When was the last time you had an old-fashion conversation? Not one conducted over Facebook or by email, or a brief chat about the weather with a neighbour while rushing off somewhere. I am talking about a two-way exchange about something meaningful, a community connection. I remember having so many quality interactions with people around…
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Drinking Beer Was ‘Necessity’ For Newmarket’s Settlers
Since many of us have “a wee drop” in celebration of New Year’s Eve, here’s a short history of breweries and the brewing industry as it relates to our area. There has been an ongoing struggle to determine the place that alcohol should play in our community. You can read my article on Newmarket’s prohibition for background. Brewing in…
Teen Town Highlight Of Social Scene In 1950s, ’60s
I have been working on this article since I first began writing this column nearly five years ago, looking back at some of the memories associated with Newmarket’s Teen Town that are still so strong after all these years. My sincere thanks need to go out to all those who have participated in quite a few…
Transitioning To Vibrancy In Sharon
This weekend on NewmarketToday we return to our examination of the hamlet of Sharon and its transition into a vibrant village. Last weekend we looked at the establishment of the community and the vital part that the Children of Peace played and this weekend we will expand our exploration. I mentioned in my first article the skills and…
Hamlet Of Sharon Traces Its Roots To Loyalists, Quakers
In my continuing series on the historic hamlets in our area, we travel to East Gwillimbury. I’ll begin with a brief history of East Gwillimbury. There are three townships bearing the name of Gwillimbury: East and North Gwillimbury in the County of York, and West Gwillimbury in Simcoe County. These townships take their name from the…
Which Newmarket Heritage Projects Get A Thumbs Up?
In this week’s column, I examine the wins, losses when it comes to local heritage preservation over the years! This is, of course, from my perspective! This is part two of my series examining local heritage preservation, which focuses on some specific heritage properties, evaluating the projects using the criteria set out in part one, and determining their…
Re-Purposing Heritage Buildings Builds A Bridge Between The Old And The New
In this week’s column, highlight the many values of bringing new life to older buildings, like Newmarket’s former post office. This is a topic very close to my heart; the re-purposing of heritage buildings to preserve them for posterity. In September, I featured the story of the re-purposing of the Doane House into the Doane House Hospice and how…
Hamlet Of Ansnorveldt Known Today As The Holland Marsh
This is part three of a series on the historic hamlets around Newmarket. We continue our travels in the Township of King. Some of these historic hamlets still exist, perhaps in a reduced capacity, but you’ll find remnants of their existence if you know where to look. We begin our excursion with the hamlet of Rafferty’s Corners,…
Family Compact Founder Had Many Ties To Newmarket
In this week’s column, I highlight the links between Bishop John Strachan, founder of the powerful elite ruling institution in Upper Canada, and Newmarket The Family Compact was a political institution that shaped many aspects of our local history, which quite frankly was unclear back in my high school history lessons. The Family Compact ruled Upper Canada…
Indigenous Shared Secrets Including That Of The Sugar Bush With Settlers
Let’s examine a fun topic, you may say a “sweet topic.” Maple sugar was an important commodity for our early pioneers and, as was so often the case, the knowledge of maple sugar production came to us from our Indigenous peoples who shared the secret with our ancestors. Would our early settlers have survived life in the new world…
