Description : For the first three months that the Compton's Garden Market IGA was open, it was both the newest and the oldest IGA store in Canada. The IGA located at the corner of Melbourne Drive and Holland Street West in Bradford, is still the oldest store in the country, celebrating 56 years of customer service this summer. Not only that, but the IGA is still owned by the Compton family - the third generation of Comptons - and that is something that makes Dave and Karen Compton proud. The original store, opened in 1944, was located at 12 Holland Street West; from 1969 to 1983, the store was on John Street West; and from 1983 to just last year, it was located in the Holland Square Plaza. When David Compton had the opportunity to follow in his father's and grandfather's footsteps, and build a new facility, he jumped at the challenge, "It was almost a test: "Show us what you've learned." I think I put everything that I learned into the building of the store." For about 10 years, he had kept notes on what worked and what didn't - and the result is the "Market Garden", with its ample parking, high ceilings, wide aisles and generous entry-way, now being used as a model for other new IGA stores. The store will be marking its 56th anniversary with a 2 week celebration.

Photograph of the Uneeda Hotel at the Four Corners

A photograph of dogs and dog sled travelling through Bradford, taken by Lewis Campbell in 1938.

Article from the May 31, 1906 - special edition of the Bradford Witness and South Simcoe News featuring local businesses and members of the community. This article provides a history of the grain elevator business previously on the site of the current GO Train Station on Bridge Street. Farmers around town would bring in their grain to the elevators by wagon and sleighs in order to have their grains bought. The highest bidder would then direct the farmers to their specific grain mills to be processed. The building was demolished by the end of the Second World War.

This portrait is of Thomas A. Pratt, and it was featured alongside members of the Municipal Council including F. Moore, Samuel Oldham, L.J. McConkey, and George W. Stoddart.

Article on the construction of George Stoddart's residence

This event took place at the Bradford Town Hall, sometime before or during World War I.

Please contact the Bradford WG Public Library (905-775-3328) if you have any additional information about this photo or its contents.

The Canal Bank Lunch and Garage on the south west corner of the north canal bank and Simcoe road, owned by the Hrynyk’s

An old time postcard featuring Bradford Public School. This photo is from the Bradford Womens Institute Scrapbooks.

This high school was located on Queen Street in Bradford. This is a picture taken soon after the building was constructed in 1892 as the trees and bushes surrounding the school are still quite small. The first head master was S. Arthur Marling. This building burned down in 1924.