Saturday, October 11, 2008

Verdun Motor Boat Club

Some old timer member may recall the VMBC when it was situated directly to the right of the Auditorium as shown in this 1962 photo. I had my boat there in the beginning of the 1950s and the enclosed photo shows me and my boat. Look at all the smoke coming from the Montreal factories in the background.
Guy
 
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23 comments:

les__f MSN said...

I remember this area well,.we would look down over the bank to the GTBC or Verdun Boating club,..but the old shacks are certainly familiar too.  I think they used to also have a rowing club that operated out of there as well.   Nice old Shot , I hope you don't mind Guy but I did save that one to my hard drive........                                Thanks Again HF&RV

lorraine MSN said...

It gave me very tender memories viewing your photos.  My father, Cal Edwards spent alot of time at the VMBC and my siblings and I found ourselves on the warfs almost daily in the summers.  Thanks for posting your pix.  Lorraine

harriett MSN said...

Hi Lorraine, Your Dad and my Dad were always down at the river and the VMBC. By the way this is Harriett(Grayburn) Hewitt. How is everyone in your family? Been a very long time since I have heard the Edwards name.  When you lived on Wellington , I was on 4th Avenue.  Boy, does that bring back memeories. Hope all is well. TC Harriett

lorraine MSN said...

Hi Harriett - I remember you very well.  My family lived in your house on 4th ave. (201) before you.  I remember your father very well too.  I also remember your mother. My sister Gail is living in Point Claire and Valerie is in N.S.  Greg is in B.C.  All are doing well and are grandparents (including me)  My daughter Shawna is on facebook (Shawna Beauchemin) You can check out my wonderful family that I am so very proud of. Where are you living these days?  I'm in St. Lazare, Qc.

lorraine MSN said...

Harriett -  I tried  to email you at harriett_hewitt@hotmail.com address.  I wasn't successful... any idea why?  Lorraine

football19610 MSN said...

Hello Lorraine:   I'm not sure if you remember me..  We dated  when we were young teenagers and you lived on the third storey on Wellington Street, next door to Pat Brenie. I also use to go to work on the 58 bus with your sister Valarie and Rita Moran.  It"s nice to read that you have a wonderful family.    Is Valarie still married to Brian?  The next time you are in touch with Valarie please say hello to her for me.   George Edwards

harriett MSN said...

Hi Lorraine, I just emailed you with another email address. My sister is in New Brunswick and I am in Kingston. We have one son that lives in New Hampshire.

les__f MSN said...

George , you do mean Valerie Edwards who married Brian Lenihan don't you ,......Ev Lenihan was my Mom's best friend for many years,........I also have a sister Barbara who was named after Barbie Lenihan who I had a crush on as a little kid,.....hahahahah  Brian as far as I know lives in Alberta I believe.....The girls you speak og worked at Bell Cnada didn't they & you at maybe Northern ?? ( I could be wrong there)...............The Lenihans were very close friends & we considered each other cousins , when we were kids.........Kate Lenihan was here in Victoria at my place about a year ago maybe a bit longer ( not sure,..........old timers setting in I guess) ps: I know Rita & her sisters Ann & Helen very well, they lived at 199 Galt in the early 60's.......            HF&RV

football19610 MSN said...

Hi Les:   I worked at the CN Headquarters building , just west of the Bell Telephone, on La Gauchetiere Street.   That's the address on Galt. It was a small cute looking house, just down from Wellington Street. I had a mad crush on Rita. The last time I saw her she was living on the island with her hubby, Robert Fayle, in Victoria. That was back in 1978. I've lost track of them since. How do you know her?   Brian I knew from living on 2nd Avenue and then from dating Valarie.   Small world !!  Isn't it?   George

football19610 MSN said...

Me again Les:   I should have  mention that I married Rita's best friend, Barbara Fallon.  Barbara worked at the Northern ,on Guys Street and subsequently on Decarie Blvd.   Do you know the where-a bouts of Rita?   George

les__f MSN said...

Hi George ,by any chance would Barnara's dad be George Fallon , a guy who fixed tires on large vehicles ,mostly went to hel;p large trucks conked out on the road, and stuff.?                                                                         hf&rv  

football19610 MSN said...

Les:   Her dad's name was Matthew (Matt) but she did have an Uncle George , that lived in Croydon / LaFlesh in the 60's.   George  

les__f MSN said...

George , let me try that again ,.Would Barbara's Dad be a fellow named George Fallon............man my spelling tonight is not good...........hahahahha          HF&RV I have one of those keyboards that has keys that get closer together as the night goes on...........hahahahah

les__f MSN said...

That's the guy then, He used to come into my oldmans shop on Mullins street in the Point,......I liked the guy he was a good natured character, I beleive he died relatively young....maybe in the late 70's??? My oldmans shop was like a meeting ground for all walks of life,from cops to criminals (sometimes the difference was hard to tell)..........hahahahahah              but I Remember George being a good guy & always willing to help someone.....if they needed it..........................hf&rv

football19610 MSN said...

Yep. It has to be the same person. Her Uncle died at an early age in the 70's.   You haven't answered how you know the Morans!!!  I always liked Mrs Moran. She treated everybody wonderfully.  I can remember one time when I was taking Rita out on a date to a birthday party Mr. Moran giving me the once over and  receiving the rules to live by when I was  out with his daughter. LMAO   George    

les__f MSN said...

Mrs Moran as I call her ( cause she was married to John) is still hanging in there at 92 ish ?? ( I'll confirm later0 but I can see John ( Mr Moran to me ) sizing you up,he did that with all his daughters...............hahahahah I liked the old guy,........I lived right around the corner from them on Wellington Street, and had a crush on Rita & Ann's younger sister Helen.....small world indeed:                                                                                  HF&RV ps: I went to see Mrs Moran on her 90th B-day Ann Moran was married to a friend of mine (from Montreal,but later one of the Gulf Islands.....Gary Wasney,.I believe he played for the Verdun Invictus as one time.......I know  lot of ex-Montrelaer's out here, some have since checked off the planet,but a few of us still survive.                                HF&RV  

football19610 MSN said...

Gary Wasney.  Now that's a name I remember from being involved with Brian Ranger and the Verdun Invictus team back in the late 60's.   If you have a way to obtain Rita's address or telephone number we would sure appreciate receiving it.  Likewise an e-mail address, if she has one.   George

guy5479 MSN said...

Here are 2 photos of the Verdun Motor Boating Club of 1928 taken at different angles. Only the old timers like myself will remember this area situated at the foot of Hickson near the Verdun General Hospital. The club was situated in the bay marked with an X on the map. If my memory serves me right, the city dump was situated on the vacant lot behind the hospital at least during my time in the 40s. Guy Verdun Motor Boating Club 1928 looking east   VMBC looking north, Notice British American Dye Co. on the left and Troy Laundry Co. in the middle   Verdun General Hospital on the left of Hickson   SHGV ARCHIVES

guy5479 MSN said...

Here is some more Verdun History thanks to the SHGV archives. The undated photo is marked in the back Grand Trunk Canoe Club. I have also enclosed an undated map (Prior to 1900?) of  the area showing the Grand Trunk Boating Club wich was situated at the left of the Atwater filtration plant water outlet (Tail Race) at the right of the map. The city limit between Verdun and Point St Charles was/is on the right side of the water channel. Another point of interest with this map is the riviƃ¨re St-Pierre wich I am trying to find the outlet to the river. This river no longer exhist as it was covered up but may still exhist underground. If I ever do find it, I have suggested to our society to put a sign showing where it exhisted at the outlet to the St Lawrence river. Guy    

judyross2 MSN said...

Hi Harriett; Are you the one whose husband raced hydros back in the early 70's?  If so, my husband Wayne Stewart also raced. I can't remember all the names of the guys who raced, but I remember Ronny; Jimmy Ramsey & Bobby Kotar.   Take care  Judy

lorraine MSN said...

Hi George -  I remember you well.  Hope life has been good to you too.  Val and Brian broke up quite a few years ago.  Valerie lives in Nova Scotia now.  Brian has remarried and is living happily ever after in Chatauguay.  They have 4 grandchildren now.  Do you know where Ursula Berlage is these days? 

football19610 MSN said...

Hi Lorraine:   Thanks for replying to my message.  Ursula Berlage - Now that's a name  and person I had forgotten about.  There are other people from our old gang that are VC members.  Hopefully they might know Ursula's whereabouts. It's funny that as soon as I got my memory going the other mental picture I got was of Ursula's friend Maureen. They were like frick and frack. I can't remember Maureen's last name.   I drove by St Lazare yesterday afternoon and this morning on my way back from watching the Canadiens defeat Florida last night at the Bell Centre.  I live in the Village of Cardinal, On which is about one hour from the Ontario / Quebec border. We moved here from the environs of Barrie in April of this year.   Hope you don't mind me asking -  who did  you marry?  No problem if you don't want to put it on this space.  Use my e-mail address.   It's good talking to you again after all these years.  Take care.          

football19610 MSN said...

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