Aurora, Newmarket and Bradford West Gwillimbury – A Visit to Hillary House, the Sharon Temple and the Newmarket Canal Ruins

In this post I lump in a few distant elements located south of Lake Simcoe into a single road trip. What binds all of these together is their geographic proximity and the fact that they are easy to miss! These include the following:

• Aurora
• Newmarket Canal Ruins (Holland Marsh)
• Bradford West Gwillimbury
• The Sharon Temple
• Newmarket

Table of Contents

• Hillary House & Koffler Museum of Medicine (Aurora)
• Newmarket Canal Ruins (Holland Marsh)
• Bradford West Gwillimbury and the Sharon Temple
• Newmarket
• Conclusion

Hillary House & Koffler Museum of Medicine (Aurora)

The first place we visit in this post is the tiny, yet wealthy, town of Aurora. In fact it has been ranked in the top 10 wealthiest towns in Canada, although most of the city is of no particular interest to me, being a mish mash of bland suburban development. There is one important site in town and that is the Hillary house is a National Historic Site. This stunning home is renowned for its intricate detailing and fine display of the Gothic Revival style. This architecture was meant to display Christian values in architecture, and can be seen most notable in the wraparound veranda porch, the detailing in the central gable and with gabled windows with pointed arches.

Outside you will find well manicured landscaping and a wooden extension. Inside yo will find a remodeled billards room with high ceilings. I do say remodeled as the house has seen many occupants starting with Dr. Water Bayne Geikie in 1862. Four doctors lived in Hillary House with their families during the 19th century, developing deep roots with the community, hence its connection to the medical field.

There are also a few houses nearby that are just as beautiful, so take a quick walk around the neighborhood. You may also want to make a quick stop on Yonge Street, this recognizable Toronto street extents all the way to Lake Simcoe, through Aurora itself.

Newmarket Canal Ruins (Holland Marsh)

Following Yonge Street north through Newmarket to the Holland marsh, you will find one of Canada great Engineering blunders. The strange thing about this particular attraction, is that I have driven over it several times without noticing that the bloody thing even existed. In fact a roadway bridge on Yonge Street is constructed directly above this ancient lock station, and the vegetation around it has grown so thick that you can hardly see it.

Below the lock is the fast flowing East Holland River. You can park at the Nokiidaa Trail parking lot. This trail links the communities of the three Newmarket communities: Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury, all of which are mentioned in this post. A second lock exists in Newmarket but due to the extensive height differential and lack of water supply, the project was deemed almost impossible to complete. In all there were four locks constructed to make to make up for the second issue, all now lying in a state of ruins.

The abandoned and unfinished canal and its locks were an expensive pet project of the local Liberal MP William Mulock, at the tail end of Sir Wilfred Laurier’s tenure as the Liberal Prime Minister. It is believed that the scandal caused by this project helped bring down his goverment. Despite the lack of engineering studies, the MP and his constituency pressured the Prime minister for this project that would connect Lake Simcoe to the Trent Severn waterway so that they could bypass the rising railway fees, the project soon ballooned in cost and had to be abandoned, becoming known as “Mulocks Folly”. To get an idea of what the public opinion was at the time, check out this quote from J.A Curie, an oposition MP mocking the goverment.

Throughout the summer people go there in pilgrimages to see this great public work of Ontario: it is something like the Colossus of Rhodes or like the Suez canal, and people go to see it out of curiosity, and they get an object lesson that opens their eyes to the way this Government is wasting public money

The Conservative MP for North Simcoe, J.A. Currie,

Even without these concerns, the canal would have had low traffic and was not economically viable making these “ghost” locks, a monument to government mismanagement and hubris.

Bradford West Gwillimbury and the Sharon Temple

Finally I stopped at the town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, named after the familly of Elizabeth Simcoe, wife of John Graves Simcoe, of whom the nearby lake is named after. Mr. Graves was the first Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and shaped the development of the Region. Her family was née Gwillim, hence Gwilimbury. The town hall is quite nice but otherwise I would proceed to the Sharon Temple.

Erected in 1832, this beautiful Davidite temple was established by a disowned Quaker from New York. The temple retained much of the Quaker character and customs of the man who built it. This building was inspired from the biblical descriptions of New Jerusalem and Soloman’s Temple.

Newmarket

Outside of visiting the Newmarket Canal Ruins along the Holland River, there is a few things do do and see in this rather large town. I say rather large as I was surprised at the size of the town, especially in this part of rural Ontario.

The charm of the town lies in its traditional main street. In fact this vibrant commercial past is reflected in the name of the town “New Market”! This was done purposefully to distinguish it from York (Toronto). Today the city is also home to a medium sized mall called the Upper Canada Mall.

The town was at first but a collection of farming communities but began to developed as a proprer industrial center on the Northern Railway of Canada’s mainline (1853). The corridor was built parallel to what would become the downtown area.

It would fully realize its long sought potential as a thriving market town in 1899 with the arrival of the Metropolitan Street Railway. Today it is a residential bedroom community for the city of Toronto. This was facilitated by the expansion of Ontario Highway 400 and Ontario Highway 404 in the 1980s, facilitating commutes south.

In Newmarket, I would recommend walking the pathways in the green space following the old Newmarket Canal/Holland River east of downtown.

It is there that you will find a hulking concrete mass, that doubles as an ach over the river. Fear not! This is not a piece of ugly modern art 😉 but an important industrial artefact. It is the Newmarket Radial Railway Arch. Dating from 1909 it was constructed by the now defuct Toronto and York Radial Railway (T&YRR).

The watercourse can be followed upstream where it terminates at Fairy Lake Park, a reservoir just south of the main street. In fact a weir from the lake can be seen from under the crossing. It controls the waterflow downstream.

The section flowing directly from the weir is actually a section of the Newmarket Canal now buried under the streets of the city, where a public space and buildings cover the watercourse. This includes the Event Market.

In the winter this public space is filled with Christmas lights and is quite pleasant.

Furthermore, you will find a skating rink offering a pleasant winter excursion in the shadow of the town.

On the main streets you will find many delicious places to eat including the Hungry Brew Hops pub. For food you will find a small Hungarian shops, a few pubs and an excellent Mexican restaurant, called Made in Mexico. If you are looking for good beer I would recommend the Old Flame Brewing Company, discussed in a few paragraphs.

One a sidestreet off Main Street, you will find the gorgeous townhall.

On the north side of the downtown, up on the top of the Main Street Hill where you will find the distinctive spire of the Main Street Church, you will find the Elman W. Campbell Museum. Located in an old county building it is a solid little local history museum.

Beside the museum is the Old Flame Brewing Company.

Located in an old fire hall it is a fantastic place to grab a pint!

Conclusion

Although it may seems like an unlikely place to spend a weekend, I actually quite liked the area. For those seeking history, you will easily find it and for those looking for a quiet place to rest their head it will likely suit you as well. I was here for an unlikely event, a bachelor party and wedding and I had a blast so I hope you do too.