A Little EG History

East Gwillimbury has a long rich history going back to the 18th century. Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe ordered Yonge street built all way to the village of Holland Landing. He named the areas to the north and east Gwillimbury, respectively – after his wife Elizabeth Gwillim. As the years passed, more little communities were created, Brown Hill, Franklin, Holland Landing, Holt (formerly Eastville), Mount Albert, Queensville (formerly colloquially known as The Four Corners), Ravenshoe, River Drive, and Sharon (formerly Hope). In 1913, all the townships records were destroyed in the fire that consumed the clerk’s office in Queensville.
A great visual symbol of the long history of EG is “The Ghost Canal”. Originally designed and planned as a way to avoid paying increasing fees on the Northern Railway of Canada, which endangered the ability of Newmarket business to stay competitive. Take a walk on the Nokiidaa bike trail and see the remains of the canal for yourself.