Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Living on 6th ave.

Cheers my whole family(Holdaways) Father Uncles Grandfater and Grandmother all lived in Verdun I moved from there when My dad built a house in Roxboro in 1948 so my memories of verdun were of a small boy living there going fishing with my uncles and andgrandad. they had a boat and we would leave from the boardwalk have some very old pics of Verdun will try and scan them for the group to view

44 comments:

multipurposeutensil MSN said...

Hi Bill;          It seems we have a few things in common. I lived at 686 6th avenue Verdun around 1963 to 1965?. My grandparents lived at 842 6th before moving to Massachusetts in the early 60's. I now live on 9th avenue in Deux Montagnes just above Chemin Oka; have been here for 20 years. Perhaps we have crossed paths and never knew.                                       Ralph Piercey

multipurposeutensil MSN said...

I wonder if anyone in this group knew any of the Piercey family. My grandparents Jacon and Clara lived at 842 6th avenue and had MANY children, including Ralph who was killed in WWII, I was named after him. The other children are Edward(Ken), William(Bill), Allan, Eric, Brian, Dorothy, Marjory, Bernice, all are still alive. My Dad is Ken and still living in Verdun at 81 years old. Would like to hear from anyone that might have memories or pictures to share. Thanks in advance, Ralph Piercey  

les__f MSN said...

Hi   MPU,.......I knew a Bill Piercey,  out here in Victoria,....but he wouldn't be much more thaN 60ish,.........and I believe he made his way here from Alberta,in the 80's.......I wonder if he's a relation of yours.............?            HF&RV

multipurposeutensil MSN said...

Hi Les;         My uncle Bill Piercey has lived in North Bay, Ontario since he left Verdun in the 60's. He is probably 77-79 now. Thanks anyway, Ralph.

waynefeb2940 MSN said...

Hi Ralph. I lved on 6th Ave just above Bannantyne.
Hung out at the poolhall/bowling alley on Bannantyne at Desmarchais. Knew a lot
of guys from that area. Billy Fender, Tommy Coleman, Angus and Wally Reid,
Johnny Renfrew .
 
There was a Piercey in my class at VHS around 1955.
Can't remeber his first name. I remember he was a good runner. I came second to
him in the mile at the school track meet.
Wayne Brien

multipurposeutensil MSN said...

Hi Wayne;             Brian Piercey could have been in high school at this time. He moved to Massachusetts with my grandparents early 60's. He then joined the US Air force for a few years and was stationed in North Carolina. He is presently living in Massachusetts. I will write to him and see if he might remember you or anyone else from VHS.                                     Ralph.

alanarchie MSN said...

Hi Ralph,
 
Where in Massachusetts does your brother live? I live in Northborough
in central Mass, about 8 miles east Worcester and 30 miles west of
Boston.
 
Regards,
 
Alan

multipurposeutensil MSN said...

Hi Alan;           My uncle Brian Piercey lives in Danvers, Massachusetts. I was at his house two years ago when he was living in Beverley. I also have an aunt and cousins in Saugus, and Glouscester (sp). When my grandparents moved from Verdun to Saugus in the early sixties, my family used to go visit them a couple of times a year.           I have many fond memories of these visits including swimming at Revere beach. My grandfather and another uncle owned their own aluminum siding business, and as a kid of about 8-10 years old, I used to love "working" with them.           I believe I wrote in a post a long time ago, that I spent a week in Worchester in January 1982 receiving training at the ATF Davidson printing press company. Very many pleasant memories of that experience.               Ralph.

bahamas865 MSN said...

ding your old e mail and having joined yesterday, we also lived on 6th ave. 410 to be exact until 1950, then moved to bann.&valiquette where my dad went into real estate.  bennett realties. i am sure my older sister gloria would know your family, i remember the piersons, longs, knowles, lawtons, pattersons, like i was 5 then. am now in indian shores fl. carolyn bennett. rea

the brat MSN said...

I lived at 383 6th Ave for 18 years - from 1972-1990.

multipurposeutensil MSN said...

I lived at 686 6th from 1962 or 1963 until 1964 or 1965. The only family I remember was the Holdbrooks, lived across the street.               m.p.u.

sharon_starr MSN said...

Scott Holdbrook? Big guy...red hair? I knew/know him. He's one of my ex-husband and his twin brother's good friends.

sandy19465 MSN said...

This message has been deleted by the author.

navigatorbob MSN said...

Knew a Donna Dyball who lived @ 686 6th avenue.   Anyone know her whereabouts?  

the lad MSN said...

Hi   Dont know if you will get this or not. Just joined connections. Read where you lived at 686 6th avenue. I grew up there. 51-62.Moved to Willibrord.Lot of memories of the street. When I go back I drive up and remember playing ball hockey on the street,going up to Steinbergs on the corner and the big outing down to Wellington Street. Great place to be a kid...working class families. Thanks for the memories..   Boyd Gladwish

les__f MSN said...

the lad,...........   There''s a few people on this site that have mentioned living on 6th av,  too,.....you will probably run into a few people you once knew,or knew of,...Hope you have some fun on the site,... Ball Hockey in the street,....(A Right of Passage),...it's funny that no matter what era,or age group most of our members are in,..We all grew up ,pretty much with the same type of Lifestyle,.....  Also if you've got some old stories ,  or old pictures from way back when, we hope you'll share them ,...and if you have any questions on how o do anything on here,..then just ask ,.anyone will be glad to help:  

the lad MSN said...

Hi Les   Thanks.   Was surprised to see a couple of families mentioned that lived in the place where I grew up.6th avenue.Ball hockey on the street,playing cards on the balcony.Buying them with the gum inside...Throwing snowballs at the number 7 bus from Dave Youngs second floor gallery above the laundormat on the corner of Desmarchais and Verdun Ave. Getting caught in the act by my mother. My feet never touched the ground all the way home....good times....Dated myself number 7 bus.Anyone else remember that? Les Do I understand you have some archived pics of this era?   Boyd

les__f MSN said...

the lad:   I have alot of pictures,.it's finding them all,.but I usually post pics of Montreal /Verdun etc etc ,..anything I can find that promts memory, but I suggest that you (and everyone) go through all the photo albums available here on the site,and you will find some really neat old stuff,posted by many members,........History Abounds in those pages,...it's great: I had to laugh at 'getting caught in the act'.............hahahahaha Seems we all did that too .............and the playing cards,..but I Remember that Gum ,.it was like biting off a shard of glass,.......hahahahah   then Remember the oft' heard words around the schoolyards, &  doorways where playing cards was the norm,.....leaners, toppers,...etc etc          "Gottem, gottem, Need em, gottem,...............hahahahaha

les__f MSN said...

Oh Btw:  I do Remember the #7,  and the #8..................... I'll bet one of our members here JMH or Guy, or maybe Fresco,....have an old picture of a pre- 107,.Bus.................. If not I'll see if I can find one,....but those are our resident History Buffs, &  Transit pros..........

the lad MSN said...

Les   Thanks will check photo albums...Gottem need em  leaners toppers,right on. Hey does anyone remember when Norman's opened onVerdun Ave.the food was free.Line up went down third. Can you tell me why they changed name of Verdun Ave. to Street. Notice that when I drive home. Always be Verdun Ave. to me. One other thing have been told that you could always tell a person was from our neck of the woods by the way they talked. Anyone ever hear that one?Guess it was the expressions we used.I know in summer school one year at Montreal High downtown we said we were from Verdun and did we draw looks and a couple of comments...   Boyd  

les__f MSN said...

Absolutely ,.....DannyB & I were in the line-up       (often)hahahaha We also helped them open up the Norman's on Wellington St, right beside my house,I understand that location is now an Easy-Indian place,.?? \ My old house is gone,..and the footprint is taken up by the Pharmaprix? something like that anyway,..... Normans' was a blast (Wellington),.opening day you went in through the front door,got your freebee, and went out the back door,.right into the next yard ,.and up thorugh the shed,  ate the stuff,..and go back down ny front stairs and enter Normans again...........hahahahaha I'm sure we were picked off (or we were full) .....but it was fun........   Well I'm off Downtown ,so I will check in later,          Have Fun Everyone & Remember Verdun...                            ps:  Find those old shoebox's full of pictures ,.and share 'em here..............................................

fresco750 MSN said...

Les,
I remember the 7 & 8. When we lived on Manning Avenue usually we rode the Wellington 58 streetcar and not the bus. I used the 108 a lot when my mother lived on Bannantyne by Gordon. There is a picture somewhere in the Group photos showing a #8 Atwater-LaSalle bus at the corner of Atwater and Ste Catherine Street across the street from the Forum-Walter

mom1945-linda MSN said...

Verdun Street???????   It's just not right.   Verdun Ave. ~ there that's better!   I remember calling the living room our "front room".  Guess cause it was at the front of the house, lol.  Dining Room.....never had one, and if we did, it was changed into a bedroom.  And we had a gallery.....not a balcony or veranda!   It is very foggy here today, and I mentioned it was as "thick as pea soup".  The woman looked very funnily at me.  Anybody else ever hear that expression?

the lad MSN said...

Les   Have you been in St.Huberts on Lasalle Blvd. Go upstairs they have pictures of that corner circa 1957.Nice shot of old number 25. The Esso station only thing still there.   The Lad

the lad MSN said...

Hi

Front room,gallery and everyone sitting on them. Could not make a wrong
move.Whole street had your back or at least your parents.
Hey remember phone numbers in Verdun used to start with PO.and the postal
code was 19.

Lad

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levisjeans7 MSN said...

The 108 was the one I would take home from Atwater.
In the winter the kids would just hang onto the back of the bus and let go when
they wanted to get off.

cathyart1 MSN said...

This message has been deleted by the author.

volvo469 MSN said...

I too lived on 6th Ave .in Verdun in the 1940s and 1950s I just attended the 1951 Verdun High reunion last Saturday and although I graduated a few years after that class, once we all started talking about the teachers we had back then, I was very pleased I attended. I have very fond memories of Verdun and now, along with still teaching at CEGEP, I write hockey books for young readers based on my memories from Verdun. I can be found by going to www.google.com and typing in Tommie Holmes hockey books.   Sixth Ave. was a terrific place to grow up in.  I lived between Wellington and Verdun Ave. Which area did you live in? Tommie Holmes

waynefeb2940 MSN said...

I lived at 984 6th Ave in the 50's and 60's.. Hung out with a lot of characters from that area.. Johnny Renfrew,  Russel Howie, Tommie Coleman, the Reid brothers Angus and Wallie, Billie Fender.  Bowled and played a lot of pool for cash at the corner of Desmarchais and Bannantyne.. Also set pins at the alley for a while, quit cuz it got too dangerous.. Guys were taking bets on whether they could hit you or not.

laurie MSN said...

I lived on 6th Ave. between Wellington and Verdun Ave. That would have been about 1962 to 1972. I also lived on 1st - 3rd - Egan and Valiquette. I went to St. Willibrord and VCHS schools.  I was at the opening of Norman's on Verdun Ave. Before Norman's the store was Creeley's (sp) and I delivered the Montreal Star everyday on Willibroad, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Ave. between Verdun and Bannantyne Aves. In 1963 I joined the air cadets at Woodland school and some 44 years later I am still with the organization as a National delegate and a Provincial Board of Directors member. Wow....those gloden days in Verdun.

stangiles MSN said...

I remember when Normans opened and was also in line.   6th ave memories (amongst others) ... heaving objects into the chestnut tree to get the chestnuts.

winnie3ave MSN said...





Laurie. Where has the time gone? Some of us on here also delivered The Star and/or The Gazette on the same streets that you did. Also were in The Air Cadets. What a life we had. Little did we know that it would fly by so fast. But, whar memories.
 
Winston (8353 3rd avenue, Verdun) Allison
Vancouver, Washington
Need a break? Find your escape route with Live Search Maps.

짚m챘채n짚j챕찾nn챕짚 MSN said...

was so hot in verdun we used to sleep on the gallery in the summer

the lad MSN said...

Laurie   You cut a fine figure in your uniform....how is retirement treating ya? Been a while..I still hide the silverware....   Steve    

oldverdun MSN said...

Hi I see so many names from the 50's & 60's as to Tommy Cloeman,Reid brothers, Billy Finder, Russel Howie from the pool room on Bannantyne Ave. I have two brothers that use to play with them they were all about 3or 4 years older than me, a few of them have pass away as for my brothers they are now 70 and 69 and for my self i'm 65 and still all in good shape and all look young for our age's. If you hung around with the boys you should know my brothers and me every body knew us. We were from second ave. in the 600 address. Ron_leo

queenee66 MSN said...

Hi M&J(??)  Speaking of sleeping on the galleries in Verdun,because it was SO hot.! I can remember my Mom doing that,on one of those striped plastic lounge chairs  (I'm sure there is a name ,but i can't remember)  This message made me think of all those  shad flies we used to get in the summer . We lived on Brault  Ave.,not too far from the river so we used to get lots of them. I can remember sweeping them off of the gallery in the morning! Just thought I'd put this out . B.F.N. Sharon

DAD said...

Hi all,

I lived at 856 6th ave Verdun from birth in 1950 until 1965. Close to Bannantyne. I went to Verdun High School.
Our family, however, lived there for at least 35 years because my Dad lived there with his Mom before he got married. His name was Russell Wheaton. He was a flight sargeant (PT instructor) in WWII then played professional lacrosse and also hockey, pro wrestling and even played a game with the Montreal Alouettes.
My brother Trent was a quarterback with Leo’s Boys.
Fond memories of growing up in Verdun delivering Gazettes in snowy mornings etc
I now live in subtropical Queensland, Australia a short walk to the beach. Live is good!

Cheers, Blake Wheaton

DAD said...

Hi all,

I lived at 856 6th ave Verdun from birth in 1950 until 1965. Close to Bannantyne. I went to Verdun High School.
Our family, however, lived there for at least 35 years because my Dad lived there with his Mom before he got married. His name was Russell Wheaton. He was a flight sargeant (PT instructor) in WWII then played professional lacrosse and also hockey, pro wrestling and even played a game with the Montreal Alouettes.
My brother Trent was a quarterback with Leo’s Boys.
Fond memories of growing up in Verdun delivering Gazettes in snowy mornings etc
I now live in subtropical Queensland, Australia a short walk to the beach. Live is good!

Cheers, Blake Wheaton

Don Essex said...

Hi Im Don Essex and I grew up on 853 6th Avenue, Verdun. Was hoping to connect with some folks that also grew up in Verdun during early 50s ,hopefully some people from 6 th. Ave .

Les_F said...

Hi Don, glad you surfed by I do monitor the site to Ok posts like yours etc, Hopefully someone will surf by and touch base with you about 6th av.
I more or less just maintain the site and have not actively opened it up to like it once was years ago. I have tried to save most old stories and some of the photos we posted over the years. Not all the photos made the trek over here successfully but the jist of the Verdun Connections is still here for others like yourself to checkout.
Cheers ! LesF
Incidentally I knew many people who lived on 6th avenue ( and Verdun in general)circa: the 60's era and 70's.
Even my older brother and his family lived at 99-6th. for several years.
Again Thanks for surfing by.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know the Fitzpatrick family from 1930-74? A long time ago but if I don’t ask I will never know!

Les_F said...

Hopefully someone surfs by and may have an answer for you re: the Fitzpatrick family.
I remember a Fitzgerald family ,but like you say "you don't ask"
Good Luck Cheers ! Les

judyjones said...

I am so glad to see this site still (barely) active! I was brought here during some genealogical work. My grandparents, William and Maud Cameron, lived at 367 6th ave from the 30s to 1962. My mother, Jean Cameron (b.1935) and her sister, Betty (b.1928), grew up there. My mother married Art Williams, also from Verdun, in 1955. Just wondering if anyone recognizes those names. Thanks :)

Les_F said...

Hi Judyjones glad you surfed by,hopefully someone else surfs by and see's your post and maybe try to connect back with you.
You are correct in saying 'barely active' on this site.I just keep it around to keep some memory and connection to Verdun. This site was saved from extinction as the original site was a pioneer
of sorts when the internet was just starting with a thing called MSN Groups and over time it morphed into other venues, I am not a fan of FB but they did monoploize the groups idea so you may find sites there that can more quickly connect you to the info you seek.
However surfing by here is good too, because you never know who might surf by and see your post and reach out to you.
Again thanks for surfing by.
Cheers !LesF