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Onion topper in the Verkaik's barn after Hurricane Hazel.

G. Van der Kooi, F. Weening and Sjeord Van der Kooi stand with the flooded Marsh behind them.

Auke Ellens' store interior after the flood of Hurricane Hazel

Municipality : West Gwillimbury
Community : Holland Marsh
Lot : 8
Concession : 3

Description : This photo is taken from west of Hwy. 400 after Hurricane Hazel (Oct. 15, 1954). Debris is shown piled up along Hwy. 400, which is on the far side of the hydro poles. The top of a long pile of bagged onions can be seen in the foreground. Note: onions were not used as sandbags.

Municipality : West Gwillimbury
Community : Holland Marsh
Lot : 8
Concession : 3
Description : A flooded field facing north east from Hwy. 400 after Hurricane Hazel (Oct. 15, 1954). In the foreground is the service road that runs beside Hwy. 400 between Hwy. 9 and the Canal Road. Bags of harvested onions are stacked in the field.

Article on the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Hazel, with recollections from Marsh and Bradford residents

"With the Hurricanes battering Florida and the Caribbean this season - Charley, Frances, Ivan and now Jean - residents may be thinking about Ontario's own brush with a hurricane, back in 1954.
Fifty years ago, Hurricane Hazel swept into Southern Ontario, confounding the meteorologists who were predicting little more than the usual "tail end" of the storm, and days of moderate rains. Instead, residents were buffeted by hurricane force winds and heavy rains that caused severe flooding - especially in the Holland Marsh. ..."

Debris from the marshland piling up along Highway 400. Photograph from Betty Kennedy's 'Hurricane Hazel,' found in the Local History Collection.

Aerial view of Springdale Reformed Church in the flood after Hurricane Hazel

The landing place for boats on the dyke near Peter Verkaik's house (in the background) during Hurricane Hazel. A boat delivers some marsh folks to dry land. In this picture, the person on the far right is Leon Radder, the person with the captain's cap is Auke Ellens , and the person standing behind him is Albert Van Dyke.