Here's where you can learn a little Ontario history

The Dutch Settlement of Holland Marsh

Photo by Alan L Brown - April, 2004

Plaque Location

The Region of York
The Town of Newmarket
On the west side of Dufferin Street
4.8 km north of Davis Drive West (Road 9)

Coordinates: N 44 05.135 W 79 32.476

Plaque Text

The Holland Marsh consists of 2800 ha of reclaimed land in the Schomberg River Valley. Named after an early provincial official, this fertile area was drained between 1925 and 1930. John Snor, Canadian representative of the Netherlands Emigration Foundation, visited the sparsely settled marsh and proposed the relocation here of recent Dutch immigrants in Ontario. Assisted by grants from the Netherlands, Canada and Ontario, fifteen Dutch families, many from Friesland and Groningen originally, settled on the marsh in 1934 and formed the nucleus of the community of Ansnorveldt. Later, Dutch farmers settled throughout the Marsh. Through skilled farming practice and co-operative management, the Dutch were the first group successfully to develop the Marsh as one of Ontario's most important vegetable growing districts.

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Here are the comments for this page.

Posted April 8, 2011
I was born and raised in Ansnorveldt in the Marsh, never thinking it was any different than anywhere else. It wasn't until I went to Holland as an adult that I realized the traditions that the Dutch brought to Canada and the Marsh. I truly feel that I was exposed to a significant part of History.

Posted April 19, 2010
My grandparents immigrated here and I attended the Christian school in Holland Marsh. It was definitely a tight knit community. Great produce is grown here.

Posted November 28, 2008
Only once in a lifetime do you have the opportunity to view such a place. The Holland Marsh is a farming area, a community, a family and so much more. It brings life, happiness and prosperity. It is a foundation that is built on swampy waters and that is what makes it special.

Posted November 7, 2008
I've been through Holland Marsh many times. Very beautiful and well kept by all those hard working Dutch folk.

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