Sunday, April 15, 2007

WATERING HOLE

Here are photos of the Brasserie Côte St-Paul across the bridge on Church at the corner of Drake and wich is well known by some Verdunites. I took photos of the Church bridge and the Brasserie De L'Église but  for some reason I can't transmit them. I will have to figger this out.
Guy
 
(Photos par Guy Billard)
 

49 comments:

mom1945-linda MSN said...

Wow, quite a change for me.  Nothing looks familiar, and seeing as I'm going back this summer, I'll probably need my sister &/or brother to guide me around.  Seems like all the familiar landmarks have disappeared and new ones have taken their place.   I haven't been back to the Montreal city area since the late 1980's, so I hope that some of my old haunts are still around.

edbro68 MSN said...

Guy, I like the name you chose for this thread.
WATERING HOLE. Does it refer to the beer going in or going out? Ed

52-k MSN said...

This message has been deleted by the author.

52-k MSN said...

There were 2 Taverns at that corner in the 50's.  Our favotite was the Churchill, where we would fill the table with drafts (ten cents a piece) at closing time and wander out as almost the last to leave.  Our gang was the old Jolly Rogers Motorcycle Club.  Some thought that we were a wild bunch, but really that wasn't the case.  A good group, and enough good times to last a life time, with stories galore.   Ed Monteith "52K" 

les__f MSN said...

Hi Ed  you will no doubt get sone response from some of your old Jolly RogerMC group,.as there area few members here on this site already........have you had a chance to go through any of the photo albums (left side of this sites opening page)...........there are some really good ones of all you guys ,.....   The two Taverns Btw were the 'Drake'.and of course the Churchill as you mentioned which has gon through some name chaneges over the years,.Churchill.Laverendrye ......now Cote St Paul TAvern   Thanks for your input & we hope you have some stories to tell and or Pictures from the era to show us.............   Btw....Welcome to the Verdun Connections....................

52-k MSN said...

It was men only in those days, and many of the stories that I can relate
had that tone about them. I do remember one instance to illustrate
that, when a woman got just inside the door and pointed to her husband
as she asked the waiter to send him to the door. When the waiter spoke
with her husband he said: " I have never seen that woman before". The
waiter then tossed her out. Everyone cheered!

sabby MSN said...

52-K   Sounds like something out of an Irish historical novel!  Thank God we've come a long way since!  lol   Dolly

52-k MSN said...

You're quite right Dolly. We have come a long way. I think even the
cheering ale swiggers changed their attitudes over the passing years.
The men only pug was a haven though and simply part of the times.

les__f MSN said...

52-K ,.............Here's  a story written by a gal from Concordia a few years back re: Taverns,..........  albeit(her project) was done in the years when women were allowed in,. I Remember when it started to change,..and we had the start of Brasseries, where women were welcome,....and they could legally have a draught beer, Up until then draught (draft) beer weas only available in a TAvern,.so consequently tey couldn't legally have one in any licensed establishment........ Although we all appreciated the new Brasseries,.at the time ,.so we could bring our girlfriends,..(Careful what you wish for...........hahahaha)  I think Taverns had their place,.......eg: where else could you buy a nice gift for your lady,at such good prices(without her knowing ,you didn't soend the whole day sgopping),.you know when those boxes fell off the trucks on the Montreal Waterfront..............hahahahahaha)   Also Rememinds me of the old Joke,......where the guys wife says ,she doesn't see what the husband gets out of sitting for hours drinking beer,........ So he says t her you want to see what we do ,.Ok come on He then takes her to a bar ,.and starts ordering glass upon glass off draft beer,. ..after she gets suffiently soused,...she  gets up and goes to the can,.and starts throwing up,the sickest she's ever been,......... .and He says    "See ,.and Yo Thgought I was out having a Good Time" .......hahahahahahaha   Here's part of the Concordia study: Fortunately, Dr. Anouk B챕langer likes beer. “You just can’t do a project like this without liking beer!” said the assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, referring to her in-progress cultural history of alcohol in Montreal.

Bélanger just wrapped the study’s first stage, an examination of Montreal’s fading tavern tradition, and is preparing to move onto the city’s cabaret history, including its storied past of jazz and burlesque. ......and Here's the link ,if you want to read the article further.........               business fell off so drastically for Taverns that ,the only clear business decision was to become a brasserie,and get some of the womens business I Remember a couple of 'newbrasseries' on the West Island,..was it St Charles Rd,...or Sources Rd.???  The place was always packed,.and not only was beer the draw,.but they did have some Good Food,........so a Friday Night right after work,.would be a good place to go & have supper,.and drinks of course......... the scary thing when we think back is we got in our cars ,.and drove home afterwords,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,YIKES

les__f MSN said...

Sorry forgot to add the weblink to the Concordia article http://ctr.concordia.ca/2002-03/Dec_5/02-belanger/index.shtml   by Anouk Belanger,...................sounds like she liked her project,........and had some fun doing it......................

the lad MSN said...

Les   What was the name of the brasserie on the corner of Hymus and Sources? The old CFOX was across the street if I remember it.There was a tavern under the station too..I think...   Long time ago....we came down Sources in my Challenger and believe it or not one we had a police car pull along side at a light. One of the guys asked the cop if he wanted to race.Next thing u know we actually raced down to the 20..we turned on to the 20 and he turned back...we waved and laughed...too much...good guys could have nailed us with the whole book......   Lad

les__f MSN said...

the Lad:     I can't Remember the names,........(is that a good sign.....hahahaha) it will come to me but wasn't one just called  Brasserie Sources?? or something simple.....   as for your recount of the cop car,......a similar story from Verdun involving Sgt Gallagher ,did the same sort of thing ,.except after agreeing to a quick race down Champlain ,.he put the siren on & pulled them over,......(but he was only joking and didn't give them a ticket,........( heard this story via my older brother)     in our day Sgt Gallagher,.became Lt Gallagher ( or something like that) .He was a good guy,......and a real character,.......he once confiscated a case of beer from us kids,..........  

les__f MSN said...

the Lad:   I just phoned a sister in Vancouver,.(chilliwack really),..and she couldn't think of it ,.but she is knows it too,..so sh is emailing a friend of hers who still lives in Montreal apparently around that area.......so I'll hear soon i hope......  

the lad MSN said...

Les   Thanks   Lad

the lad MSN said...

Les   The name sounds familar....think it was right on the corner...nice place..   Got a couple for ya....remember the on in Lachine on 6th and Lakeshore? Never went in...and the other one Chez Robert on Notre Dame...been in there a few times... like a fish out of water.....   Lad

les__f MSN said...

the Lad:  I do Remember the Lachine 'waterholes'  (heavy on the 'holes') ,,,,,,hahahahaha   There was the Stardust Cabaret on the corner as you drove into Lachine,......(peeler bar upstairs),.......also a small Tavern opposite it (closer to Lasalle,.noone ever really went there) the one on the lakeshore ,.....was it Cafe Beaulieu,.....and then there was a little Tavern (green something???? just guessing here).....and of course further out ,.was the 'Maps' where (as I understand it) products from 'far away lands' could be found,......bring safety pins /or those old discoloures knives.........hahah as for the Chez Robert ( I knew one really well as the  'Robert Bar Salon' I sat in there with one of the owners ( a well known St Henri family)....and we sat right in front of the door ,.which always made us concerned,.as we thought that being shot ,was a distinct reality,......later on they covered the windows ,so you couldn't see in,..................but lucky for me ,.....I was never shot,.........but often left half -shot.....hahahahahah another establishment which seemed immune to local laws,........ Years later on a visit back to montreal ,I went to look for the old place & this is what I came across,..............   Note the windows still blanked out,..........the table we used to sit at was directly in fronmt of those front doors,..............and when you sat with a member of that upstanding StHenri family,...you did get a little nervous.............hahahahaha   ....I see the name had changed,.(not sure if it was to protect the 'innocent')...hahahaha

les__f MSN said...

the Lad:    was it called   The Manoir ??   I don't know why ,but that name just popped in my head, Manoir de Brucy?????  is that possible:  

edbro68 MSN said...

The tavern on Sixth and Lakeshore was the CM Tavern.
The other popular tavern in LaChine was on Notre Dame called Le Moulin Rouge (The Red Mill) Ed

dave_nc MSN said...

I thought the Moulin Rouge was a "shaker" joint (saw my 1st professional non pastie there) was upstairs from the taverne.

52-k MSN said...

The price of a beer went out of sight when it went the Brasserie
route. That put a dent in the price of a night out with the boys. I
had moved to Vancouver when that occured. To bad though. I had many a
good lunch at Toe Blakes at Guy and St Cath along with 4 draft at a real
bargain. Thursday was Pig's Knuckle day , and all my co-workers tried
not to miss that day. Noone has mentioned the Green Hornet out on the
lake shore..

edbro68 MSN said...

Was the west island tavern you refer to by any chance called 'Tavern on the green'? Ed

52-k MSN said...

No, I'm pretty sure it was the Green Hornet, but that was before 1950.
Maybe it cleaned up its image along with a name. It was on Lake Shore
Road, just before you got into Pointe Clair.

cathyart1 MSN said...

Hi! I remember the "Brass" well-it was a large tavern but off to the side there was,and still is,a nice little bar where I spent many evenings with my Verdun buddies in the Eighties! The guy behind the bar would actually take requests from the patrons and put bar money into the juke box!

les__f MSN said...

Hi 52k,...I did think there was a Tavern in Lachine called 'Green something,..so your probab;ly right,....I mentioned the green something further back,.....but couldn't quite recall the actuall name As for Toe Blakes,...while on a quick trip back to Montreal many years ago,...(eighties),.My brother & I a couple of friends had heard that Toe's was supposed to have closed for good ,.te week before we fot there,.but low & behold (whatever that means....hahaha) it was open,.and so we went in and toasted the old place,.on one of it's final nights,..We asked our waiter ,how come it was still open ,.and he said they were just doing it on a day to day basis,..and that it would only be perhaps another day or two,...So I can confidently say We were some of the very last customer to swig down a few glasses of beer in the famed old Tavern.......(StCatherine was really a run down area,at this point ,.and the the whole street West of Guy,.was boarded up,.and run down,,,Sad really considering it's terrific & lively past,....... On the CTV news of the very final night of Toe's ,.Harvey Kirk & Lloyd Robertson,.were doing the story,.and at the end of the story & clips of the joint,..old HArvey just replied,......  "That's Sad"  ( I swear he near had a tear in his eye............hahahahahaha  Apparenttly ,he enjoyed tipping a few himself,........and I would bet had a few in Toe's as well.................... One of our members here Gary Mace ( Arbutus) was good enough to post a very complete list of the TAverns in Montreal, from the Lovell's Directory....and there were quite a few.................. Gary if you read this ,.would you post that link to that list for us again,....Much Appreciated............Thanks                      Have Fun & remember Verdun

the lad MSN said...

Les   Yup think you got it...Manoir   Lad

the lad MSN said...

Les   The watering hole where you sat in the front...thats the one...Looked like that when I went back too...Know what u mean about the door and all...Interesting bar...   Lad

metalman108 MSN said...

the green hornet is still there, i'll get the picture
of the green hornet and post.

rosemary133 MSN said...

Metalman, You are right, "The Green Hornet" is still there, it is in Valois, not far from Lachine on the Lakeshore Rd. Also there is a tavern in Lachine called "The Old Mill".  

rosemary133 MSN said...

Talking about all these drinking places, how about the Maples Inn, The Vaudrieul Inn, Larry Moquins, El Paso, all wonderful places, lots of wonderful memories. Oh to go back in time. I would do everything over again, without changing a thing.

rosemary133 MSN said...

Another nice place was "The Como Inn", in Hudson, nice place to eat drink and dance...a full evening. The como inn is no longer, it is now someones home.  Too bad, some of these great places have disappeared.

les__f MSN said...

Hello Rosemary,............I did mention the Mapes but spelled it wrong ,..as for the Vaudreil Inn,.......I Remember it well,..Remember it was Doc Circe's favourite Haunt for a while,........... Do You Remember along the same strip as the Vaudreil Inn,.there was a really popular 'disco' sort of palce ,......and I thought it was cal;led something like the Rendezvous ( not meant to be mixed up with the same name spot i mentioned on Notre Dame)..........Does anyone Recall the reall name of that spot in Vaudreil (same side as the Vaudreil Inn,...and the old big suit guy Dorion Suit..) I had a girlfriend who lived in Pincourt in those days,..........& we partied in all those places,.................................Yikes .......(how'd we all survive)

rosemary133 MSN said...

Yes Les, I remember Doc Cicre very well, went to see him a few times.  I also remember the Disco place, I can't really remember the full name, never went there, I remember it was supposed to be quite the place. Lots of stories came out of there. But I guess any place that young people went to was considered wild. But wild in those days, was nothing compared to wild today. What we did was extremely mild, we thought we were really cool.

metalman108 MSN said...


yes the watering hole

first molson at 12 years old, lots of training
lets see were my watering holes were??
first place the boardwalk
the pal mall
the carb
the 3aces
tiffany's
the all american
the 50 in lassale
the witches hut
the berts bar
the german beer garden
magan, the annex, the bar in champlain shopping centre, lots more but forgot at this time.



les__f MSN said...

hi Walter,...I have to agree with most of your watering holes./////// with the exception of the Pall Mall ,.which I never really liked ( why ,...??Who knows)........all the others I have to admit ,Yes I have frequented,,,.....as well as many over onthe South Shore as well................. the '50' the Witches Hut Berts Haraki Magnans' the bar in the Champlain Shopping Center was ( the Saint Tropez) the other shopping center was ) Cavalier de le Salle ,there was also the Bar nect to the Rack N' Cue (I'm guessing 90th & Airlie)roughly as for beer GArdens  ( Expo67 Grounds provided us with an unlimited amount of Uphlostered Sewers to get in).......where as they say the Drinking age was mearley a 'Suggestion'................hahahahahha The American ...........Yup The Carb,........of course the Maiden Head .....yup........ Winnies Everything on Crescent street...................... Saint Catherine Street,...and just about everywhere you can think of,......... Seems to me in those days if it had a Tavern Sign on the outside we tried it and the Fancy Spots too.............Ritz Carlton,.......Kon Tiki,......... Alititude 737 (later Alititec wasn't it??)   too rich for me......... and many many more,...........and then there was off the Island,.....or West Island ,.........South Shore,........all the way to the States or to Ontario,.( why ,you would want to go there who knows...........hahahahah) in those days anyway  

les__f MSN said...

Well that was weird................hahahahahha  but thanks Mom & Sandy ,.for treating the little boy nicely........hahahahahah For quite a while now we haven't  had to deal with a weird member..........hahahahaha ( I suppose that's a matter of opinion)..........hahahahha

mom1945-linda MSN said...

A mere child, probably couldn't read yet.  Only 20 years old dontcha know.  LOL

les__f MSN said...

Hi Linda.///////I couldn't ley you girls devour this little kid...................hahahahahahah

metalman108 MSN said...

les

the pal mall, every friday, guys would come in with frozen fish, those tube socks?
tv's i think because some worked at the docks
just remembered the 1 & 2 club. just up the road.
my neighbor, a big greek guy kostas, they called
him 2 TON, yes a big fellow, he was the bouncer
there thats what i was told,
he had a younger bro, steve, two sisters.

one nite a taxi showed up at his house, 2 ton on the back seat wasted.
the taxi guy asked us to help get 2 ton out of the cab?
it took 6 of just, to carry him to the balconey
layed him down, put a blanket over him.
the taxi guy happy, got his fare out of his cab,
lucky we were sitting drinking beer,that nite
to help out.
a 24 for 2 ton was like a six pack, a big fellow
for sure.

les__f MSN said...

hi Walter .....a few years prior to your experience there (the 1/2) Roddy Diamond got a start there too.............He was the Bouncer for a while the place ,very in correctly got known as the Bucket of Blood,........but that was not the the orgiianl ...........but it was a tough place,....... Montreal was fun.......................................

metalman108 MSN said...


roddy diamond, i remember, now
2 ton was a buddy of his, they were older than us beer drinkers back then.
the balcony was our drinking place back then
you see lots of stuff sitting at nite on the balcony
you understand when you see them? look the other way
and tell your drunk buddy to shut up?




cathyart1 MSN said...

Hey Les...what about the Irish Lancer and Night Magic? The John Bull Pub and Yakkity Yaks? GREAT fun was had by Verduners at those spots...

the lad MSN said...

Hi   Re The Lancer only for the guys...anyone remember going in the men's room and seeing the attendant who worked in there...man I tipped the guy just for having that job...   Lancer,Yakkity Yak  good times..   Lad

bahama865 MSN said...

hi, where is roddy now? i know his wife donna gariepy is still around ,nice gal. someone said roddy was ill. anyone know? carolyn

cathyart1 MSN said...

Hi-was it called The Manoir? I spent great times there years ago...

guy5479 MSN said...

There was another watering hole on the lakeshore in the 50s, 60s and perhaps also the 70s and probably beyond at the foot of St Jean Boul. general area right on the waterfront wich I just can't remember the name. Can anybody remember this popular drinking spot ? It may still exhist but under a different name. Guy

arbutus MSN said...

Guy5479,   Would that be the Edgwater Hotel. it was a very popular venue back then and booked some great entertainment. It was torn down in the mid-nineties by the City of Pointe Claire and is now part of a waterfront park extention.   Gary Mace Saanich, BC   Ex 1045 Valiquette/920 Moffat

guy5479 MSN said...

Gary, That is the one all right, the EDGEWATER, I just could not remember the name. I went there fairly often while taking a Sunday afternoon ride with my girlfriend (s) along the lakeshore. Thanks for reminding me. Guy

cathyart1 MSN said...

and...the Mapes (Maples Inn)...anyone remember seeing the Wackers there?

queenee66 MSN said...

 Hi Guy, and Gary,  I remember the Edgewater(I think) we used to follow a band called "Our Generation",or "The Generation," (I've got M&M) and most of the guys were from Pt.Claire area so I think we went there a few times to listen to them. I had a crush on one of them (again,I think) his name was John Campbell or something like that.   Does anyone remember  the band called The Haunted?? We used to follow them too,I guess we were the first "groupies" but we were quite innocent!!  Queenee66