Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Parc Belmont Park

 Les-F,
Enclosed are a series of photos I took this afternoon on the grounds where Belmont Park used to be. I have photographed the surrounding area and you can see the Cartierville Bridge in the background. You will also notice there is a real boardwalk along the Rivière des Prairies wich  reminds us of the old Verdun boardwalk from the 50s.and before. Luckily the city fathers decided to make a park before the developers got hold of it. I think you have old photos of Belmont park in its heydays wich our members would like to see.
Guy
 
 

22 comments:

les__f MSN said...

Guy these photographs are terrific,....they really have done a great job ,with that 'nouveau' type of boardwalk,...it looks great ,.must be a decent area to live too!!, Hard to beleive ,it was an amusement park,...but I Remember very well,having a picnic on the beautiful grounds ,even during it's amusement park days,.they had picnic tables around,.......I imagine it's far more peaceful,now without the ringing bells,.and buzzers,and the screaming from the thrill rides,......... Really glad to see(as you say) the city made it into a park,before the devellopers could grab it.........That would be very desirable waterfront property. Montreal has done a fantastic job re-inventing itself,and providing nice green space all around the whole Island it seems As for the old Belmont Pictures I will search,my folders and post them again,..but I think Steve saved quite a few for us ,in one of his photo albums: Thanks again for taking those pictures........carefull you may be asked to be Our designated ,Montreal area photographer Incidentally a friend of mune has or is picking up those Verdun Calendars for me ,..I have ordered 3,.....and I'm sure the number will rise,.once they are seen out here:  

edbro68 MSN said...

Les, You mention the boards on the boardwalk and it sparks a memory. The boards in Verdun ran parallel to the river. I remember this well as I was pushing my baby brother in a pram one day the wheel fell in a wide crack between two boards and stopped. Since I was running, my mouth hit the handle and broke two teeth. I tried to convince my mother that it was my brother's fault but she didn't buy it.                    Ed

les__f MSN said...

Hi Ed  ,.....its funny how ,No matter how much we love our siblings,......it sure is convienient to Blame them first to get ourselves off the hook............hahahahahah   As for the Boards in the boardwalk in Verdun,....it's my understanding that ,after the 'Make Work Project' (around the depression era,) they first built the earth dam,to help prevent flooding,in Verdun...(use to happen often,before my time),....that they decided to make a nice wooden boardwalk (coincidently,the mayor of the time,..either owned or was closely connected to a family owned Lumberyard)......Hence the idea to make a 'board'walk...................hahahahaha Sounds normal enough ,I'm sure it would have been Concrete,had he owned a cement plant,......................biz as usual ( I would expect nothing less)........hahahaha   .............Look at the activity on the River ............it's only now just coming around again to a point where the River is being used again for the enjoyment of the Residents...............................Great to See

shirleybh2 MSN said...

I  for one would have loved to see Belmont Park go on forever - there was a park at Dominion and Notre Dame gone before my time too - seems a shame there is nothing available for the kids at reasonable cost like we had growing up.

johnmelinvin2 MSN said...

approx what years would that have been...( was it
around 1943 ) my father had 9 children,they would not
let him go to war, he help build the Natitorium and
did lots of work for the city, just wonder if he
would have worked on the Bwalk.

guy5479 MSN said...

Shirley, Thanks for the information, could not ask for better information on Belmont Park. It is now much quieter and serene as shown in the photos I took on tuesday the 3rd. Guy

les__f MSN said...

Remember collecting Pennants ,..from when you were a kid?? I had them from all,over the place,.NYC,...Niagara Falls,.......and I Remember one I got from my brother ,(Winston you may have Remembered your brother 'Bumpy' having one too,.....it was a Sea Cadets one from the Sea Cadet Camp they were both in in the late 50's,...... .....and Here is one I found from Belmont Park, (I don't Remember them myself,..but maybe some of you will)   ........................I Remember having several Pennants on the wall,.....of course there were the obligatory Montreal Canadiens ,.of course............. I will search some of my old boxes in the Garage,...and see if I can find some of thesae old gems,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

les__f MSN said...

                          ..........This was a Welcome ad to us as kids,.................Although I would doubt ,any of us ever went there,.as many times ,as we think we did,....(probably a few times a season,..)...........but it sure provided us with some lifelong Memory's.....(& maybe even some cavaties............hahahahaha from all the Floss Candy)

les__f MSN said...

Dominion Park was mentioned ,and although being before my time,...it was a forerunner to Belmont park,.and Our parents most likely made trips there,when they were young,.....(yes your Mom & Dad ,were young once too?........hahahahaha) .........I wonder ,what thoughts,would be stirred by these old photos,if our parents could see them.......... some of us might still be fortunate to ask one of them,....if so,then Do It ......(it 's important)..........

winnie3ave MSN said...


Yes les, I do remember Bumpy having one. Wow. I was in the air cadets, and I remember marching in the parades. What fun they made for us kids. Verdun was great most of the time. Winston Allison

johnmelinvin2 MSN said...

Yes the pictures are great...Bring back good memories.
Quebec always did put money in for green space...
Ontario does not.

johnmelinvin2 MSN said...

very nice pictures


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edmi2310 MSN said...

In the General discussion there is an item on Belmont Park.  I was taken there in the late 1940s but was too young to know where it was.  Can anyone give me an exact location? Thanks.

les__f MSN said...

Want to hear & see,some Sights and Sounds from the old Parc Belmont, check this out,& play the video: http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-0-10-321-1671-10/index_souvenirs/vie_societe/parc_belmont   ..................................Remember all the fun as kids,...............

mom1945-linda MSN said...

Oh my goodness!!!!!  Wasn't it just sooooooo tacky, and wasn't it just sooooooo fun.  Looks like the video was from around the early 60's.  I just can't imagine any women in this day and age wearing dresses, high heel shoes and pearls to go to an amusement park...but....that's the way it was back then.   See, we can go back (that is if we remember to document and take pictures).   Cheers.

sabby MSN said...

Thanks Les, for taking us to Belmont Park again.  I went there once with my very best friend.  I think we must have been about 13 or 14.  It was so much fun because I didn't get to go out much.   Did I notice men in suits?  Could it be that some men and women came right after work?  How formal!    We have the midway here every summer.  It's called Capital EX...before that Klondike Days.  Is La Ronde still around?   Dolly

guy5479 MSN said...

Belmont Park was siuated at the northern part of Montreal on Laurentien Boul.in Cartierville (route 117) on the right side and next to the Cartierville Bridge (Lachapelle bridge) wich crooses Rivi챔re des Prairies as shown in my photos. Guy  

johnmelinvin2 MSN said...

it is the past that makes the future..

les__f MSN said...

This old baby,carried many a Montrealer to Belmont Park,.......I'm glad I had a chance to ride these old cars,Although I did take the bus far more often,as I just caught the tail end of the streetcar days ,in Montreal,......but I can Remember my mother taking us everywhere on the street cars,.....What an adventure,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, MTC Car 1695 in the carbarn, ready to enter service onto the Cartierville line. This was the streetcar that took Montreal residents to it's Coney Island - Belmont Park on the North Shore of the island of Montreal. A major feature of this route was that it had it own right of way. It was like taking a ride out to the country with few stops as it "flew" along this private right of way. Everyone riding this line really knew that the seventeen was a prelude of more exciting things to come once they arrived at the the end of the line.... Belmont Park with its rollercoaster, ferris wheel, house of mirrors and dozens of other exciting rides. Photo by P. Lambert, donated by Curt Frey.   ............Remember your youth,.............What a great time it was to Live in Montreal,........we saw a lot of life ,growing up there,and learned alot of things.............................Although I really love living ,where I do now,..I always will be a Montrealer(Verdun),..........and will think of it often:

les__f MSN said...

Another old streetcar, heading to Cartierville  This slightly blurry image of a northbound 1868 is taken from the west side of Decarie Blvd looking east, about 500 meters south of the transition to the east side right of way. This car has just departed Garland and is heading to Cartierville. The Capri Hotel and the northbound lane of Decarie Blvd are quite visible allowing the viewer to have a mental picture when combined with the prior photo - of an "S" curved track that goes from the center median of Decarie to the east side of Decarie and the "High Tracks.". Photo by P. Lambert, donated by Curt Frey. ............................................Montreal ,we had it all............

les__f MSN said...

This excerpt has both Montreal & Belmont Park ,recollections,.....it was found on the same site as I posted in the previous thread (Montreal),...it's about a movie which was made in the old Amusement Park,.....might be a good movie?? .........You be the Judge I grew up in Chomedey, a soulless suburb in the city of Laval. The sleepy Riviere des Prairies separated me and my dreary neighbourhood from majestic Montreal and the mythical Belmont Park. Opened in 1923, this classic amusement park began its 60-year reign with a ferris wheel and a dance hall. It expanded to include the famous 'Cyclone' rollercoaster, sideshows, a flea circus and a multitude of other traditional rides and carnival attractions. Belmont Park also had one of those great "Make Your Own Record" machines which produced a 10" heavy slab of vinyl of whatever you did into a microphone. It cost about two dollars, You would enter a booth and when the light went on you had two or three minutes to record your masterpiece. Most people would sing a song but I opted to do an improvised newscast. I sounded like an idiot but I cherished that record and I loved Belmont Park. Andre Forcier is a great Quebecois director who has remained relatively obscure outside the province, despite a long and impressive career. When I first saw his sprawling "La Comtesse du Baton Rouge" (1997) at the Montreal World Film Festival, I could barely contain my excitement when I discovered it was set in Belmont Park. The story of a young Montreal filmmaker who falls for a bearded lady and becomes a human cannonball, "The Countess of Baton Rouge" also boasts a one-eyed man, a crocodile woman and the glorious backdrop of Belmont Park, or a set that looked like it anyway. Good enough for me. ..........I also got a laugh,out of the memories ,of making a Record ,at the old PArk...........................Did any of you ,make one ,.I Remember these machines but don't think I ever tried one,.........(too shy........hahahahaha)  

johnmelinvin2 MSN said...

YES, we were very lucky to grow up in
Verdun...between
the sea cadets, boys cubs,air cadets, Natitorium ,
Pavlillion and Dawsons , etc., etc., there was always
something to do or join..Like quite a few
verduninites, I joined the US Navy...was the thing to
do at that time..and Glad I did..
John