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Description : Over 250 people packed the former Danube Countries
Community Centre, to participate in an historic event - the opening of the Danube Seniors Leisure Centre, on Saturday, April 25th. The event was also a "thank you" to the members of the Danube Countries Unity Club, and John Zima of Luxury Homes Ltd., whose donations, made the Leisure Centre. The German Club built the Hall 27 years ago, as a venue for its monthly dances and special events, but over the years, the members found it more and more difficult to maintain the facility. "So many parties and weddings, we really couldn't handle it any more," said Club president Matthias Naunheimer. The kitchen, for example, was equipped with huge pots - "not the easiest thing to lift!" Last year, the Danube Countries Unity Club approached the municipality, and offered to donate the Hall, with all of its furnishings and equipment, for use as a Seniors' Centre. It took months to finalize all the legal requirements, but last Saturday, the final hurdles were cleared, and the keys handed to the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Mayor Frank Jonkman called the donation "the most wonderful gift that this municipality has ever received." Mayor Jonkman noted that the agreement still needs to be ratified by Council, but is basically "a done deal". Even so, he said, the facility is "just an empty building" - until the members of the community participate. He hinted that a "little greenhouse" would be donated and added to the facility. The Mayor thanked all of those involved and presented plaques of appreciation.

"The long-awaited Heritage Assessment of the Armstrong - Van Voorst home on the 6th Line was presented to Bradford West Gwillimbury Council, in Committee of the Whole on May 2nd. Prepared by Su Murdoch Historical Consulting of Barrie, the Assessment was carried out as a condition of draft approval for Christina Homes Ltd.'s proposed 66 unit subdivision on the 10 acre property." ...

"For those of you wondering about the new real estate office, bank and newspaper in town, (and why they're already gone), worry no longer. The film's been shot, the sets have been struck and the actors have all gone home. But for three days last week, Bradford was transformed to the sleepy town of Hope Springs by means of movie magic." ...

Description : These days, there are very few businesses that have been around for 100 years. The Bradford law firm of Evans and Evans is one of those few. Founded in 1894 by T.W.W. Evans, the firm was augmented by his sons, Charles and Brock in the 1920s. Today, "Evans and Evans' refers to grandsons Thomas and Robert. On Thursday, the law firm, which has been in the same building for more than 75 years, opened its doors to family, friends, clients and celebrated its first 100 years. There were photos on display that not only chronicled the history of the Evans family, but the history of Bradford and West Gwillimburry, from turn-of-the-century lacrosse teams, to Bradford's centennial celebrations in 1957, to the sod turning for the new library and West Gwillimbury Administration centre.

Well-trained, service-minded employees. A friendly atmosphere. Quality products at competitive prices. Those are part of the "Homecare" promise - but they have always been the goals at Spence Homecare, even when the business was primarily a lumber yard. Spence Lumber was founded in 1919 by James Spence, on the site of what is now MacDonald's Restaurant and South Simcoe Square. James was followed by his son, A.W., then grandson, Keith Noble. Now it's the 4th generation, great grandson Ron Noble, who runs the operation. Spence Lumber weathered the Roaring Twenties, the Dirty Thirties, the war years, the post-war baby boom, the changes of the '60s and '70s, at its old site. But in the '80s, the increasing trend towards home renovation, and "do-it-yourself" repairs led to a decision to move, and expand. The old retail space, notes Ron, covered only 800 to 1,000 square feet. "We were kind of land-locked, and there was no real growth potential." In 1900, the store moved to its current site at 90 Dissette,where it has 6,000 square feet of retail space, and over four acres of lumber yard - and joined 160 other stores in Ontario under the "Homecare" banner. "It was always a traditional lumber yard, whereas now I would consider it...a building centre," Ron says, explaining the change. The Centre offers "a complete range of everything you need for building, renovating, decorating." The transition from lumber yard to building supply centre has been a smooth one, he says, helped in part by the affiliation with Homecare, "which gives us volume buying power - which, in turn, can be turned over to the consumer," as a competitive prices. But the best part has been the consumer response. "When we moved to this location, the support we've had from our customers and friends was just about the nicest thing." To say thank-you to those customers, Spence Homecare celebrated its 75th anniversary, October 14th to 16th, with a special sales, lucky draws and a charity barbecue.

"Frank Jonkman got into politics very much the same way that he got into the greenhouse business - to meet a need. Jonkman started by building greenhouses for his father's farming operation, using recycled materials that included old television aerials. In the 1970s, other Marsh farmers began to call on him for help with putting up their greenhouses, as his reputation gre for getting the work done at a reasonable cost..."

"Rev. Phillip Carroll, Pastor at the Bradford Pentecostal Assembly just North of Town, is getting tired of crawling under buildings to unfreeze water pipes.
With that as an incentive, and a growing flock of parishioners to contend with, a unique building project is set to begin at the end of March. For five weeks, volunteer workers from across the province will give up their vacation time to help construct a new church, replacing the two small portable structures at the South-east corner of Highway 11 and the 9th Concession.
Each week, the Bradford Pentecostal Assembly holds services for 40 to 60 people in an area no bigger than a primary school classroom. A cold winter helped convince Carroll of the need for larger, modern facilities. The present building "just isn't meeting our needs," he said.
The Church building project is being organized under the auspices of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Plans are now in the final stages of preparation, and onl;y a few building permits and a fire code inspection remain as hurdles, before the ceremonial ground-breaking two weeks from now.
The new church will have seating for 170, and a full basement with kitchen facilities and classrooms. Carroll estimates the building will cost about $175,000, less than half what it would cost using a more traditional method of construction.
A similar project in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, was accomplished in just under two months, and Carroll is sure things will work out in Bradford.
"It's going to be very inspiring to watch...the building rise" "

"The Bradford West Gwillimbury Heritage Committee, established by the previous Council, came to Committee of the Whole on January 16th, to present a proposal for a municipal register of culturally and historically important properties..."

The annual Meeting of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association will be held in the Compton Room of the Bradford Public Library on Saturday, December 8th, 1:30 p.m. The BWG Local History Association was formed 17 years ago, in the spring of 1990, and has retrieved and documented many of the details of the history of this area, supported the Local History Room in the Library, and recently, published the 2-volume book, "Governor Simcoe Slept Here." The Association is now taking on new responsibility as the umbrella organization for other history-related groups in the community - The Gwillim Group, which has brought the statue of Elizabeth Gwillim Simcoe to Bradford; the Scotch Settlement Historical Association; and the WEGWHIST Group. The arrangement will provide an affiliation with the Ontario Historical Association that will open the door for sponsorship and fundraising in support of the Town's historical features. The Association has been involved in book writing, editing and sales for the past 4 years; now that Governor Simcoe Slept Here has been completed, the focus is returning to researching and recording local history, and there are opportunities for residents to get involved. Are you interested in history? Do you have time to research on line, index and file, or set up and explore your own special local history project? Come to the meeting to discuss the opportunities.

A 30,000 sq. ft. Administration Building, with a Council Chamber that could double as an Arts Center. A 14,000 sq. ft. South Simcoe Police Station, that shares an atrium-style public entry with the Administration building. A separate courthouse - and possibly, an Ambulance station. All of it to be paid for through development charges, reserve funds from the sale of the municipal electrical utility, contributions from the County of Simcoe, and the sale of surplus properties - with no impact on the tax rate. ...