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Municipality :
Community : Newmarket
Lot :
Concession :
Description : The first resident of a clearing in the woods that grew into the Town of Newmarket was a Pennsylvania miller named Joseph Hill. He eventually lost all his property here in a court battle and, as war broke out in 1812, left for Pennsylvania rather than swear allegiance to the British Crown. Hill and another Quaker miller, James Kinsey, arrived in the spring of 1801 with Timothy Rogers' first group of settlers. They build a dam and mill where the Holland River and the old Indian trail crossed. Today we call his millpond Fairy lake and a heritage plaque stands close to where the mill was built. There was a small technicality Hill ignored - he didn't own the land on which he built and it was grabbed up 1802 by York mason Joseph McMertrie. But Rogers, who was anxious to see the mill and store in his new settlement survive, came to Hill's aid by buying the property from McMertrie in 1804 and turning it over to Hill. Enter Elisha Beman, a shrewd New York Entrepreneur with good colonial government connections. He bought land and built a mill upstream from Hill. This was the start of a feud which lasted until Hill fled back to the U.S.

If you have any additional information about this photo please contact the library (905-775-3328).

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Town Gathers for Joe Magani

"I don't know if I really deserve all this, just because I gave a stinkin' 20 years of my life to the town." - Joe Magani, January 28, 1977.

More than 180 persons were on hand at the Bradford
Community Centre Friday night to honor "Uncle Joe" Magani on his retirement from 20 years in Bradford politics, the last 16 of those as mayor.

Reeve Ken Wood was chairman for the evening, and he opened the meeting by introducing head tables guests, and then handed the microphone over to Charlie Evans, former reeve, county warden and town solicitor for Bradford.

Mr. Evans conveyed apologies on behalf of former Ontario Lieutenant-Governor Earl Rowe who was unable to attend because of the storm.

"Earl told me to say he's sorry that he and his wife couldn't come because he would have loved to be here tonight," said Mr. Evans.

He went on to read a message from Mr. Rowe: "Joe should be commended for his tremendous service to the community of Bradford, and Bradford is a much better place because Joe Magani lived here."

Mr. Rowe's statement was greeted by warm applause from the audience.

Continuing, Mr. Evans said, "I sure would like to pay tribute to our guest of honor. I sure would have liked to see Joe's mother here tonight, but I understand he ordered there was no way she was to come out on the roads tonight.

"Joe's mother would sure be proud and pleased with her little boy tonight," he added, and this was also applauded.

He pointed out that Mr. Magani had been involved in municipal politics for more than one-eighth of Bradford's life, and that he had been mayor for more than one-ninth of its life as a municipality.

"I have been close friends with Joe for a long time, and any good things for Bradford, one of the guys in there on top was Uncle Joe," he said.

Mayor Roy Gordon was then called upon to present Mr. Magani with a set of monogrammed golf clubs.

Mr. Evans quipped, "Well, Joe, I gave you lessons with these (the clubs) 30 years ago, and I'll be glad to give you more lessons."

The microphone was then turned over to the guest of honor, and he said, "I heard a few rumours about this...that's beautiful. First of all, I want to thank you all. That's a beautiful gift... I don't know if I really deserve all this, just because I gave a stinkin' 20 years of my life to the town."

"I don't know if you know it or not, but these (golf) clubs are the best in the world. I really love all of you, and I think you're fantastic people. I just don't know how to thank you."

Chairman Ken Wood then called on Bradford Fire Chief Harold "Butch" Boyd to make another presentation.

Mr. Boyd said, "We have a little gift here for Uncle Joe. He's been tellin' me what to do for the last 20 years and I've had to go along with it...And now I've got him on the spot, I don't know what to say."

The gift from the firefighters was a gold-plated fire helmet naming Mr. Magani as honorary chief of the Bradford Fire Department.

"By the way, ladies and gentlemen, we've got the best fire department in the province of Ontario. And I said that before I got this gift." said Mr. Magani. "You know, I've always wanted one of these," he added as he placed the helmet on his head.

Spotting former fire chief, Ted Gapp in the audeince, he said, "Hey Gapp, now I'm in the same class as you."

Mr. Gapp replied, "Joe, you always backed the fire department 100 percent, but I remember one time when I was manager of a ball team and you thoght you were a ballplayer."

Mr. Boyd said, "Joe, the first good Sunday that you're home I'll let you wear that hat and drive the fire truck."

Mr. Magani replies, "I really thank you from the bottom of my heart."

He went on to introduce his daughter, Denise, and her husband, Mike Gasko, as well as other relatives and close friends. "But you know, the closest family I have," he said with an expansive gesture, "they're all here."

Mayor Gordon was then introduced, and he said, "I think Joe Magani is a super guy, and I can't say enough about him. He's a lovely guy, and I'm not gonna miss him because I'm gonna get him to do a whole bunch of things."

Turning to Mr. Magani, he said, "I think you're the father of Bradford."

Simcoe Centre MPP Art Evans said, "I have played golf, baseball and hockey with Joe, and we've been on council together. Joe was a driving force behind our centennial.

"But I probably know a few more things about Joe than you do," he added, and recounted a couple of anecdotes about Mr. Magani.

Mr. Evans told about one morning when a group of gentlemen shaved all the hair off the former mayor's chest.

Noting that "those are big shoes Roy Gordon has to fill," Mr. Evans recounted another story about the time they sent Mr. Magani's golf shoes floating down a creek.

In concluding address, he said "Joe mentioned those golf clubs were the best in the world. Well, I think Joe Magani's the best in the world."

West Gwillimbury Reeve John Fennell said, "Joe always laid his cards on the table. We always knew what Bradford wanted and what West Gwillimbury wanted.

"Joe was always as close as the telephone, and we knew we could always get some good advice. I hope you'll have many happy years here in Bradford, and knowing you, you'll be involved. So if you can't phone us, maybe you can write us," he said, and presented Mr. Magani with a pen and pencil set on behalf of the township council.

Former county warden and West Gwillimbury reeve Orville Hughes said, "I know they talk about you and I retiring, Joe, and I hope they mean from politics. Because unless you made a lot more money in politics than I did, we're not ready to retire yet."

Chairman Mr. Wood adjourned the meeting, and the evening continued with dancing till the early hours.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Bradford West Gwillimbury council is looking for local history buffs for the town's heritage committee. The purpose of the heritage committee is "to promote awareness and conservation of the community's build heritage," according to a report to council by Bradford West Gwillimbury director of planning Geoff McKnight. The heritage committee, which will be comprised of at least five people appointed by council, will examine all properties and areas that may deserve protection now or in the future, facilitate the community's interest in heritage conservation and maintenance practices, determine heritage resource values for protection through designation and administer designated property grant programs. This will not be the town's first heritage committee. The first was created in 2005 but was disbanded late last year. The new heritage committee will have an operating budget of $5,000, which will cover costs associated with background studies, promotional efforts, printing and the creation of designation plaques. Depending upon the expertise of the new committee members, a consultant may need to be retained "to undertake the detailed heritage assessments required for designation," according to Mr. McKnight's report. Information regarding heritage committee applications will be available in the coming weeks.

A thank you letter written by Stetheam Kneeshaw in 1939.

Municipality :
Community : Bradford
Lot :
Concession :
Description : In a recorded vote, Councillors voted 6 to 2 in favor of purchasing the portion of the Mary Street parking lot owned by Ontario 1091795 Inc., putting an end to months of debate. The issue began over a year ago. Rather than continue to pay property taxes and carry liability on a 60' by 120' portion of the parking lot, which had for years been used by the Town as municipal parking, the owners of the numbered company put the land, located behind The Trophy Case restaurant, up for sale. After a closed door session of Council failed to come up with an acceptable purchase offer, the company put the property on the market, and finally, decided to build a 2 or 3 storey 3,200 sq. ft, office building on the land. Construction would have eliminated about 29 parking spaces. It was Councillor Ron Simpson who brought the issue back before Council, two weeks ago proposing a motion to reconsider the company's latest asking price behind closed doors, and reopen negotiations. When the motion was defeated, Simpson instead gave notice of a straightforward motion to simply accept the final offer of Ontario 1091795, "yes or no." Both Councillors Sharon Villani and Marty Toombs opposed entertaining the motion, arguing that is was the same motion in a different guise. "Your worship, I would ask you at some point to take control of the issue," Toombs said, noting that the only thing that had changed over the intervening months was that the price had gone up, and that there were new conditions - including a demand that the Town assume all legal costs. After Councillors had voted to waive the Procedural By-law to permit the motion to proceed, Toombs accused Council, "We're braking the rules - you're doing everything possible you can to keep this on the table." "And you and Councillor Sharon Villani are doing everything you can to keep this off the table," retorted Councillor Simpson. Councillor Sharon Villani said that she had not received a single phone call from any of her constituents on the potential loss of the parking lot. "They don't really shop downtown, because there's not much there...They shop in Newmarket." But Councillor Simpson argued, " The loss of 20-plus parking spots will be devastating to our downtown businesses. We've got to support our downtown businesses - they're great taxpayers." He noted that the original offer (about $30,000) was based on the 1996 actual value assessment, while property prices have climbed in the last 3 years. The owners have paid the taxes on the property, and had other out-of-pocket expenses, including consulting fees - explaining the increase in the asking price, he said. He called the purchase a "once in a lifetime opportunity", and urged Council to act on the offer, which had been extended to June 22nd, the date of the Council meeting. Councillor Marty Toombs reiterated that "100% of people on Council want to see this property purchased" - but not at the asking price. But Simpson noted that the owners have set the price. "Yes, it's more than we should be paying...but two or three years down the road it won't look as bad." He pointed out that a vacant lot on John Street about half the size of the Mary Street lot had recently sold for $50,000 in one day. "The parking spaces are important to the downtown," said Deputy Mayor Bud Brown. He called the asking price "probably reasonable..When those parking spaces are lost, they're lost for good. The lot is improved, there's paving on it... We have to bite the bullet, I think, and purchase this property." In the recorded vote, Mayor Frank Jonkman, Deputy Mayor Bud Brown, and Councillors Brian Bonany, Ron Simpson, Gary Lamb and Peter Dykie voted in favor. Councillors Sharon Villani and Marty Toombs voted against. The Town currently has $46,000 in reserve for new parking spaces.