East Holland River facts for kids

The East Holland River is a cool river in Ontario, Canada. It's part of a bigger water system called the Holland River watershed. Think of a watershed like a giant bowl where all the rain and snow melt flows into one main river. The East Holland River eventually empties into Cook's Bay, which is part of Lake Simcoe.

The river starts in a special hilly area called the Oak Ridges Moraine. This moraine is like a big sponge that holds water and slowly releases it, feeding many rivers. The East Holland River flows generally north from the town of Newmarket. It then goes through Holland Landing where it meets up with the West Holland River.

Where Does the River Flow?

The East Holland River gets water from several smaller streams. These smaller streams are called tributaries. They are like little helpers that feed the main river.

• Sharon Creek
• Bogart Creek
• Tannery Creek (from Aurora, Ontario)
• Western Creek (from the west side of Newmarket)
• Weslie Creek

Musselman Lake in Whitchurch-Stouffville also helps. Water from Musselman Lake flows into a creek that joins Weslie Creek.

Fairy Lake: A Special Spot

In Newmarket, there's a dam on the East Holland River. This dam creates a man-made lake called Fairy Lake. It's a beautiful spot that people use for fun activities like boating and fishing.

Fairy Lake wasn't always a lake for recreation. Long ago, it was a millpond, used to power mills. There has been a dam at this spot since 1801! The current dam was even touched by a big storm called Hurricane Hazel in 1954, but it wasn't badly damaged.

The Unfinished Canal Project

Long ago, there was a big plan to build a canal along the East Holland River. This canal would have connected Newmarket to the Trent–Severn Waterway. The Trent-Severn Waterway is a famous system of canals and rivers that lets boats travel across Ontario.

Why Build a Canal?

The idea was to help boats move goods and people easily. Even though some people worried there wasn't enough water, construction of several locks began. Locks are like water elevators that help boats move up or down between different water levels.

Where Were the Locks?

• One lock was started in Newmarket.
• Another lock was started in Holland Landing.
• A third lock was planned at Rogers Reservoir in East Gwillimbury.

Fairy Lake and Rogers Reservoir were meant to hold water for the canal.

Bridges and Quaysides

Two special bridges were built in East Gwillimbury. These were "swing bridges," which could swing open to let boats pass.

• One was on Green Lane.
• The other was on Main Street North (Concession 2).

Today, these swing bridges are gone, replaced by regular bridges. There was also a "quayside" built at Davis Drive in Newmarket. A quayside is a place where boats can dock.

Why Was It Never Finished?

The canal project was stopped early in the 1900s and was never completed. So, boats can only travel up the East Holland River to River Drive Park. This is about 2 kilometers downstream from Holland Landing.