Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Corner Church and Wellington

Now here is a corner that all Verdunites are familiar with, corner Church and Wellington. The old photo dates back to 1934 and we can see People's 5c to $1.00 department store. Above was the O'Sullivan College where I took an accounting course in the middle of the 50s. I took the new photo last Saturday while in the area so we now have then and now photos. Looks like the same building that was renovated. Of course, the Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs church was directly in the back of me. Brings back memories, does'nt it.  

Guy

 

20 comments:

john allison said...

Guy. I remember one Christmas in the lates 40's early 50's. Having helped the janitor at the Chalmers United Church, clean and dust the pews. He gave me $2.00 for helping. I went to that 5 and dime, and bought 10 presents and tissue paper to wrap them. It cost me the whole $2.00. What a bargain. AND, what a great memory. Thanks for the wonderful pictures. Winston (835 3rd ave, Verdun) Allison

Vancouver, Washington

micheline f said...

any pictures of the church , notre dame des sept douleurs, thats where i was babtized

Guy Billard said...

Micheline,
Go to Album No. 32 in the photo section of my site.
Guy

Glenn Larkin said...

Guy,
As is often the case, the building had much more 'style' in 1934. Thank you. Your images and comments about Verdun are always great to see and read. Thank you for your efforts. I look forward to my next visit home - just not sure when that will be.....

Sue Geary said...

Guy you post some good stuff, So does a lot of people it just takes something to jog their memory thanks.

Diane Roberts said...

Guy, I just visited your site and had a look at all the photos! You've brought such a wonderful collection of Verdun history to this site and great memories for us all. You've obviously dedicated a tremendous amount of your time to this project and I'm sure all would wholeheartedly agree...we owe you a GREAT BIG THANK YOU!....Diane

robert jomphe said...

There was a food counter in that that 5 and dime similar to the american stores. Another memory across the street at Gagnon's those brass tubes that made so much noise, they are still used in hospitals and Costco but of course now they are made of PVC.

john allison said...

I remember those tubes. And yes they were noisy. But I thought they were so neat. Being a kid, I was fasinated by them, and wondered who could have been smart enough to invent them. WOW!!!! Again..What great memories....

Ken McLaughlin said...

I believe the restaurant there, which was a Mike's for many years, then something else which folded quickly, so quickly Mike's colours still adorn, has been empty for perhaps a year or more now. When the building was renovated in the 90's, I believe, there was a neat little pediment in the top center that I think said "The Stone Building" or something very close to that. I was quite disappointed that the new owners had no interest in maintaining that aspect of the building's heritage. Especially considering that you can clearly see a sort of blank pediment where the old one had been.

Ken McLaughlin

robert jomphe said...

Wasn't Mike's at the corner of Hickson. They had a reception hall upstairs, a wedding I know of, was completely ruined by in infestation of cockroaches. My memory is sometimes muddled but I believe that the owner of Mike's also own the Barina or something like that.

robert jomphe said...

I will not be going to Verdun till the weather is nice and warm but I would like to know what is at this address. see this http://coolopolis.blogspot.com/2008/08/verduns-120-year-old-oven.html

Verdun's 120-year-old oven

That's Wellington Street baker, James P. Lloyd, and his wife, Maria, at their 120-year-old oven. (That would be 185 years today, if adjusted for chronological inflation.) The brick oven was believed to be as old as the building, at 854 Wellington St., and in still quite good shape. (Wonder who demolished it.) English by birth, James had been hired on at a bakery, where the young apprentice was promoted to assistant -- and guardian of the meat-pie secret. After the owner died, he was running his own shop at the same site by 1896. Their meat pies were so good, it was said, that the bakery could sell about 700 a day.

Les F said...

I Remember Mike's ,used to go there late at night 2am ish or later for Pizza & a Beer they'd still sell you one ,without too much problem's...later they changed the nmae to " Da Michel's " must have been the lingo police thing I guess,...but it was an Ok restaurant....
The upstairs did have a reception area,where another Verdun Charachter, would play the music.
anyone Remember Lenny DeMarty ? He had a ton of music,he & his wife lived in the Apartment building at 6th & Wellington , the tallest one in Verdun,until the old folks home near Woodland & the Boardwalk was built.............. HF&RV

ps I also read this article about the old Stone Oven & wondered if it was still in the building,.but I didn't connect it with the old Mike's Restaurant at the time....
but in checking Google Maps 854 Wellington Street is near Nazareth Street in Griffintown ...............

Guy Billard said...

Robert,
That is a very interesting subject on the 120 year old oven in Verdun. That means that the photo would have been taken in 1933 and the oven would have built in 1813.
Guy

Ken McLaughlin said...

Yea Mikes at Hickson and it was Mike's Submarines at Church. 854 Wellington could not be in Verdun as Les has pointed out.

Guy Billard said...

I have checked the 2000 Lovell directory and number 854 Wellington is not shown.
Guy

Guy Billard said...

I have checked the 1933 Lovell Directory and no. 854 Wellington does exhist but a Mr Jos. Lloyd lived there and that number is between Duke and Nazareth wich is in Pte St Charles. I also question the age of the oven. In doing research, you always have to keep an open mind.
Guy

Les F said...

I'm not surprised Guy, if you look at the Google Maps type in 854 Wellington , you will see it almost certainly was exproriated to make room for the Expressway and entrance to Expo67. Many properties were demolished for that project....if you read the 'coolopolis' article again ,they ask the question "I wonder who demolished it" it was Drapeau in his heyday,.getting rid of many areas of Montreal that he didn't want the world to see.Many building were not even in the path of the expressway,However a clsoe look at the Google map,shows that this old building being very close to Nazareth St would lie right in the path almost of the expressway,close enough to have it removed. Montreal lost a lot of history with the stroke of a pen ( and a wrecking ball) lol. HF&RV
ps: Those buildings would have been torn down somewhere around the early to mid 60's ....My oldman's shop was also expropriated ,and it was a block or so away from Nazareth....I used to play all around that area,while going to the shop,all along the waterfront & the cobble stone streets all around there.It was fun to have to play around the trains that delivered to business's around there,mostly ship repair & other industry, Welding shops etc etc ........

Diane Roberts said...

I didn't recall this building, but when I read your comments it reminded me that I also attended the O'Sullivan College around 58 or 59 to do a shorthand course. I'd forgotten about that until you twigged my memory!....Diane

Frank Lawrence said...

That story of the 120 year oven is on http://coolopolis.blogspot.com/2008/08/verduns-120-year-old-oven.html and has picture of it.

Guy Billard said...

The People's .05 to $1.00 Store was later changed to Marshall's 5 - 10 - 15c to $1.00 in the 40s.
Guy