Saturday, November 8, 2008

Verdun History

Hi Folks

I’m looking for information on Torchy Wharf (Torchie Wharf) and can’t find anything.   Maybe it had another name but that is what we called it back when my brother went fishing off it in the fifties. 

Does it still exist? How did it get that name?

16 comments:

mattmullaly MSN said...

A few basic Verdun questions:   In which years were  the heart of Verdun built? ( Let's say the chunk from Church to Demarchais (sp?) / Bannantyne to Lasalle Blvd.)   Who built all those mostly  3 srory flats with all those common characteristics - outdoor stairs to 2nd. floor, 3rd. floor balconies, rear sheds, etc.?  Were they individual  builders, small  companies or a large  company?   What were they built on?  e.g. farmland   Matt                   \        

mattmullaly MSN said...

A few basic Verdun questions:

In which years were the heart of Verdun built? ( Let's say the chunk from Church to Demarchais (sp?) / Bannantyne to Lasalle Blvd.)

Who built all those mostly 3 srory flats with all those common characteristics - outdoor stairs to 2nd. floor, 3rd. floor balconies, rear sheds, etc.? Were they individual builders, small companies or a large company?

What were they built on? e.g. farmland

Matt

the lad MSN said...

Matt   Sorry I don't know the answer..just wanted to say that back in the day those were some kind of places to grow up in...and when I see alot of the new condos going in and they all look the same I figure not much changed.   Lad

les__f MSN said...

Here's a plan for the building of the Verdun 'annex' as they refer to it,... I'm not sure of the year matt, but I will try & dind out for you,.my guess would be early 1910'ish ??        HF&RV     Guy has a 'History of Verdun ' book which may shed some more light on your question,......Good luck        HF&RV

les__f MSN said...

I meant to ad this map as well in the previous post                                                             HF&RV

onesmac0 MSN said...

Les,

That is a fantastic piece of Verdun History! Well done.
Verdun was very well planned out so it seems.

Love the "Honest Injun " remark. lol

Verdun, what a wonderful place to grow up1

Smac

les__f MSN said...

Hi onesmac,...I got a laugh out of that saying too,.as it would never appear nowadays,   and I wouldn't lie to you "Honest -- well you know....................hahahahah             HF&RV ..........

les__f MSN said...

This info can't be right is it? It claims the Bell Telephone Co. had a building on Wellington Street in Verdun,.but i don't recall this , Do any of you......it mentioned aound the 3100 block, I lived in the 4200 blocked & prwoled all over Verdun,.I can't Remember it,. Titre, Dates, Quantit챕
Feature. Bell Telephone / Conrad Poirier . - 25 juillet 1947
- 1 photographie(s) : n챕gatif sur pellicule n&b Port챕e et contenu
Immeuble en d챕molition de la compagnie Bell Telephone Company of Canada. Nous croyons qu'il s'agit des locaux situ챕s sur la rue Wellington à Verdun . Termes rattach챕s
BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY OF CANADA (BATIMENT : ARRONDISSEMENT VERDUN, MONTREAL, QUEBEC)
PIECES (CONSTRUCTIONS)
   WELLINGTON, RUE (ARRONDISSEMENT VERDUN, MONTREAL, QUEBEC)
POIRIER, CONRAD, 1912-1968
PROPRIETE IMMOBILIERE - DEMOLITION
   WELLINGTON, RUE (ARRONDISSEMENT VERDUN, MONTREAL, QUEBEC) Ok it disappeared in 1947 ,.that out reaches me by a few years,......   It shows a We-4 something number for the Demolition Comp[any which was located on Church Avenue,.......but aside from that ,look at the sign way up in the back,.It's an advertisement for Black Horse Ale..........someone here recently mentioned that,didn't they?                                    HF&RV

les__f MSN said...

.and for Paulyana ,who had a question about Torchy Wharf ,..No it doesn't exist nowadays,.as they've dumped literally tons of land fill all along the river bank throughout most of Verdun's shoreline & did a fantastic job extending a real nice Green space that people can cycle along / walk .whatever, but here's an old shot of Torchy Wharf   I don't recall offhand who posted this shot here some many months ago,.but we appreciate the old picture in anycase,  It may have been joey-verdun or perhaps Guy..........I'm not quite sure,....but here it is for you,                                                             HF&RV

bogwone MSN said...

I grew up at 752 Godin, just up the street from the river...often we fished right off the end of the wharf; it was quite popular with locals... to my knowledge, it's original name was Quay de la Tortue (Turtle Wharf or Pier in french as there were marshes on either side of the wharf full of turtles, ducks, etc - this was before the marshes and the wharf were covered by landfill in the 70's - in fact I remember fishing off the wharf in '69 with friends) To the right of the wharf, the Verdun Yacht Club had a club house in those days, and some members merely anchored their sailboats about 25 or 50 feet off shore - as if that would happen today...they'd be ripped off in a heartbeat.  As far as I know, the name 'Torchy' is an anglicized version of 'Tortue'. We used to launch our duck boats from Torchy Wharf during hunting season, as there was a road leading down to the river from the old board walk which could be accessed from Lasalle Blvd by a gravel road ...the actual road down to the wharf was shaped sort of like a switch back road  you might find on logging roads in the mountains...it didn't lead right down the side of the river bank (it was quite steep,originally) but angled down to reduce the incline.  There were also a flight of wooden stairs leading straight down the river bank from the boardwalk and during the winter we used to take our toboggans and ride them down the stairs, across the wharf and right on to the iced over river.  People used to ice fish right beside Torchy Wharf in those days as well...I remember once we were walking on the ice, not too far from shore and I fell through an ice fishing hole that hadn't completely frozen over, about up to my waist (I stopped my descent with my arms...)and Teddy Karwatsky who out weighed me by at least 50 lbs pulled me out of the hole.  I had totally frozen pants in about a minute or two!

paulyana MSN said...

Thanks Les and bogwone for the great response to my inquiry about Torchy Wharf. You described it exactly as I remember it . We lived on Allard so it wasn't for to go fishing. The bad thing about your information is that my husband was right. I can't believe Torchy Wharf was Quay de la Tortue. Just can't believe it. I lost the bet.

les__f MSN said...

Pauluana ,.don't quit yet,  I haven't had ever heard of this interpetation of Torchy wharf by anyone other than a few & this only in the past few years,.... And if something is known by a certain name (regardless,of interpetation) it doesn't mean it was never known by the name Torchy Wharf (by any language) I hate giving up & rarely do..........hahahahhaha So you may still be tied ............Weeds & Reeds  grew all along the shoreline(and ducks inhabited most of them,not just turtles) & not just by Torchy Wharf........and we don't refer to the riverbank throughout Verdun as the bank of Turtles................................hahahahahah       HF&RV              ......BTW: I cannot Remember ever seeing a turtle down there,.Ducks yes,..minnows by the thousands,.snakes a few (some without two legs),..........Rats plenty ,at least near the dump & Bullrushes lots of them........ So don't ever give up........                              ..........Oh & did I mention frogs too...hahahahaha HF&RV              "Never Give Up"          

mattmullaly MSN said...

Thanks a ton Les - you guys are great.

Matt

les__f MSN said...

Here's a real Verdun shot of some kids at Dawson's ? posted in Maggie6697 photo album ....now in her album she lists the names of tese kids as she remembers them,.but have a look at what's in the hand of the 2nd last kid ,.she's holding one of those special soft ice-cream cone carriers,.Remember those plates with te holes in it,to carry ice cream......................that's a Verdun memory:         HF&RV ..Thanks to our other maggie...........

the lad MSN said...

Les   Tried to find the names listed about Dawson's could not. Do you know where I can get it? Have not seen that ice cream tray in years  forgot about them...   Good one   Lad

les__f MSN said...

Have a look here in maggi6697's first album she posted some time ago,.( she has two,with great old Verdun pics) but here's the one for the pic in question http://groups.msn.com/VerdunConnections/maggiespictures.msnw                                                                     HF&RV