An informal meeting of the Brady Lake cottagers was held on September 10, 1956, at the home of Mr. J. Gallichan in Toronto, to discuss the means of bringing hydro to Brady Lake and road improvements, as at that time it took one hour to travel the 15 minutes to Minden.  It was decided to form the Brady Lake Ratepayers Association.

The first meeting of the Association was held in Toronto on November 26, 1956 and the following officers were elected:

President – Mr. H.F. Hutchins
Vice President – Mr. J. Chinnery Sr
Secretary – Mrs. J. Gallichan
Treasurer – Mr. R. Parsons
Executive Member – Mr. E. Allison

In March 1957, Mr. J. Austen, Sr. of Brady Lake was appointed Honorary President.

In the busy, rushing world of today, we sometimes overlook friendliness and neighborliness’, but not at Brady Lake.  It has grown with the years.  There was the winter one of the cottager’s roof fell in and that spring members arrived at the site with hammers and saws to fix the damage.  Then there was the time they went with paint and brushes to mark boulders sticking up in the road, so that the roads department could dynamite them.  There are many such incidents that through helping each other has kept up the friendly and neighbourly feelings.

Civic holiday weekend in August is the big weekend at Brady Lake.  The annual picnic (and in later years regatta) is held on the Saturday, with the annual meeting on the Sunday.   How it has grown.  The first social, under the chairmanship of Marion Chinnery, was held on August 2, 1958, in the form of a wiener roast and the cost to the association was $8.38.  (Oh, the good old days.)

The president this year is Mr. Bernie Bonvanie, who with his executive and committee is making it a year to remember.  There will be a dance and buffet on August 15th at the Stanhope Community Fire hall, starting at 8 pm, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Brady Lake Ratepayers Association.

To mark our twenty-fifth year a linden tree was planted at the Minden White Water Preserve.  The Association planted a mountain ash tree at the Hyland Crest home to mark Canada’s 100th birthday.

On this, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Brady Lake Ratepayers Association we would like to thank the Townships of Anson, Hindon and Minden, with special thanks to the road department.  We can now go to Minden in less than half an hour.


As Printed in The Times (Minden) – Wednesday, August 12, 1981
Brady Lake Association Celebrates 25 years