BradfordToday and InnisfilToday welcome letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter from reader and contributor Jim Culbert is about Hurricane Hazel, which struck on Oct. 15, 1954.
It started out like any October day of the time. I was living with my family as a four-year-old on the 5th Concession of West Gwillimbury.
By 3 o'clock the winds were getting up and around 4 o'clock I remember seeing what I thought was a white sheet heading from the west. What it was was actually the rain coming fast driven by high winds. That was it for outdoor play for the day.
After supper my sisters and I were off to bed. Sometime in the night I woke up to Mom speaking rather loudly so what does a inquisitive kid do but get out and bed and head for the voices. Mom was in the bathroom with her pots and pans around her and one in her hand. I looked up and there was the trap door to the attic and dad was reaching down to receive yet another pan from Mom.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “The roof is leaking from the rain driving so hard it is ripping off the shingles.” Mom replied. “Now go back to bed!”
Morning came and I looked out the window. What was once a little creek in the summer was a raging river in the low part of the farm.
The sun was out and the rain had stopped. Mom said we were going to take a drive over to Uncle Jock and Aunt Norma's farm which was on the northwest corner of 10th Sideroad and Sixth Concession.
We arrived but could not go up the lane. The lane was gone except for a large round culvert with massive amounts of water flowing from west to east. Uncle Jock and Aunt Norma were on the north side of the “river” and we were on the road side.
From there we went up to Highway 88 and got on the southbound lane of the new Highway 400. The first leg of the 400 was opened in 1952 connecting Toronto to Barrie. It ran right through the the Holland Marsh which was very fertile and waiting for people to come and expand the agricultural community. In 1931 and 1934, 18 Dutch families came to purchase and work their land.
One such family was the DePeuter family. I understand that they lived on the west side of the 400 and when Hazel came through the water came up to the top of their floor. Mrs. DePeuter had a trap door in the floor that was used to keep veggies in a cool space under the house, as the water rose it was pushing up the trap door so Mr. DePeuter nailed the floor down. Well this caused the house to lift off the stilts and begin to float toward the 400. When the house would list to one side the family of 13 would run uphill and level the house. This was the way it was until it rested on the west side of the 400.
The families flooded out were taken to Bradford where the Rotary Club of Bradford set up a trailer camp. Meals were provided at the Old Town Hall. A recreation building was set up to take showers, do laundry and even a television was installed for the displaced families. A clothing outlet was set up and staffed by volunteers.
Mrs. George Green who lived almost at the top of Church Street told me that they were asked to provide food, pickles, jams, etc. for the displaced guests. When she opened the cellar door to get supplies she had the shock of seeing it was totally submersed with water. There was so much rain that the town drains were backed up, flooding even some homes on the highest hill in Bradford.
The “guests” were well taken care of. When Christmas rolled around there was even a community Christmas concert.
Spring rolled around and the homes were repaired and the “guests” returned home grateful for the residents of Bradford for looking after them all winter. Most of the marsh was ready for spring planting and it is said that the flood waters benefited the soil.
Not only the Holland Marsh was affected but many small creeks and rivers in southern Simcoe County were hit by the hurricane.
The “Beeton Flats” was hit hard with cattle ending up in trees and many found dead on shore when the waters lowered.
A sad day for many farmers also.
If you want to see a video of the event go to youtu.be.
Jim Culbert
Former Bradford resident
