The Holland Marsh A Study In Pioneering (The Grower) Under the above headline, a review of the development of the Holland Marsh Gardens, as recorded by Bill Day, son of the late Professor William H. Day, appears in the June issue of The Grower. The appearance of this reminder of the development, growth, and prosperity among those who have made the marsh what it is today, may be timely during this week when a sad blow has been dealt the promising looking crops for 1967. The sons and daughters of those marsh garden pioneers are not likely to permit the reverse of the past week to "get them down." From The Grower, quote: "A mere ditch swarming with bullfrogs and snakes." This was the Holland Marsh in 1825, according to John Galt. But great oaks from little acorns grow, and that ditch was destined to become the "vegetable garden of Canada." From ditch to garden was a long way. It was a way paved with adversities, but owing to the foresight of a few, and to the courage of many, the Holland Marsh flourishes in 1967. The Marsh was named after Major S. Holland, the first surveyor-general of Upper Canada. The first crop to be grown in the area was marsh hay. The hay was used in the manufacture of mattresses at the beginning of the century. At that time, an acre of land cost only 88 cents. By 1914, 12,000 acres of marsh land had been cleared for the production of the marsh hay. But one man had much grander plans for the Marsh. He was William Henry Day, a professor of the Ontario Agricultural College at Guelph. Professor Day recognized good soil when he saw it. He saw it in the Holland Marsh! In 1911, 4,000 acres of land were bought by Prof. Day, D.P.Munro, and R.L. McKinnon. Prof. Day grew test vegetable crops until the First World War interrupted his plans. The area still had to be drained, however, and for this, capital was necessary. It was no easy matter to obtain support for an enterprise which everyone considered foolhardy. Prof. Day's efforts were rewarded in 1925, when a contract for the drainage of the Holland Marsh was signed by West Gwillimbury and King townships, and the town of Bradford. Prof. Day was the first to grow crops on the marsh in 1926, after the reclamation. About two years later, G. Green, D. Nolan and B. Cesare arrived on the scene. In speaking of the hardships of those first days William Day, the son of Professor Day, says: "We were less fortunate than Noland and Green and Cesare. Noland and Green had one tractor and Cesare the another. They worked within sigh of each other, and when one saw the other tractor bogged down, he would unhitch his plow and go over and pull it out. Probably an hour later, he would go down and have to be pulled out in his turn. We were alone and had to pry the tractor up with logs when we got stuck." The main crop in the early days was lettuce. Onions, which later were to become the main crop, did not thrive well, because then, the land was not sufficiently broken down for them. Some carrots grew to be over a foot long. In 1930, Prof. Day could boast of a $26,000 crop which was grown on 37 acres. Settling The Holland Marsh was now beginning to attract the attention of other people. John Snor, representative of the Netherlands Immigration Foundation recognized the potential of the area as a prospective home for Dutch settlers. And so, in 1934, the first pioneers came from the Netherlands. They named their community, "Ansnorveld" meaning "on Snor's field". Here 18 families each worked industriously on their five acres of land, just as they had done in their homeland. The rich soil was not unlike the Dutch soil they had left behind. Another marsh village called "Springdale" was similarly settled by people from the Netherlands. In 1938, still other sections of the Marsh were occupied by settlers from Czechoslovakia. From then on, the population of the eclectic Holland Marsh grew rapidly. Germany, Hungary, Poland and the Ukraine, Japan and other countries were soon represented. By 1953, the number of families living on the Holland Marsh was 700. Their 7,000 acres of land were not bringing in over $6,000,000 a year. The value of an acre of land was not anywhere from $600 to $1,000! Hurricane Hazel One October 15, 1954, the flood water of Hurricane Hazel devastated the Holland Marsh. Three thousand residents were driven from their homes. The waters rose steadily, reaching 12 feet in some areas. Sea gulls hovered over what has once been solid ground. Crops still remaining on the fields were completely destroyed. The Holland Marsh Emergency Relief was set up. Financial aid was also received from the Netherlands, a country which has itself often experienced floods. The gigantic "Operation Mop-Up" was begun in an attempt to restore a semblance of order. Machinery pumping at over 200,000 gallons of water per minute, was worked day and night for almost four weeks. In spite of the disaster, when spring came, the growers were ready again to resume their tasks. Today, there are over 7,200 reclaimed acres, almost one-third of which are devoted each year to the production of onions alone. The produce of the Holland Marsh has found markets not only in Canada and the United States, but also in British Guiana, Northern Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the West Indies. Truly, the Holland Marsh is Canada's "heart of the vegetable industry". Its success story is a tribute to the many people who toll diligently upon its soil. It is people like these who are making Canada a country in which we are proud to live.
