Sunday, March 12, 2006

Verdun chit chat

I can't get enough Verdun chit chat , so here goes , While taking a walk along Wellington Street the other day , I was amazed at how many stores there are, everything from soup to nuts , soooooo ,  what was your favorite Store , or memory , or thoughts , or hideouts , or hangouts , or feelings of Verdunites  Wellington Street , which I rate 2nd  only to Ste Catherine Street , and what are your thoughts about  being poor , I never thought I was poor , did you ? I lived  above Grovers 253 3rd ave , apt 4 , no big deal  , anything chit  chatty about Verdun ?  Jimmy

67 comments:

redmond1949 MSN said...

kungfu...........How about Centre Street in the Pointe? Steve

colinblack1967 MSN said...

When I was a kid we used to go to a deli on Centre Street in the point. As for Wellington street I remember Rex's pizza betwen 3rd and 4th Ave, and across the street was Endora Mart I believe.   Colin

sabby MSN said...

Wellington always had those wall to wall stores.  You could find everything but everything on that street.  It was so much fun to shop.  I remember a bridal shop that I would frequently stop at and look at the display of dresses.  It wasn't that they were wedding dresses but it was the fabric and design that fascinated me.   I also remember stealing a tube of lipstick from Woolworth's or Kresge's whatever it was named in the early sixties.   If you thought you weren't poor, then you weren't.  When the cupboard is bare and your stomach is growling----then you're poor.   My favourite place was walking on the boardwalk with my best friend.  It was an oasis from the heat and humidity of a summer evening in Verdun.  I enjoyed the breezes and the water.  It was the closest thing I had to a vacation as a child...

cookie3773 MSN said...

Kungfu....Wellington street..ahhh yes....Stilwells of course and Antecoles (I think it's spelled like that)..the  dress store,bought my first cocktail dress there,never forget it . Was it woolworths on wellington past church ave, or was it .05 cents store..cannot recall....another senior moment happenin' .  As a kid,every Friday night my Mom would take me to wellington street, walk up one side and check out the stores, then cross over and walk up the other side.Great times!   cookie

kungfu MSN said...

I remember , Friday nights , we used to go to the Kinsman club on Verdun Ave. just past Church , and the end was always part of a serial " The last of the Mohicans" used to go home and hardly sleep , and we were only young , used to walk from 3rd and Wellington to the club and back, today, your afraid to let your kids walk to the corner store , boy things have changed .  jim

kungfu MSN said...

Do you remember the tops we used to have, big ones, shaped like pears with the tip on the end , boy we could do magic with those tops , and the yo yo's  , around the world , walk the dog, used to be contests in Wilibroad Park  , tops and yo yo's  , fun  fun fun ,  come on what do you remember . jimmy

winnie3ave MSN said...

Jimmy. I do remember the yo yo's . As for the tops, That was one of the gifts I got when I rode the train at Eaton's one Christmas. I still tell my kids and grandkids about that train and that top. It was great seeing that train on this site. I even showed that to everyone. WOW.....What memories. Thanks to this site, and ALL our wonderful people on here, these good feelings are because of each of you. Thanks. Winston Allison

cookie3773 MSN said...

Hey Winnie...What about the playing marbles, toss them at the bottom of the wall,then try to span your hand,there were a few marble games,but cannot recall their names??(senior moment) Also hide-n-seek on the big lamp-post on 3rd ave. Bannantyne and 3rd was a gas station,the Tahamot boys and us 3rd ave girls would race backwards around the gas pumps!! HA..and you all think you had fun!!!   cookie

redmond1949 MSN said...

Marbles................ Steve

popdog0 MSN said...

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cookie3773 MSN said...

STEVERINO..have you lost your marbles???  Great shot of the marbles so much color. Wonder why we called them alleys? and not marbles? where did that name come from alleys (allies)(allees)   who knows!!   cookie

kungfu MSN said...

Talking about City and District bank , remember those banks they used to give out , and how we used to try and get the money out of the slot with a knife, allies , maybe cause we played in  the lanes , sometimes called alley's   like alley cats , ahahaha , and Steve those pictures of the tops were and are fantastic, remember we used to have a circle made with chaulk and try to knock  others tops out of the circle and hey pals what about those bollo bats  , REMEMBER, now don't be shy , let us live your memories with you , you younger ones, your not telling us the fun you had in Verdun and we are interested ,  honest    Jimmy

keithinbeeton1 MSN said...

Hi I remember the tops very well. I tell my son today about the tops and he just looks at me like I was from another plant. And the "allies" just blew his mind totally.

Hard to compete with Xbox. But then, we used our minds and not our fingers.

rgds
Keith

maggiemck MSN said...

Today the kids battle beyblades in little plastic arenas. It's really just a souped up version of tops in a cirlce! Amazing, the simple games of yesteryear are still the favourites of kids.

maggiemck MSN said...

I also remember stuffing a rubber ball into an old sock or a leg of a leotard and playing some sing song games against a wall. I'm sure Sharon remembers us using a neighbour's garage too (until they chased us away)

maggiemck MSN said...

Do you remember when pop cans were made of tin and we would step on them, causing them to hug our feet? We would walk around clanking like robots! What a ruckus it must have been, do you think people just chuckled to themselves when they heard us playing?

popdog0 MSN said...

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popdog0 MSN said...

This message has been deleted by the author.

shirleybh2 MSN said...

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/spring/marbles/names_of_marbles.htm  all you ever wanted to know about marbles/alleys

bahama865 MSN said...

STEVE!!! YOU ARE SOMTHIN ELSE, THANKS, DO YOU REMEMBER DRIVING YOUR BIKE AROUND WITH A CLOSE PEG AND CARDBOARD CLIPPED TO THE SPOKE. WHAT A NOISE. YOUR MARBLES REMIND ME OF A PICASSO. AT ST .THOMAS MORE WE PLAYED JACKS, HOPSCOTCH, 1,2,3 RED LITE AND SKIPPED ROPE, SOMETIME DOUBLE ROPE, HI COOKIE. CAROLYN BENNETT   STEVERINO,

shirleybh2 MSN said...

Posh was a thick red bolo bat - they cost 45 cents plus tax compared to the red flat ones that were .25 and 2 cents tax or the .15 cent cheap white ones.  Then there was the hula hoop and roller skates that clipped onto your shoes and tore the soles off a good pair of loafers - key on a cord around your neck and do you remember around 1960 when portable radios came in - my sister had one think my mom paid $45 for it - I got a record player.  We used to go to St Catherine St to a place called Playland and buy records etc.

redmond1949 MSN said...

Dinky Cars Steve

redmond1949 MSN said...

Bolo Bats   Steve

chickentaco2000 MSN said...

Oh yes Maggie, I remember doing that!  Hey we
thought we were pretty cool then clicking along with the can attached to our
feet!  LOOL
 
Chris

----- Original Message -----
From:
Verdun Connections
To: Verdun Connections
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 1:23
PM
Subject: Re: Verdun chit chat





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Connections



Verdun
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Message 18 in
Discussion





From: MaggieMcK



Do you remember when pop cans were made of tin and we would
step on them, causing them to hug our feet? We would walk around
clanking like robots! What a ruckus it must have been, do you
think people just chuckled to themselves when they heard us
playing?
View other groups in this
category.

guy5479 MSN said...

The top Dinky car is a British Anglia and I owned one in the sixties as shown on enclosed photographs. Thats my wife Jeannette and daughter Patricia and my son Michel. I think it cost me app. $1500.00 and lasted 4 or 5 years. The rust had already attacked the thin metal and I sold it for $75.00 but the buyer wanted to return it which I refused but gave him back $25.00 which he reluctantly accepted. I have pictures of all the cars I owned except one:   Chevrolet 1949, Chevrolet 1955, Meteor 1965, Anglia, Ford Station Wagon Coiuntry Squire, Mercury Sable 4 door sedan and my present car, a Mercury Sable Station Wagon 1995.     I had a 1978 Pontiac Parisienne 4 door sedan but I caanot find a photo in my albums. If someone has a picture of this car, I would appreciate having the photo which would complete my album.   Guy

redmond1949 MSN said...

Kites. Hop Scotch Steve

les__f MSN said...

Hello Guy5479,......I found a 1078 Parisienne,two tone gold (?) ,.....my brother had it for years and loved the car,......He sold it to a guy in the Forces ,who took the car back to the East coast with him,...and he was happy to get it ,....it was loaded with all the availble factory options it could have,.....and it drove beautifully,......I will see if my brother may have a photo of it lying around,...(if so ,I will post it for you) but for now ,.I found this one on the net for you,...checkout the NicName of the girl selling it,........   Tiny_Tina,........How's that for coincidence,........ http://www.cardomain.com/ride/749979   Have a look at the pictures at this link,...also what colour was you Parisienne,....because I see a lot of old cars around Victoria here (where Older cars are all over) ,......I just may come across one,...and I will take a picture of it for you,.................Incidentally my brothers has had many types of cars ,.from Caddy's to the Mercedes he drives today,....and He still rates that old Parisienne I got for him ,as one of the nicest,.............and that was around 1980,........I had taken it in trade ,and it was like new ,so I sold it to my brother,....when he sold it years later he got more for it than he paid initially..............that's the only way to buy (as close to ACV as possible) ActualCashValue..

les__f MSN said...

a  1078  ??   That would be hard to get parts for wouldn't it?................hahahahaha How about  1978 Pontiac Parisienne ,............ also  Guy5479,.........that link I posted with,the picture of the Pontiac,....and the girl with the name Tinu_Tina,......is actually right here on Vancouver Island ,in the city of Nanaimo,BC.......about 100km from Victoria ,.....and on the way North towards where Mom'45 lives and Our member Tiny_Tina,.................So there's a good chance I'll see one around here as well,.......Don't forget to tell me the colour of the one you owned,........and I hope you Post pictures of your other cars too........

redmond1949 MSN said...

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kungfu MSN said...

I knew the old Redhead , what a wonderful personality , it was a pleasure to be around this man , guess CBC and Hockey night in Toronto will ignore him also , although they had enough flak about not paying attention to the love for Bernard BOOM BOOM  , maybe ,,,, just maybe   ,,,,, jimmy

guy5479 MSN said...

Les, Your resoources are inexhaustible. Thats a 1978 Pontiac Parisienne alright. Mine was 2 tone blue similar to the one shown on the Tiny Tina sight. Your right, what a coincidence about the name of that sight, I hope our Tiny Tina is reading these messages. I am  printing a photo for my album. As a matter of fact I sitll have 3 service manuals as per enclosed photo I just took:  1978 Pontiac Service manual, about 2-1/2 inch thick 1979 Fisher Body Service Manual, 1-1/4 inch thick 1979 Pontiac service manual supplement, 1/2 inch thick I wonder what the value of these manuals would be? Maybe I should put them on E-Bay. ha ha.If anybody is interested, please let me know. Thanks again for the information. I hope to be able to return the favor. Guy    

popdog0 MSN said...

This message has been deleted by the author.

guy5479 MSN said...

Popdog, Thanks for the information, it is well appreciated. Guy

cookie3773 MSN said...

Maggie...those popcans we smashed that hugged out feet..WHAT A LAUGH.... didn't we put string on them and pretend to lift each foot like we were walking on stilts? What about building carts with orange crates? the wheels must have come from old roller skates,boy were we hot back then!!!    This is too much...I gotta' go .................. cookie

les__f MSN said...

RARE 14" 1947 SPARKLE PLENTY DOLL (ORIGINAL OUTFIT)
W/COPY OF ORIGINAL 1947 NEWSPAPER AD
Sparkle Plenty is one RARE DOLL TO FIND. She was made in 1947 by Ideal. She is wearing her original Rare blue jumpsuit, original shoes and a replaced red belt. Her long yarn hair is in beautiful condition. Her pretty blue sleep eyes work perfectly and she has all her long lush lashes. Her face has wonderful color, her hair is perfect with nothing missing, her eyes work perfectly, and her latex body is in very good condition for her age. She is a very pretty doll with a pretty face though her body does have the pock marks as many of these type of magic skin dolls get. Sparkle Plenty does have a very small little tear on her upper back, under her tee shirt, which was not removed do not want to makeit worse. I think it is the original shirt. Her magic skin body has not turned black either, like most of these dolls do, she is a fragile sought after collectible doll, so if you purchase her treat her like a baby. She is an adorable highly collectible Ideal doll. Sought after by many collectors and old friends from the past.
**BONUS W/PURCHASE RECEIVE COPY OF ORIGINAL SEPT 21ST 1947 AD**
THIS IS A FINAL SALE, DUE TO HER RARITY AND FRAGILITY, SO PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS!
Rare to Find Sparkle Plenty doll w/copy of orig 1947 ad
Buy her today for $849.95
WON'T LAST LONG, BUY NOW WHILE YOU CAN !
NO INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE!
CLICK ON PIC, SEE MORE PICS OF SPARKLE PLENTY NOW!

les__f MSN said...

Hi Cookie I think Steve posted some dolls a while back,...whether yours was one of them I don't recall,.....however there wasa picture with that last ad,.....just type it in Google,..and you'll find that one,.........got an extra $850 bucks ,you can have that one.................hahahahaha 

les__f MSN said...

Sparkle Plenty
First appearance, May 30, 1947
Daughter of B.O. Plenty and Gravel Gertie. Marries Junior Tracy 1981. The Sparkle Plenty doll is one of the most popular dolls in the history of licensed comic-related products, and the most popular of all Dick Tracy merchandise. Sparkle aged in real time and became a child actress, country singer, and fashion designer. She gives birth to Sparkle Plenty Jr. in 1988. Sparkle Plenty Jr.
Born 1988. http://www.comicspage.com/dicktracy/dick_hero2.html          Extra Extra Reada all about it,.................Here you go Cookie ,.....and you can checkout Dick Tracy at the same time ________________________________________________________HF&RV

cookie3773 MSN said...

Thanks Les......Sparkle Penty still lives!! yahoo.  As for $847.00 to purchase, I can live without that dolly ,thanks.   Should I say...sparkle plenty also had a brother?  Nah...I didn't say that............bye   cookie

kungfu MSN said...

Remeber when they delivered milk and bread to  t he door , I remember J J Joubert , Elmhurst Dairy             Pom Bakery   Westons      I am sure there were others  .

kungfu MSN said...

What were the names of the Fish and chip stores in Verdun when we were young ,  I remember Roxy's Fish and chips on Wellington between 2nd and 3rd on the south side  ,   any others       jim

multipurposeutensil MSN said...

I remember when an old man with a horse & wagon used to deliver Guaranteed Pure Milk to our house at 686 6th avenue. When the company told the old man they were retiring his horse and he would have to drive a milk truck......he said no way, and he retired also.                   m.p.u.

shirleybh2 MSN said...

We had Guaranteed Pure Milk and we had Wonder Bread - both had horse and cart when I was about 4 and my sister and I were terrified of the horses - I also remember that the snow plow were pulled by horses ditto on the fear - but then the plow guy would see kids in front of their doors and make the horse race up the street - once the damn horse came up the stairs after me that caused such screeching that my Gran heard us inside the house on the 3rd floor.

rutharmstrong MSN said...

Kungfu, I cannot remember the names of the Fish and Chips stores but there was one just west of Argyle on Bannantyne that we used to frequent at lunch hour from VHS and then there was another on on Verdun Ave just east of Riverview. Can so well remember the special treat of fish and chips that were the earliest "Take Out" wrapped up in newspaper. My Grandparents had a fish and chips store in St Henry in the late 20's and early thirties. My dad was the delivery boy in 1931. Since all the folks in the family has passed on my brothers and I are working on a family story and have not been able to find out just where it was in St Henry. We have a picture taken in front of the store but cannot make out a number.. If anyone has any suggestions of how to find this out it would be greatly appreciated. The name of the store was Armstrong's Fish and Chips. Ruth

maggiemck MSN said...

The Lovell directory might help if you know the names of the streets in St. Henri. There is a "business Directory" Do you think a fish and chip joint would be listed under restaurants?

shirleybh2 MSN said...

Ruth - we used to stop at a fish and chip store on Chatham just below St. Antoine on Friday's picking up lunch on our way home from St. Anthony's School.  It was located just below the North West corner of Chatham. Best Fish and Chips.

shirleybh2 MSN said...

Sorry that should read NW corner of St. Antoine at Chatham.

kiniki_1 MSN said...

I remember going to the Boys & Girls Club in Pointe St. Charles and afterwards we would go to a small Fish & Chip place not far from there.  There was an old lady who made homemade fries on a wood stove.....the place was really small.  Does anyone remember this place?  I can't remember the name of it for the life of me....or the street it was on for that matter.

kiniki_1 MSN said...

My Father was a milkman and we lived on Argyle Ave.  He delivered in St. Lambert.  I remember when he delivered milk with a horse drawn  sleigh.  He would go across the old Victoria bridge and it was so cold he would have frost on his eyebrows and beard.  Also, the milk would freeze and the milk caps would rise......Remember that?

laurie MSN said...

How about "humbugs" from Stilwells.

margo MSN said...

 
 
I am some in my fridge, eat them sparinly.
Margo

colinblack1967 MSN said...

Laurie are you the Lloyd Macintyre I'm thinking of from Verdun? Valiquette Street? Just curious.   Colin Black

buddy7 MSN said...

Hi, I remember The Guaranteed Milk wagon. My aunt was paymaster for the company. They are now closed. It was a family run company.I used to feed the horse whose bame was clarabel. The drivers name was Scotty. I lived at 321 fourth Ave.,   Susan

kungfu MSN said...

As I walked from the parking lot on the corner of  Guy and Dorchester I spotted the huge Milk Bottle , Guarantee Pure Milk , the Bottle is Rusty and needs a paint job , not sure who owns it now , most of the old buildings around are torn down , waiting in anticipation for new projects , no doubt , then we went through a metro tunnel , which was full of Men holding doors open with paper cups in their hands , some playing music , with musical instrument cases open  , and people were throwing coins in to  the cases , then into the Bell Center ( the new forum ) electronically scanning tickets , and into the building we went . It was a complete sell out . I know the game of hockey well , and have a deep feeling inside that their  are problems within the team, like passing the puck into anothers skates , instead of in front of them, that will get you killed by the big guys today , looking for the puck in your feet instead of ahead of you , with the other guy just waiting to nail you , I am convinced , discension in the ranks ,      Jimmy

sandy19465 MSN said...

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multipurposeutensil MSN said...

I wish I had some humbugs right now, all I have is a Stillwell business card.........not very tasty........  .......they are not open very often, it is not easy to get some humbugs.....m.p.u.

fresco750 MSN said...

Hi Kiniki, God Bless your Dad. What a tough job crossing that bridge in all kinds of weather. I hope your Dad had a closed wagon like Ernest Cousins Dairy, JJJoubert Dairy or the bread wagons which provided shelter. Elmhurst Dairy & Guaranteed Pure Milk had the larger open wagons. Remember also in those days The Victoria Bridge had only one roadway on the west side of the bridge. The east side had the single track streetcar line, two CNR Railroad tracks were in the center of the bridge & the east span had the road with only two narrow lanes. One lane with Montreal bound traffic & one lane with St Lambert bound traffic. It was scary in a car especially when passing cars going in the opposite direction, there was very little clearance. It must have been really nasty keeping a horse calm when trains were travelling on the bridge. I don't even want to think how tough it must have been to cross during rain, freezing rain, fog, wind or snowstorms in a horse & wagon. I do remember those cold days when the milk frooze & the tops rose off the bottles.      

shirleybh2 MSN said...

I remember the milkman took the empty bottle and your milk ticket and left the milk at the door - the cats would come and lick the milk so they started putting those aluminum caps over the cardboard milk cap.  It also kept the milk from rising I think.  I remember my aunt used to get pasterized milk and use the cream off the top for - cereal, strawberries coffee whatever - cant imagine what the milk was like.

kungfu MSN said...

Fantastic pictures  Fresco , thanks, I remember the cream in winter coming to the top and spilling out , guess that is where the expression comes from , " The cream always rises to the top " its minus 10 here in Ile Perrot this morning , and I just looked at the weather for the week , snow on wednesday and thursday and around zero, I don't mind winter , but around this time of year I kinda get tired of it . Remember the rag men who used to go up and down the lanes with their horse and wagons yelling " Rags   e   pops  a rag  "      Jimmy

conniekoz MSN said...

I have two bags of humbugs in my fridge that I picked up in October on a jaunt back to Montreal.  I dole them out very sparingly!   Connie

redmond1949 MSN said...

Free downloads at http://www.download.com/ Steve

bahama865 MSN said...

  humbugs in your fridge, i am trying to get someone to send me some to florida, black strap molasssses candies, bitter but good. carolyn

bahama865 MSN said...

ve, you got photos of all kinds of memorabilia, can,t believe it, you must have a huge museum in  fl. when did you leave canada? did you find anything on my grand ma mrs. oliver caron of goose village. she lived at 93 forfar st. passed in 1928 at 101 yrs. eighteen  children last of which was born when she was 52 yrs. carolyn ste

conniekoz MSN said...

Carolyn:   Stilwells will actually ship them to you but it could end up being costly.  The last time I was there it was $7.50/lb.  He told me if I wanted them shipped to Calgary just determine how many I want and find out at the post office how much it would be to ship X amount of lbs and then send them the money first and they will ship them.  Of course they are still closed for the summer and they told me warm weather is not a good time to ship them as they all stick together!   Connie

shirleybh2 MSN said...

Stilwells
514-364-9948
7658, rue Centrale, 
Lasalle, QC H8P 1L3   If you go to www.canadapost.ca and select send parcel then to the u.s. then small packets and you can figure out 900 grams to your postal code which will give you 2 pounds of humbugs you can then call Stilwells and they will ship to you.  

shirleybh2 MSN said...

Should cost 9.90 Canadian postage for 2 pounds then $15 for the humbugs.

bahama865 MSN said...

           connie,           thanks for your response,         no shipping to florida, i called.        i can still taste them, last time i had a humbug 1986.        buttery flavor.        at christmas mom would order candy canes, mixed nuts, ribbon candy,         mints.         the cherry chocolates were the best in the world.         you would think they would have branched out.         carolyn         

sandy19465 MSN said...

This message has been deleted by the author.