For Pat and Rob Wood, the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association is a way to explore their roots in the municipality, dating back to 1800s.
For others, like Frans Aschwanden and Mikki Nanowski, it’s a way to connect with the community and create new roots.
Nanowski’s parents came to Bradford West Gwillimbury when she was eight years old, after moving to Canada as new immigrants. Here, they owned and operated the restaurant and gas station at Highway 27 and Line 8 – and she treasures the photos and records that document the family’s life in town.
Investigating and preserving local history can help to create a sense of belonging and place, she said.
“Local history is so important. It’s all the little pieces that make the big pieces. It’s the grassroots.”
The Aschwandens originally came from Switzerland. He said he has no “Canadian roots,” but his focus on local history encapsulated the Canadian experience – not only long-time settlers, but the arrival, assimilation, aspirations and achievements of those who made the area home.
The BWG Local History Association is open to anyone with an interest in the events and people who have defined the municipality. With 50-plus members, the association meets every month, welcoming guest speakers on a range of topics, which, this year, included local First World War veterans and the reminiscences of the so-called Bradford Old Boys, who lived and grew up in the area.
As well, the BWG Local History Association has contributed to the history display cases and local history room at the BWG Public Library, and it has been instrumental in the preservation and designation of the Auld Kirk on Line 6, a church established by Red River Settlement pioneers returning to West Gwillimbury in 1819.
Members got together for their annual Christmas potluck dinner on Dec. 13 in the Zima Room of the BWG Public Library. Aschwanden emceed the evening, and provided slideshows that featured photos from the association’s two-volume book Governor Simcoe Slept Here: The Legacy of West Gwillimbury, special events, and Canada’s 1967 Centennial activities and memories.
There was plenty of laughter and joking – especially when the Centennial photos were on the screen, highlighting hairstyles and fashions from the 1960s.
It all reflected the goals of the BWG Local History Association. “We are creating our history,” said Nanowski. “We want to know the history we are part of.”
Association membership is $10 per person, $15 per family, and new members are always welcome. The next meeting will take place in January.