Let’s visit Maple Gables, that stately Yonge Street farmhouse on the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Millard Avenue. This home has quite a local history, enhanced by the people who have called it home. While it is currently the home of the Sociable Pub, buildings like this quite often have an uncertain future, so it…
Author: HistoryHound
Southern Ontario Was Home To 2 Notorious Residential Schools
This is part two of my two-part series on the history of the residential school system,with a focus on southern Ontario. You can read part one here. In Ontario, there were roughly 15 residential schools and 13 of those were attended by Nishnawbe Aski Nation children. I have listed below the Ontario schools and posted a…
Residential Schools An Appalling Chapter In Canada’s History
This is the first of a two-part series on residential schools in Canada. In part one, we will examine the subject from a national perspective, while in part two, we will narrow our focus to southern Ontario. I hope to start the discussion by addressing some facts that you may not currently know or perhaps…
Notable Main Street Merchants Abound In Newmarket’s Ward 4 Street Names
Let’s continue our look at the provenance of Ward 3 street names. There are a few streets omitted as I need to do further research, but I’ll tackle them before the end of this series. If you would like to participate by offering some insight into the specific origins of any streets I haven’t mentioned, I…
Many Ward 3 Street Names Honor Original Landowners, Merchants In Newmarket
Let’s return to our series on Newmarket’s street names and the celebration of residents who have been so honoured. We still have a few street names to look at from Ward 2 before we begin looking at Ward 3. Bert Budd Avenue carries the name of the man who for years was “the photographer” in…
Once Mighty Holland River Played A Key Role In Newmarket’s Growth, Prosperity!
While the Holland River has changed considerably over these many hundreds of years, it remains embedded in our historical psyche of the area to this day. The Holland River was originally known as Micicaquean Creek, its Indigenous name. It was renamed by Lieut.-Gov. Simcoe after Capt. Samuel (Johannes) Holland, (1729–1801), the Dutch-born, first surveyor general of British North America….
Ward 2 Street Names Honor Pickering College, Farmers, Merchants, Politicians
As we continue our look at the provenance of street names in Ward 2, we will learn about old merchant families, politicians, doctors and professional people and our pioneer families. We have frequently named a street after someone who has served the community in a professional capacity, such as Robert Alexander (Alexander Road), a teacher at…
Newmarket Founding Families, Sports Heroes, Longtime Politicians Honored In Ward 2 Street Names
This part two of my series on the providence of our Newmarket street names. In the first article, we looked at our street names in Ward 1. Before we get started, I need to add to the criteria and process for the dedication of street names as I forgot to mention another avenue available for getting a…
Accidents, Misadventures Mark Railroad’s Early Years In Newmarket Area
This is the second of my two-part series on the railroad and the part it has played in our local history. Part one looked at the arrival of the railroad, now we will look at the effects of its arrival, including the numerous accidents and misadventures resulting from the rapid growth of this new medium of…
The Lady Elgin Led Fleet Of Locomotives That Came To Newmarket Station
This article is the first of a two-part series on the arrival of the railway in Newmarket and area. Plans to bring a railway that would serve the area between Toronto and Barrie, with stops in Aurora and Newmarket along the way, would begin in 1835 when “An Act to Incorporate the City of Toronto and Lake…
