Showing 1845 results

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Bradford West Gwillimbury Council has voted to support the heritage signage propposal of resident, Donal McGugan. Council has approved a town-wide signage program that will honour "individuals, events and places of significance from our community's history", through "strategically placed roadside signs not unlike roadside historical plaques and monuments throughout the province." The estimated cost is $600 to $1,000 per sign. The Facilities & Parks Department will be advised to budget for the new program, and erect the signs after consultation with the local historical society, to ensure accuracy. McGugan had originally recommended renaming roads to reflect historical significance (e.g., renaming 10 Sideroad as Middletown Sideroad) - but the Town turned down the suggestion, since road - renaming carries a significant cost, including 4 weeks of advertising to notify residents, the cost of change-of-address notification, and the potential for "confusion of non-residents trying to find a location."

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Twenty-nine years ago, Ross and Shirley Klubine took over the Klubine family farm on Highway 11, just north of Bradford. The beautiful brick farmhouse, built circa 1850, had become "somewhat decrepit." They replaced the front entry and, using family photographs, repaired and restored the verandah. They opened their doors to visitors, starting the first "Bed and Breakfast" establishment in Simcoe County. A sign proclaiming the "Country Guest Home" went up at the end of a drive lined with majestic maple trees, and immediately attracted the attention of the local health inspector. Both Ross and Shirley were involved in the venture. Seven years ago Ross passed away, and was buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, on land that is still part of the farm. Now her baked goods, and fresh jams, are two of the staples on the breakfast table at the Guest Home, that bring visitors back, again and again. The Country Guest Home is open all year round, but summer is the peak season. Rates have remained reasonable, and include a full home cooked breakfast.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : The latest crop statistics show that the total onion acreage in the Bradford and District Marshes was down, as was the potato acreage while the area of carrots and lettuce increase. The number of muck vegetable growers continue the steady downward trend of the last twenty years These statistics are compiled each year by the staff of the O.M.A.F. Dairy, Fruit and Vegetable Industries Inspection Branch in Bradford (commonly known as the Bradford Inspection Office). Judy Sturgeon and Barry Roberts would like to thank all of the growers for their cooperation. The onion acreage in Bradford was over 200 acres lower than in 1992, but there were 67 more acres of transplanted onions. This is not surprising, considering the disappointing onion year we had last year and the predictions that 1993 would be more the same. The area devoted to potatoes on muck soil was down by more than 200 acres as well. The carrot and lettuce acreage increased about 80 acres each to make up for some of the difference. The onion and carrot acreages have gone up and down during the past 8-10 years, but there are a few trends in some of the other crops that are revealed by the statistics. The celery acreage has dropped steadily since 1987 and there have been increases in oriental vegetables. There were approximately 228 acres of oriental vegetables in 1990; now the figure is 480 acres. The average farm size this year was 58 acres, but two thirds of the growers operated farms that were 50 acres or less.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : "A mere ditch swarming with bullfrogs and water snakes," John Galt of the Canada Company wrote when he first glimpsed the Holland Marsh in 1825. Today, this mere ditch consists of some 7,000 acres of fertile marshlands, the breadbasket of Ontario. It wasn't an easy transition. In 1924, on petition of over two-thirds of the landowners in West Gwillimbury, the township council passed a bylaw approving the scheme of draining the marsh. The village of Bradford passed a similar bylaw, but the Township of King refused and appealed against the proposal. The Provincial Drainage Referee found the project sound under the Municipal Drainage Act of 1910 and King was forced to co-operate and assess its landowners for the purpose. There was no need to force King to co-operate with Bradford West Gwillimbury on April 22, 1993, when the first major improvement to the marsh was officially opened - Bradford Pumping Station 2 on Pumphouse Road. Six years in planning and obtaining the necessary approvals, Janse has shepherded the project through every stage. Total cost of the project is $1,014,426.50 and it has an estimated 50 year life span. The 7,000-acre marshlands serviced by Bradford Pumping Station 2, is only a small part of the Holland Marsh, which in its entirety comprises about 20,000 acres.

Municipality :
Community : Ontario
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Canada's history is a patchwork of many colourful characters. One of them was Catharine Parr Traill, who left England in 1832 with her husband to take on the adventure of settling in Upper Canada (Ontario). She was 30 years old and soon learned what a challenging adventure that would be! Building a log home, clearing land, growing food, keeping livestock and making pretty much everything yourself was enough to tire anybody out. But Catharine was energetic, optimistic, full of common sense and downright determined. Despite all the hardships, she created one heck of a smooth-running household while raising seven children and writing several children's books, as well as The Backwoods Of Canada, a collection of letters she had written home during her first three years as a settler. By 1854, with 20 years' experience under her belt, Catharine was a pioneer version of Martha Stewart. But she had seen many families who were overwhelmed and just couldn't make it in their new country. Catharine wrote a helpful handbook for anyone thinking of emigrating to Canada. She completed The Canadian Settler's Guide, which she wrote especially for wives and daughters. The book guided readers through almost every step of their journey from England to Canada, and even advising on what to bring and how to survive once in Canada. Soap making, candle dipping, dying wool and raising poultry were all carefully outlined and the climate, plants and animals of each month of the year beautifully described.

Municipality :
Community : Innisfil
Lot :
Concession :
Description : On June 19, 1999, 8:30 am, a big coach bus was waiting for the members of the Society at the Knock
Community Centre. The Transtario bus was complete with, reclining upholstered seats and a loud speaker system so that we all could hear the commentator. We left at 8:45 heading towards Collingwood, through the lush countryside. The weather was excellent, a bright sunny warm day. We arrived in Collingwood, the bus driver drove down Hurontario street which is the main street. The street was lined with lots of motorcycles, Saturday was the "Ride for Sight". Collingwood's downtown is considered one of Ontario's most beautiful, thanks mostly to the efforts of the local merchants. Between 1970-80 they upgraded the area including cobblestone sidewalks, crosswalks, trees and benches and the facades of the buildings. The bus continued around the corner and we disembarked at the Station, this is Collingwood's newest heritage building, opened September 1998. It is designed in the spirit of the 1873 rail station. We spent an hour viewing the artifacts that were used to build the ships in the harbour. We travelled on to just outside of Collingwood to Frank Fisher's farm, called "A Step Back in Time". He has obtained buildings that were ready to be torn down. There was a barn full of horse drawn carriages all labelled as to the manufacturer and who last owned the carriage.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : On Friday, December 5th, Joseph Lundy received the Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Services Medal. The Hon. Hilary Weston, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, presented the medal at a ceremony held at Queen's Park. The Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal was created on July 7th, 1994, to recognize professionals in the field of pre-hospital emergency medical services, who have performed their duties in an exemplary manner, characterized by good conduct, industry and efficiency. Lundy began his career with Lewis Ambulance Services Ltd. of Bradford on June 1st, 1973. Over the past 24 years, his actions have affected the lives of thousands of persons living in or passing through the Bradford area. As stated in the letter of nomination, he is always willing to "go that extra mile". The minimum length of service to be eligible for the Medal is 20 years; but the Award recognizes not simply years of service, but "exemplary" service.

Municipality :
Community : Holland Marsh
Lot :
Concession :
Description : At present, about 20% of Weening Brothers Manufacturing' business is export - but if their latest piece of farm machinery works half as well as they think it will, that percentage could easily increase. Weening Brothers have just completed a new onion harvester for a customer in Puerto Rico, which incorporates new technology for topping onions. The machinery commonly used in the Holland Marsh isn't suitable for southern onions: onions grown in the southern U.S. tend to be larger and softer, and can be bruised or cut by the topping devices. As a result, topping has to be done by hand, using scissors or knives - a time-consuming, exhausting and labor-intensive process. A grower in Puerto Rico approached a half dozen manufacturers, in both the U.S. and Canada, to come up with an improved design that would avoid the damage - but, says Fred Weening, "We were the only ones that were willing to try something different." The Holland Marsh company built a small prototype of a machine that slices off the tops, leaving about an inch of neck. During the summer, the customers came to Bradford watch the prototype in action. They were impressed, and gave the go-ahead to construction of the harvester. Work began in late September, and the machine is now ready to ship - although, with measurements of 25' long and 14' wide, the problem now is to find a container big enough. Weening is excited about the new onion-topping technology, which will involve a patent. "It's nice that the customer's so excited, too...The customer wants to become the distributor," he says. "There's a lot of potential for it. If this thing works as well as we expect it will, there'll be another one going to Texas in April."

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Imagine travelling back in time, to May 31st, 1906 - the people, the shops, the prices, the images of the community... Now, anyone interested in the turn-of-the-century Bradford has the opportunity to "travel" back in time, with the reprinting of a complete edition of the Bradford Witness and South Simcoe News for May 31, 1906. The newspaper, a special edition that featured the merchants and businesses of Bradford, and included a large number of local photographs, belonged to Florence Bachelor. She and her husband Charles, lived in a house on Holland Street West, now the site of the CIBC. On her death in 1970, the paper came to her niece, Rose Magloughlen - who gave it to Joe Saint and the Bradford West Gwillimbury Historical Association. The Associatin has now reprinted the newspaper in book format, and is offering a limited number of copies for sale, for only $10, at the Bradford branch of the Public Library. Combined with the 1900 map of Bradford by Fred Collings, available from the Bradford West Gwillimbuiry Administrative Centre on the 11th Line, the book provides a fascinating glimpse into the way we were, 91 years ago. The Historical Assoc. is looking for other mementoes of the past. Residents who may have old issues of the Witness, or other historical materials or photographs asked to share these with the Society, which would like to preserve and copy the material, for public viewing.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : 1. The old Bradford High School on Queen St., now part of Fred C. Cook PS.

2. The old Toll Gate Road, north of Yonge.
3. The Post Office (now Condy Books et cetera).
4. The old Town Hall (Treasury Building) on Holland St. East.
5. Edmanson's Tavern.
6. Holland St., circa 1906.
   The Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury has selected 6 historic photographs - and now is asking the public to choose their favourite 3, to be used on the Sesquicentennial (150th) Monument, that will be unveiled on July 1, 2008 as part of Canada Day celebrations. Call to vote for your 3 favorites - or if you have a historic photo you would like to see considered, please submit the photos. For a closer look at the photos please see www.town.bradfordwestgwillimbury.on.ca