My ongoing series on the hamlets of York Region has featured articles on the townships of East Gwillimbury, King, and Whitchurch-Stouffville. This column weekend focuses on Georgina. Georgina, although incorporated as a town, also operates as a township with the various communities in the area sharing a common administration. Located in the south-central area of Ontario,…
Tag: Oral History
Newmarket Churches Fostered Connections With Friends
This column features some of the area churches that I may have missed in previous articles with a brief history. I am currently doing heritage walks of area churches and I thought it might be a perfect time to look at some of these churches. You can access my previous article featuring St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Trinity United…
St. Andrew’s College Remains True To Its Scottish Traditions
Just like our own Pickering College, Aurora’s St. Andrew’s College has a long and distinguished history. Both educational institutions decided to re-locate to our area in search of a home more in keeping with their educational ideals. St. Andrew’s College (SAC) was founded in September 1899 by Rev. Dr. George Bruce, the first headmaster, as a residential and…
Painter Made Mark On Canadian Arts Scene
This weekend on NewmarketToday, I will be featuring another prominent local artist who achieved worldwide acclaim within the art world. In past columns, I have featured several local artists including George W. Luesby and Dorothy Clarke McClure as well as the incomparable J.W. Jefferies, father of Canadian heritage art. This weekend, we shall examine the history…
Memories Of Newmarket School Days Mostly Sweet
As I prepare for the 100th anniversary of my alma mater, Stuart Scott School on June 10, I have noticed that more and more I am reflecting on my school days, my memories of life as an 11 and 12-year-old. I hope that some of my memories spark in you the same longing for a…
Different Public Holidays Celebrated Across Canada
When I began researching my column about Victoria Day, I discovered a whole treasure trove of information on public holidays in Canada, some of it new to me. Did you know that we have different categories of holidays in this country? I never really realized the complexity inherent in our system of public holidays! Perhaps I should start…
Here’s How We Celebrated Victoria Day Over The Centuries
This weekend we are enjoying the Victoria Day long weekend but I wonder how many of you know the story of why we celebrate the day. Not everyone in Canada celebrates it as Victoria Day. Victoria Day, known in French as Fête de la Reine (Celebration of the Queen) is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last…
Arrival of Toronto Subway Sped Newmarket’s Growth
The building of the Toronto subway system played a significant role in the economic and social development of Newmarket and area. While the Toronto subway is part of a larger public transportation network that includes streetcars, buses and light rapid transit, I shall confine my examination to the subway. In a second article, I shall look at the subway…
Town Council Elections Were Once Hotly Contested
An interest of mine has been to re-examine past local elections from the perspective of hindsight and analyze the results, the issues and how that particular election effected the town, for better or worse. I have chosen to examine two municipal elections, in 1997 and 2000. Why? I am intrigued by the high number of candidates…
Many Recall Hot Cross Buns From Riddell’s Bakery
I always enjoy stepping back in time and looking at local businesses that were prominent, and the personalities who ran these beloved enterprises. Many of you may remember Geer and Byers, which was located on Botsford Street from 1933 to 1955. W.J. Geer purchased the building and the taxi business from Edward Boyd, who was our own Ted Boyd’s…
