Showing 1845 results

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 : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : In 1818, John Stoddars travelled from County Cavan in Ireland to the Township of West Gwillimbury, and liked what he saw. He returned to Ireland, then came back to Simcoe County with his three sons, William, James and Hugh, and stepson John Faris, to settle on Lot 10, Con. 7 - on the northwest corner of Hwy. 88 and 10 Sideroad, by today's map. In due course, each son would have his own 100 acre farm nearby. The eldest son, William inherited the home farm in 1836 and built the brick house known as "The Oaks" that still stands and is ocupied today. James farmed next door on Lot 9, was a member of West Gwillimbury's first Council in 1850, and donated land for the Anglican Church on his lot. Other family members served on Council in following years. his son Burt built the red brick house across Barrie St. that is still standing today. Another of William's sons, William Davis, built what was later known as the Stoddart-Ritchie house on the south side of 88 - now demolished. Whether the family name was spelled Stoddars,Stodders or Stoddart, members of this family were all significant contributors to the early settlement and governance of Bradford and West Gwillimbury. Most recently a representative of this family has been Canada's Privacy Commissioner. A symbol of the pioneering years is the stately home, built circa 1860, formerly known as The Oaks and now called the Stoddart-Reynolds house. A solid brick, full 2-storey, 3-over-3 bay front, typical of other homes of the period, it was built in the Georgian Vernacular style, with a Regency door case, and bow-roofed verandah. Two end fireplaces still exist on the main floor - the eastern fireplace with the original mantelpiece in place. Some interior design still survives, and the home has been well-cared for over the years. In fact, the pre-confederation house, associated with a prominent pioneer family, displays notable architectural significance - truly a home worth preserving, as part of West Gwillimbury and Bradford's Heritage.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : December 31ist marked not only the end of the old year and the Millennium, but the end of an era in Bradford. At the stroke of midnight, Lewis Ambulance Service ceased to exist, Flowing seamlessly into the new Health Trust Pre Hospital Services Inc., land ambulance providers for Simcoe County. Mac Lewis purchased the ambulance service 37 years ago, in 1963, as part of the Lathangue Kilkenny Funeral Home. The single ambulance - a 1954 Pontiac, equipped with 2 stretchers, Oxygen, bandages, and little else - answered 143 calls, staffed by Lewis and a number of part-timers. In 2000, Lewis Ambulance Service answered over 3,300 calls - "still with one vehicle," notes Lewis, but that vehicle is now equipped with a full array of equipment, from backboards to defibrillator, and staffed by employees that include 8 full-time and 10 part-time Level 1 Paramedics. There have many other changes over the last 37-plus years, especially in the attitude of the province towards private ambulance operators. Prior to 1963, there were 425 private operators in the Province. In 1964, they banded together to form the Ontario Ambulance Operators' Association, and began lobbying the government to set standards, for training, ambulances, etc. The government resisted until 1967/68, when it appointed Dr. Norman McNally as the Director of Ambulance Services - and within days, Dr. McNally was telling operators that thy were obsolete, and that the government would be taking over the service within 5 years. By 1975, the Province had purchased or closed all but 71 of the privately-owned ambulance services. Subsequent governments reversed the trend; it seemed that every time the government changed, the policy changed. Lewis not only has praise for Health Trust Pre Hospital Services, but for the direction that the County has decided to take. Simcoe County Council has approved expanding the service, adding 5 new stations and 5 ambulances, and up to 40 paramedics, to improve response times.

Municipality : Toronto
Community : Other - Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : How do you keep six girls on the farm after they've seen T.O.? Well, you couldn't keep the Lee sisters away from Toronto General Hospital School of Nursing from 1947 to 1963. They followed each other through the school's hallowed halls to pursue a training that none of them regrets today. Over the weekend and continuing today, as the school's 1,100-strong alumni association celebrates its 100th anniversary in Toronto, the six have come from Canada and across the United States for a personal and pedagogical reunion. Once the two eldest sisters, Jean Moulding, now 65, and Charlotte Laubach, 63, set the pattern, it was hard for the others to break. But each had her own special reason for leaving the grind of their parent's farm in Bradford about 8 kilometres (5 miles) northwest of Newmarket. The youngest sister Barbara was only 5 when Jean left in 1947 for the bright lights and her three-year training. Like all her sisters, she says she'd do if all over again. For Margaret Evans teaching was her first choice but her mother pushed her to go to school, where she hated being the fifth sister there.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Some historians pore over dusty tomes and draw all their knowledge from archival materials. Joe Saint knows the history books, but he is also a repository of oral tradition, a collector of tales and reminiscences. He can put a family name and a face to practically every historic building in Bradford. Joe Saint is 81, a timespan that encompasses a lot of changes, a lot of experience. Taking a driving tour with Saint is like getting a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Bradford West Gwillimbury's past. The Village Inn has a history. Built in 1910 by W.D. Watson, as a grocery store, it remained a grocery store until the mid 1930s. Then Jack Pong transformed it into a Chinese Restaurant, and in 1937, bought a liquor licence. All of Ontario was "dry" by 1916, but in the 1930s, Mitch Hepburn lifted Prohibition and introduced "local option." Some communities stayed dry, some brought in the alcohol - Bradford was the only community between North York and Barrie that had a beer licence. Aurora, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, all stayed "dry" by local option. "There were just too many church people, and too many bootleggers," says Saint. "Bootlegging in those days was an honest profession" - considered to be better than going on welfare. The owner of The Queen's Hotel didn't have the funds to buy a licence. A group of potential customers, tired of dealing with the bootleggers, reportedly chipped in to help pay the fees. Several of the homes on John Street East, including numbers 28, 34 and 49, were "floated" across the river to their present location, when the mill in Amsterdam closed. Actually, the homes were transported in winter, when it was easier to haul them across the frozen surface, Saint says. "There's a lot of history in this town. Some of it's good, and some of it's not... I didn't tell you the juicy stuff," says Saint.

Municipality :
Community : Innisfil
Lot :
Concession :
Description : At Churchill was the Episopalian Church. Although, I was baptized in that church, or rather in the old plastered church, in my early days I didn't know much about it. Jennie (or Jimie) Mathers was the choir leader and was an exceptionally good singer. There used to be preaching in James Sloan's wagon shop on a Sunday evening. For seats they used wagon hubs set on end, with planks on top, and a small table for a pulpit. About two miles to the south, we had Zion Church, where the cemetery now is. The ministers came from Bradford. They never seemed to get a grip of the people as they should have, Bethel Towse was the leading factor at this place. The Presbyterian Church at Cherry Creek held services at half past ten in the forenoon. A large crowd of people came here to worship God. A man called Alex Johnson led the singing. There was no musical instrument in use. Some good preachers came here. The folk came mostly from the north, some in double buggies and some in wagons. There was no Presbyterian church was built at Churchill, the Cherry Creek appointment was soon closed. The Church was moved a little to the south and is now (1932) used for a restaurant and service station. Across the road and a little to the north, we come to the Methodist Church, a frame structure with clapboard and three windows on each side. The top of the windows were fan-Shaped before the church was built, they had services in the school house.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Calling all local Councillors, historical societies, heritage committees, owners of older homes - and anyone interested in the built heritage of Ontario... The community welcomes George Duncan, Heritage Planner for Markham in a special presentation on Thursday, June 7th, 7:30 p.m. upstairs in the Treasury Building, 61 Holland St. East in Bradford (just look for the Millennium Clock Tower). Duncan will speak on Heritage Preservation in Markham. All are welcome to come and hear how the Town of Markham has approached the preservation of its built heritage, from an expert.

Municipality : Innisfil
Community : Innisfil
Lot : NH lot 7
Concession : 8
Description : Threshing at Bowman Allen's
(LtoR) Allen Henry (on stack)
Bill McFadden ( at blower)
John Cowan (owner) and Thomas S.Bowman (standing on machine)
Frank Mumberson with his team and wagon (standing on wagon).
Cliff Ruttan at back of wagon.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Kenneth Earl Kidd.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Kenneth Earl Kidd.