. "But shortly after, many people were in dire poverty. It we would have collected what was on our books we could have retired, however people gave what they could.

During this time they relocated the paper's office from Holland St. to Barrie St. (where the European Bakery is currently located), remaining there until they retired in 1968, selling the paper to Gerry Barker.

Before deteriorating eyesight hampered her activities Mrs. McKenzie was extremely active in various organizations in Bradford.

During the Second World War, she headed the Bradford chapter of the Canadian Red Cross. She was a charter member of the West Gwillimbury chapter of IODE, and a past president of the Bradford Women's Institute. She also taught Sunday School at the Bradford United Church.

DRIVING FORCE

One of the driving forces behind fund-raising efforts for the Bradford
Community Centre, Mrs. McKenzie also lent her considerable energies and intelligence to the Hurricane Hazel flood relief program and various other community projects.

Ina McKenzie is survived by her sister Donalda Crosbie of Toronto, nephew Robert W. Crosbie, and good friend Ella Langford of Bradford. She was also a great aunt to Alexander, George and Cynthia.

Friends called at the Lathangue and Skwarchuck Funeral Home and a service, conducted by Rev. G. McFarlane, was held in the chapel on Friday, July 10.

She was buried next to her husband at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

Donations to the West Gwillimbury chapter of IODE would be appreciated.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : He Helps Plan Area Growth

Art Kneeshaw was appointed to the Bradford planning board in 1969, just when growth began to surge in town.

The appointment to the Bradford board was followed two years later by his being named to head the joint planning board with West Gwillimbury.

"The idea behind joint planning is to make Bradford and West Gwillimbury work together," Mr. Kneeshaw said recently in an interview.

The pressure on the town of Bradford to develop never lets up, he said.

"With gas prices so high, commuters to the north are suffering," he said. "People are moving closer to Toronto. Because we're not that far away, we're getting hit by that."

The Simcoe-Georgian Task Force has suggested that the population of the town of Bradford should grow to 12,000 by 1991.

"Even at the present rate it's going to be ahrd to hold it," Mr. Kneeshaw said. "Right now we have enough development approved to take us up to 7,800 people."

The official population for Bradford in 1975 was 4,566. "We're still in the process of going from 5,000 to 7,500," he said. "It's going to be busy for the next two or three years anyhow."

The main limit to growth right now is the delay in approval of the proposed sewage plant extension. Council asked the Ministry of Housing for approval 18 months ago.

"It appears we're getting in more industry than we should," Mr. Kneeshaw said. "The plan is set up for 75 percent residential and 25 percent industrial."

"This town can someday handle 20,000. We're very fortunate that we'll never have to annex for years."

When asked what has been the toughest problem he has faced while sitting on the planning board, Mr. Kneeshaw replied:

"The time element. A developer always feels there is a time delay from the time he makes application until he get approval to go ahead."

An area resident all his life, Mr. Kneeshaw is the Land Registrar and Master of Titles for the County of Simcoe.

He has worked for the county for 25 years.

He and his wife, Ruth, have two grown children, Brian and Faye.

Mr. Kneeshaw's numerous interested include curling, golf and the Bradford Lions Club.

Municipality :
Community : Barrie
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Art Evans is Honored
By John Slykhuis

BARRIE - They came to say thank you to Arthur Evans last Friday, almost 1,000 strong, including cabinet ministers, politicians from all parties, and a small portion of the thousands of friends he has made over the years.

They came to say thank you for the 17 years he held the Simcoe Centre riding for the Progressive Conservatives, and the 20-odd years before that he held political offices.

Almost a life-time of dedicated service to the people in his riding.

LIMOUSINE

Art Evans and his wife Audrey arrived by limousine at Barrie Raceway to the deafening cheers of the people gathered on a cold, snowy evening.

Among the podium guests were chairman for the evening George Taylor, who succeeded Mr. Evans as MPP, Lorne Richardson, minister without portfolio, James Taylor (energy), and John Rhodes (housing).

Each had personal reminiscences about Art and paid tribute to his dedication, common sense, and honesty.

Telegrams poured in, including one from Premier William Davis who wrote, "You are one of Simcoe County's finest citizens...the accolades are well-earned."

GOOD JUDGEMENT

James Taylor commented, "I came to respect the common sense and good judgement of a man who served you so well for so many years...I feel honored to have known you."

Political colleague and friend William Hodgson, MPP for York North, recalled the first time he and Art met, during the Hurricane Hazel disaster.

Art was reeve of Bradford at the time, and Mr. Hodgson deputy-reeve of King Township.

ORDER FROM CHAOS

He recalled that Art, organizer of the hurricane relief effort, almost single-handedly created order out of the chaos that Hazel wrought.

John Rhodes followed with a warm speech sprinkled with humourous anecdotes.

"I'm here to tell you the truth about Art Evans," Mr. Rhodes began, "It's fitting you held the ceremony here (at Barrie Raceway). Art's been going around in circles for years.

"Arthur was responsible for getting me elected and I've never forgiven him."

Mr. Rhodes paid a special tribute to Art Evans' wife Audrey for her unswerving devotion and support.

"For all the hours we put in, our wives put in just as many, " Mr. Rhodes said. "Arthur was successful because he had a good wife."

He concluded joking, "You've inflicted George Taylor on us, but we'll see what we can do."

Ken Tupling, Arthur Evans' campaign manager, presented a bouquet of roses to Audrey Evans and gave a summary of Mr. Evans' long and distinguished career.

He began his political career as a member of the Public Utilities Commission of Bradford, followed by terms as councillor, reeve, Simcoe County Warden, and as Bradford's first mayor in 1959.

In 1960, Mr. Evans gained the Simcoe Centre seat left vacant after the death of George Johnson, and held that seat until his retirement earlier this year.

TOUGHEST FIGHT

His toughest fight, Mr. Tupling recalled, was that first provincial election in which he defeated his Liberal opponent by a slim 600 votes.

During those hectic years, Art and Audrey raised four children, John, Donald, Robin, and Cathy.

Art and Audrey received several gifts along with the accolades last Friday.

They included a grandfather clock, framed campaign poster and cartoon, and a scrapbook spanning his career.

Mr. Evans, 62, now works as a loan consultant with the Municipal Savings and Loan Corporation in Barrie.

"I don't know how I lasted the 17 years," Mr. Evans concluded. "It's a tough racket; it really is."

Municipality :
Community : Holland Marsh
Lot :
Concession :
Description : 1976 Was a Year Most Vegetable Growers Would Like to Forget
By Matthew Valk

The end of the year is a time when most of us look back on what we have accomplished and look forward to better things to come. 1976 was a year that many growers would like to forget.

The first few months were a struggle to sell a large crop of carrots which never brought more than $1 per bushel; in many cases, it was far less.

A large volume was fed to cattle. There were some hopes that the stabilization board would help to reduce the large financial losses, which most growers were facing. However, after several months of negotiations, Ottawa came across with a measly $2.25 per ton which would not pay for the seed.

The 1976 growing season was also less than desirable. Apart from a warm month of April, the early spring was cold and wet. June was more like what we were looking for, warm and dry, but the months that followed produced cool temperatures and lots of rain.

Diseases were more prevalent than usual, particularly "blast" in onions. Harvesting weather was deplorable; rain and cloudy weather hampered field operations which were mostly stop and go. Although storage temperatures were fairly good for carrots, the high humidity caused a lot of headaches for onion growers.

The market situation has made some compensation for all these problems. The price of carrots and onions has been somewhat better than last year and prospects for the new year are good.

The reason for this is that growers in other parts of the world have had and are still having still bigger battles with the weather than we have had. Everyone has heard about the drought in Europe and the shortages.

In particular, potatoes and onions have been in great demand by European buyers and large quantities have been going overseas. Although most of the onions have been shipped by U.S. shippers, the effect has been a steady market for us as well.

Recent abnormal rainfall in the southern USA, mainly Texas, is affecting the growth of onions and carrots and the volume that may be expected in the next few months.

The acreage of these crops will certainly be down from normal and the quality could be affected due to the wet field conditions so far. So as we go into the new year, there seems to be nothing new as far as marketing our produce is concerned.

As usual, our marketing problem is really a production problem. The weather factor continues to play a big role in the volume of production. Growers usually say that they are better off if we all produced less and received more. No one can argue with this philosophy.

Since no one will volunteer to reduce production (this is against a grower's nature), the weather is left to do the regulating for us.

As we go into the New Year, I would like to wish friends and readers a healthy, happy and prosperous 1977 and good markets.