Postcard Memories is a series of historic views, stories, and photos of Bradford and the area, a trip down memory lane on a Saturday morning.
Here is a picture I came across from a Facebook memory posted 10 years ago.
I was capturing the progress of the development of our brand new house on Weir Street that my then-boyfriend and I just purchased.
My, my how this street, subdivision, and town has changed over the past decade.
I remember when we first started looking at houses, our focus was on the Innisfil and Barrie area due to affordability and proximity to family. But at the time I was working in downtown Toronto, and the commute was just too long.
One day, feeling defeated, we went for a drive and found the Westin Homes sales office on Faris Street, Bradford, advertising homes for the second phase of Grand Central.
I instantly fell in love with Bradford. Driving around Grand Central made me feel like I was in Pleasantville. It was a sunny spring day and everyone was outside, gardening, riding bikes, and smiling.
It was still far from Toronto, but bearable with the GO Train nearby.
I knew then I wanted this to be my home.
The sales lady informed us that the prices of the homes would sell fast and encouraged us to buy.
She wasn't wrong. A few weeks later the prices went up and lots were being scooped up.
We signed our purchase agreement in April 2011 and moved in January 2012. Throughout those nine months of construction, we would anxiously drive by every few weeks to check out the progress that had been made.
From the pouring of the foundation to the framing, we were excited with every step of the process until we officially got the keys from the builder.
At the time, there wasn't much development happening in terms of grocery and retail. We had WalMart and Sobeys for our groceries. Zehrs did not come until December 2012. I remember because they had a grand opening event with a reindeer at the store!
I also remember Zehrs being the only one in Holland Street Square plaza, and the empty fields were used to host the Rib Fests every summer. I had my friends and family visit, and we would just walk to the festival. It was perfect.
I have so many great memories of the past decade in Bradford, where I started my adult life of homeownership, marriage, and parenthood. I can't wait to see what the next decade brings.
