Local history
Coming In-Person
Our George and Helen Jackson Heritage Room on the second floor of the Library is home to many local historical resources, including histories of families, properties, and street names, as well as maps, cemetery guides, yearbooks, municipal publications, and more.
This room also holds our microfilm collection and microfilm reader. Our microfilm collection includes an incomplete record of local newspapers and census records dating as far back as 1854. A complete listing of our microfilm holdings may be found in our Microfilm Collection listed in our Digital Archive. Please note information regarding Copyright and Intellectual Property of newspaper content listed on our Digital Archive Homepage.
Digitized copies of newspapers up to 1948 are available through our free NewspaperArchive resource from any computer connected to the BWG Library internet or Wifi. Click here to access (in-Library only).
Much of our local history collection can be found using the Library catalogue. All items in our Local History Collection, Microfilm Collection and Archive Room can be made available through booking an appointment with a staff member through a phone call or email:
Phone: 905-775-3328 x 6123
Email: LHistory@bradford.library.on.ca
Dig Deeper
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Bradford West Gwillimbury Local History Association
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The Local History Association meets regularly on the second Saturday of the month. Membership is $10.00 / year for one person or $15.00/year for a family membership. For more information about the Association, contact Lhistory@bradford.library.on.ca to be connected to the Association Chair.
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BWG Genealogy Group |
Interested in researching your family tree? Or supporting other genealogy queries?
The BWG Genealogy Group is a supportive space of neighbours who meet monthly to share resources, offer guidance, and help one another with their genealogy research. Meetings are generally held on the second Thursday of the Month from 6:00 – 7:45PM in the Library Board Room.
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Local Museum and Archives
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Simcoe County Museum and the Museum on the Boyne collect and preserve artifacts of local importance. Plan a visit to experience history first hand. The Simcoe County Archives also has an extensive collection and provides research assistance.
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For Information
David di Giovanni
Manager of Cultural Services
Resources for Online Research
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Bradford West Gwillimbury Digital Archive
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Find images, articles, vital statistics and original essays in our online Digital Archives |
| NewspaperArchive |
Access hundreds of historic Canadian newspapers for free, including local Bradford and South Simcoe papers onsite from any computer connected to the BWG Library internet or Wifi (in-Library only). Click here to access.
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Library Ancestry.com Account and Toronto Star Pages of the Past
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All Library card holders also have access to the library’s Ancestry.com Library Edition (in-library use only) as well as the Toronto Star’s Pages of the Past
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Other Popular Research Resources
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Ontario Community Newspapers Portal |
Not sure where to start? A staff member in our local history department would be happy to support you. Please contact us through:
Phone: 905-775-3328 x 6123
Email: LHistory@bradford.library.on.ca