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"All aboard! That was heard one year ago on April 1 as Canadian National Railways opened up its commuter service between Bradford and Toronto.
The first anniversary was yesterday [April 3rd, 1975].
"Initially there were 95 commuters using the service in both directions," said spokesman Morris Simms of CN. "Currently 190 commuters are using the train in both directions."
The train leaves Bradford at 7:11 a.m. arriving at Union Station at 8:20 a.m. The return train leaves Unions at 5:15 p.m. and arrives in Bradford at 6:27 p.m.
There is a double fare system in effect for the commuter train. The single fare one way is $2.10. A flash card good for one month can be purchased for $52. This lowers the cost to about $1.25 pert trip.
The strike of the Toronto Transit Commission last year increased the daily number of people taking the train.
"The strike increased the passengers to about 582 going to Toronto during the day and 563 returnin," added Simms.
The number of coaches was increased from two to nine but now the train has four coaches with a seating capacity of about 240. During the strike 20 people were taking the train from Bradford each day.
The number of people using the service has doubled over the year and about 10 people are now using the train.
"The use is varying," stated the CN spokesman, "it is slow but is increasing." "

"The styles have changed, but high school students haven't changed all that much from the days this photo was taken at Bradford High School in 1934. Front row, Mildred Faris, Orma Wilcox. Second row, Norma Walker, Vira Sutherland, Mildred Feaver, Etta Hunter, Irene Brown, Eileen Church, Mary Webb. Third row, Frank Edney, Edward Dunn, Harvey Jeffries, George Stoddart, Lorne West, Don Wilson."

"This week's photo, courtesy of the Bradford Fire Department, depicts the fire in February of 1959 which destroyed a large block of the downtown section, from Evans and Evans to the police department. The fire swept through several businesses, unprotected by fire walls. Firefighters from five arena departments battled almost 20 hours to quell the stubborn blaze which caused an estimated $500,000 damage. This week's photo was suggested by Ernest and Lola Peterman of Bradford who sent in a newspaper clipping of the fire."

"If CN has its way, the last real contact Bradford has with the railway will be gone soon when the train station is either sold or torn down. The railway was an integral part of the community when this photo was taken in 1939. Submitted by Wilbert Mulliss of Bradford, it shows Percy Stephenson, an express clerk at CN who delivered parcels to and from the train station and the post office. Stephenson, who was Mulliss' uncle, posed for this hot on Barrie Street with John Street West in the background. The old Model 'A' truck was owned by CN, and Stephenson worked for CN's agent in town, George Green, an insurance agent and former town clerk."

Dimock's Garage was an important business in Bradford in the early 1930's when this photo was taken. Harold Iceton, who submitted the photo writes: "Mrs. Al Dimock, affectionately known as Minnie to her many friends (gave me this photo). The photo dates back to 1931 when Albert Dimock first started up business in Bradford with his young son Hedley. They were soon joined by his wife Minnie and daughter Eileen. This building has now been demolished and replaced by the Royal Bank Building.

"The first thing most people associate with Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians is New Year's Eve, the traditional event for Guy Lombardo and his world-famous band welcoming in another year at some famous New York hotel. This year Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians will be far removed from both New York and New Year's Eve when they play in the Bradford
Community Centre Friday, May 27. Mr. Lombardo, a native Canadian with a 13-member band including a crooner, will play all the old favorites for about 1,000 persons at the community centre. Guy Lombardo and his band will come to town by private bus just before the performance, and be bused out immediately after. He will not be spending any time in the immediate area. With less than 200 tickets left, Mr. Travis said that it was unlikely that they would last too much longer, even considering the fact there are four months to go until the performance. Tickets may be purchased from any Rotary member."

"The Rotary Club of Bradford celebrated its 25th anniversary last week and announced the Rotary project for 1977: a rock garden with fountains at the corner of Barrie and John Streets. Referring to the expense, past president Brad Walker laughed, 'Once that's done we'll have exactly what we started with 25 years ago - nothing.' Mr. Walker is one of the charter members of the club, and he, along with Clare Ritchie, Frank Maurino, George Allan, Jim Everitt, and Jim Simone, were presented with silver plaques for their 25 years of service. Rotary district governor Norm Guild of Brampton was on hand to make the presentation. Lions Club president Bernard Horne called for closer relations between the two clubs and recalled the years of the co-operation on several major projects in Bradford."

"Reverend Roy Comrie of Umtalie, Rhodesia, will be guest speaker at St. John's West Gwillimbury churches in Bradford on Sunday, April 2. Mr. Comrie is a missionary who serves with the Africa Evangelical Fellowship and studies at Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto. He was born in Rhodesia to parents from Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland, and has served several years in Zambia. He and his wife, Gwyneth, a registered nurse, have been serving in Rhodesia as pastor of a congregation, principal of a Bible School, and evangelists. The Comries have three sons, two of them teenagers, and a daughter, and they are planning to return to Rhodesia in August. The Presbyterian congregations welcome everyone to their Sunday services and invite you to hear this interesting preacher."

"At the urging of Mayor Roy Gordon, the role of Bradford's planning consultant on the town planning committee is being reduced. 'I have had the opinion the board is being run by the planner, when he should be there just for advice,' Mayor Gordon told the committee last Thursday. After the meeting, chairman Art Kneeshaw said he would "tone down" the work of consultant Bruce McLaughlin of Proctor and Redfern engineering firm. He said more work would be placed on the shoulders of committee secretary-treasurer Pat Storey. He told committee members that planning decisions are their responsibility and the planner should only be asked for advice. Mr. Kneeshaw said during the meeting that the planner has helped with his experience in other municipalities, dealing with many sorts of development proposals. And committee member Gord Compton said the committee 'would have been lost' at times without the planner's guidance. Mayor Gordon said later that he did not know how much money would be saved by having the planner attend fewer committee meetings. He said the main issue was that the committee function had become a 'morass' of planning that confuses most of the people involved."

"Chicken thieves got away with between 39 and 40 fowl from the barn of Thomas Stewart, 10th line, West Gwillimbury. The pilferers had evidently used a car or light truck in their night prowling, as the marks of tires were plainly visible on the side of the road. It was thought they made their way along a gulley running from the vicinity of the car through a field to the back of the barn. The sound of a fire alarm bell for the first time in many months cause excitement in the town. It was soon discovered, however, that a representative of the Fire Underwriters Association was in town on one of his periodic visits and had put in a fire alarm, calling out the brigade for a test run. The inspector was reported to have been satisfied with the prompt and business-like response."