Old Town Hall (1883), first snow, & rebellion!

The first serious bit of snow came today. It didn't last but it was, shall we say, inconvenient. This shot is of the Old Town Hall in Newmarket and is taken from the library's parking lot (we were on the first stop of our Christmas Bazaar tour of the day). The Hall is being restored and renovated to become a new arts and culture centre for the town which I think is wonderful. Aurora (down the road) did a similar thing with a similar building several years ago.

This site, directly in front of the town hall shown is where The Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 began. Now, it's a parking lot. Here's an extract from Wikipedia on Newmarket and its role in the Rebellion, an outstanding milestone in Canadian history:

"Newmarket played a central role in the Rebellion of 1837. The Town was a focal point of discontent against the manipulations of the governing Family Compact, of whom it was said 'were robbing the country'. Rebel leader William Lyon Mackenzie organized a series of meetings leading to the Rebellion. During the first of these meetings, on August 3, 1837, Mackenzie delivered his first campaign speech from the veranda of the North American Hotel at the corner of Botsford and Main Streets. This speech is largely credited for being the initial spark to the rebellion as it was heard by about 600 farmers and others sympathetic to Mackenzie's cause, who later that year armed themselves and marched down Yonge St. to take the capital. A number of leaders from this area were later attainted for high treason, convicted and hanged."