The Village of Newmarket, York County, Ontario, was incorporated effective January 1, 1858 under Canada Statutes 1857, Chapter 102.
It became a Town through a Proclamation dated August 7, 1880 issued under the terms of the Municipal Act, Ontario Statutes, and amendments. This Act permitted communities to petition the Legislative Assembly for incorporation as townships, towns or villages on reaching specified population levels.
An incorporated town, lower tier municipality, has a council consisting of an elected Mayor and councillors the number of which depend on the size of the municipality. Its responsibilities relate largely to the upkeep of the local road system and the delivery of services such as policing, water and sewage. It has wide powers relating to the regulation of land and local administration through by-laws. It has the power to raise money through direct taxation on land and through the use of debentures.
For 100 years in the 19th Century from settlement to town status there were only three buildings that were publicly owned. These were fundamental to the livelihood of the community. The fire hall (1866) for housing disaster fighting equipment, the existing Town Hall (1882) for marketing farm produce to feed the citizens and the Waterworks (1889) for domestic and commercial water supply. In 1897 a skating/curling rink was located on Main St. near Simcoe St. but it was owned by shareholders. An exhibition “Palace” was erected on the fairgrounds in 1866 and owned by the Agricultural Society with large gatherings for annual displays of livestock, farm produce and horse racing events.
For 100 years in the 19th Century from settlement to town status there were only three buildings that were publicly owned. These were fundamental to the livelihood of the community. The fire hall (1866) for housing disaster fighting equipment, the existing Town Hall (1882) for marketing farm produce to feed the citizens and the Waterworks (1889) for domestic and commercial water supply. In 1897 a skating/curling rink was located on Main St. near Simcoe St. but it was owned by shareholders. An exhibition “Palace” was erected on the fairgrounds in 1866 and owned by the Agricultural Society with large gatherings for annual displays of livestock, farm produce and horse racing events.
An impetus for trade and commerce increased with the coming of the steam railway in 1853. Major industry started in 1874 when William Cane & Sons established a woodworking factory, followed by the Office Specialty Mfg. Company in 1896 and Davis Leather Company in 1904. The Office Specialty Co. is listed herewith because the municipality owns its remaining element.
Population growth, especially since the 1950’s with reconstruction and rehabilitation following WW2. is the predominate factor for public demand of culture and recreation facilities compatible with contemporary life style. It was not until the millennium year 2000 that a truly independent municipal office building was established on MULOCK Drive. The ancillary buildings are monitored by committees or Boards of Directors appointed by town bylaws and are responsible to the municipal Council.
Town Clerk’s Office – 1st
The first building used for municipal business was located at the northwest corner of Main and Lot Sts. (renamed to Millard Ave. in April 1921). It was originally built to serve as a Registry Office in 1863 when a law was enacted to make it mandatory to record all vital statistics and titles of land registration. The structure was approximately 38ft.x 20ft. unexcavated with solid brick walls 18” thick. Five steps approached a central entrance from Main St.. The interior contained an 8ft x 10ft. vault in the n/w corner. Due to the wall thickness the working space was quite small. By 1884 the accommodation was unable to the volume of accumulated records so a larger office was erected on the next adjoining lot at 134 Main St.
When the old building was vacated in 1884 it was owned by the County of York and rented to David Lloyd who used it for his private business of loans, real estate, insurance agencies, commissioner of affidavits and issuer of marriage licenses. All this was concurrent with his appointment as Town Clerk/Treasurer. By 1881 the village had reached “town” status. The population increased from 2006 in 1881 to 2379 in 1900.
During 1904 the Town Council negotiated with County Council to acquire the old registry office for exclusive use of town business, tax records, utility payments etc. The purchase price was $800 was agreed but there was not much money in the treasury, so Col. T.H. Lloyd (who lived at 160 Main St.) advanced $1,000 @ 6% per annum to the town for the purchase by the municipality for a Clerk’s Office and it continued as such until 1942
MUNICIPAL OFFICES
171 MAIN ST.
1959 to 1988
In July 1950 the Town Council with Mayor Joseph Vale purchased the property at 171 Main St. from the Dr. Webb estate for $18,000 ostensibly to be used as a library (refer to Library history). However this was put aside to give priority to the York County Health Unit that was formed in 1947 when the Province chose Newmarket for its location. Their office was initially in the “Widdifield” building at the corner of Main and Botsford Sts. They occupied the premises from 1950 until 1958 when they moved to the County Administration building on Bayview Ave, During their stay a serious fire in 1956 to the rear portion closed the building until repaired at a cost of $28,893. and reopened on September 19, 1957
The Town Clerks office under Wesley Brooks moved from the Town Hall to 171 Main St in February 1959. By this time the population had increased demanding more administration and space requirements for the Town Clerk staff, assessor, building inspector, industrial commissioner and ton engineer. During the 1960 decade the problem of accommodation became more critical especially with the pending impact of introduction of Regional Government in 1971. This caused great anxiety by Council to handle a population increase of over 7000 and five times the area. Priorities were set for a new administration building.
In February 1971 the Council made a gesture to acquire the Office Specialty offices at corner of Prospect and Water Sts. but were outbid by the York County Police Board who made a deal for $227,500. The next move was to consider the purchase of the redundant Office Specialty factory site between Timothy and Water Sts. The company had gone into decline and surrendered the whole area following the fire that demolished the entire factory on April 15, 1971. In July 1972 Council was prepared to make an offer. Architect’s plans and surveys were made, soil tests taken, with an estimate of $436,500. It was intended to be a winter works grant but the Ontario Municipal Board ruled that a referendum was required to obtain approval. The referendum was not held but the Town purchased the property anyway and recovered their investment later from the Ontario Housing Corporation. The area remained idle for five tears In 1975 negotiations by O.H.C. resulted in decision to erect a senior citizens building on the site. The project was defined in 1977 for a 100-unit nine-storey “high-rise” Construction started in 1979 and was officially opened in June 1980.
The search for a new location ended with the resolve to remain at 171 Main St and enlarge the structure to meet the space requirements. In July 1973 plans were prepared by Fraser, Milne Architects with an estimate of $150,000 to extend eastward with vault and storage area in the basement and offices on the main and second floors. A store immediately to the south was purchased from Victor Giovanelli in 1974 and demolished to provide a landscaped area and passage through to the community parking lot.
A further extension was approved and started in 1979 with an estimate of $285,000. This evolved into a complex with varying floor levels, four storeys at the east end adapting to the topography of the land. The whole of Main St. is on the edge of an escarpment and the relatively steep gradient required the skill of the architects to conform. Accommodation was provided for recreation engineering and building inspector departments on the lower levels. Town Clerk treasurer, administration co-ordinator and council chambers on the main floor, The Mayors office, committee room and offices on the top floor. Occupancy was ready in 1980 but was delayed by a strike of construction workers. The official opening finally took place in April 1981.
The municipal office family bedded in until community growth forced another move in 1988.
Installment two will pick up with the move to the Tannery and then to the location on Mulock Drive!
