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"At 2 p.m., on Saturday, October 7, a weekend which will long be remembered, began for the residents of Newton Robinson and the Newton Robinson community, when friends of former years came to celebrate the village's Pioneer Family Days.
The activities for the celebration were introduced with a parade, which assembled a Poole's garage, and was led by two pipers, Paul and Marilyn Moir of Cookstown, up the hill and into Lloyd Coburn's orchard, which was prepared in readiness for celebrating the occasion." ...

"The long anticipated commencement of our national existence as the Dominion of Canada is at length realized. Henceforward the four millions of British subjects upon this continent will exist but as one people. We begin our new era of history under most auspicious circumstances. The causes that provoked so much strife and bitterness between us and our sister provinces are at length happily removed; the objects for which as a people, we have so long struggled have been in the main effectually secured, and the calamities that loomed so ominously in the future have vanished altogether from the political horizon." ...

"The table was decorated with red and white flags, candles and napkins, and a red and white cake, for a multi-generation Canada Day party and Toast held at the home of Tom and Zelma Fuller, Jr. The Guests of Honor were Mae and Bill Fuller." ...

This article is a transcript of Mayor Pat Storey's speech to a crowd at the Bradford Arena on Canada Day.

"Jack and Diane Kooiman and family recently moved into a new home on the 11th Concession, and found the perfect way to both celebrate Canada's birthday, and beautify their property. The three Kooiman sons, their friends and girl friends came up to Bradford West Gwillimbury for the day, and planted blue spruce and maple trees along the property's edge/
Their reward was a barbeque, followed by fireworks. And on Sunday, the Kooimans will be holding their first annual family reunion, with family members from as far away as Kingston coming up for the weekend.
A birthday, notes Jack, is a special thing. "It only happens once a year - and your 125th is a wonderful day!"

"Bill and Brenda Vernon's home on the 9th Concession was the scene of a family reunion, barbeque and flag raising on Canada Day. Bill Vernon built a new 33' flagpole for the occasion, and spruced up the yard with landscaping that included putting in new gate posts, a decorative old-fashioned water pump - and a wagon wheel.
The wheel is part of the family history, all that remains of the turn-of-the-century 4 wheeled "Democrat" that belonged to Brenda Vernon's grandparents.
Her mother, Mrs. Murphy, now in her 80s, remembers one trip in the Democrat, when she was only 6 years old. It was Christmas, but a green Christmas with no snow, and the family decided to take the four wheeler, rather than a sleigh, for the annual trip from West Gwillimbury to her grandparent's farm in Uxbridge.
Normally, the whole trip took three days - one to get to the farm, with a stopover in Holland Landing for lunch and to feed the horses, Christmas Day with the family, and a day to return home.
That year, however, it snowed heavily on Christmas day. "They had a long, long lane, and it was full of snow the day after Christmas," says Mrs. Murphy. The entire length of the lane had to be shovelled out before they could begin their return journey, a trip that took substantially longer than usually."

"The Walking Parade left the old St. Mary's school yard at noon, led by the Bradford West GWillimbury Police, Fire Department, and St. John's Ambulance, as crowds holding red and white balloons lined Simcoe Street.
To the stirring sound of the Innisfil Pipes and Drums, marchers - including the IODE, members of the Portuguese Community, a contingent from the Base Camp Borden and the Colour Guard of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 521 - paraded down Simcoe to the Arena, where they marshalled on the soccer pitch. In the reviewing stand, representing the community, were Nick Chreptiuk, Renee Desjardins, Helen and George Jackson, Pat and Ron Kneeshaw, Jamie Snow, Marianne and Trevor Wilson, and Mayor Pat Storey, who read a special Canada Day message.
Then the birthday party began, and what a party it was, with 50 cent hot dogs sold by the Lions, 50 cent drinks sold by the Rotary Club, free watermelon from Bak's Market, and an enormous Canada 125 cake, courtesy of former Deputy Reeve Frances Reid.
There were games for the kids (and their parents), soccer and baseball exhibition games, a bike decorating contest, talent show, a dance out in the open air, and as the finale, the largest display of fireworks ever put on by the Chamber of Commerce, which organized the day's celebrations.
"It's really nice to see so many out, when I understand a lot of people have to work today," said Mayor Storey. "People really are interested in a community event that they can take in - it's like an old-fashioned picnic." "

A formation ride of the Governor General's Horse Guards at the Centennial Park during Saturday's opening celebration.

Article about the preparation for Bradford's centennial celebrations in 1957, including a bit of history on Bradford and the Holland Marsh.