Hello All, Gerry Jones here, In my first message I said I lived on 800 2nd, 692 Richard and 480 Osborne and went to Bannatyne, Riverview and VHS. For the elder members here, my dad was Bobby Jones, son of Ray, brother to Teddy and Betty. They were all born and raised in Verdun. My Mom was Ruth Baggott, daughter of Frank and Peggy, Sister to Betty and Dorothy they lived in the old west end of Verdun (Strathmore area). When I read all the messages I recognize or at least think I recognize names and people. When we lived on 2nd (1960) I remember being sent to the store just south of bannantyne and getting a 1/2 pound of baloney on credit and grabbing a small pack of players for 40 cents. The store owner knew all the kids and they had a rack of all the receipt books with all the addresses on them and then your parents would owe up at weeks end. Imagine doing that now in Toronto. The store had one of them water cooled drink coolers, you'd reach in the freezing water and slide your pop down. Grabbing a spruce beer, or a Uptown or maybe a orange crush ( when it was good). I remeber playing standstill in the laneway between 2nd and 1st, that Bell building had a perfect ledge. I remember the Meldrums, and the Hensons who lived on 3rd. In school at that time my friends were Wendy Stack (willibrod) Lorraine Masters(willibrod), Gary Davis, Marilyn Jones, Ron McEwan (1st ave), Ken ( I think) Hastings, Ted Vezina and a little red haired girl Sandra. I remember the horse drawn milk and bread wagons, tho that was dying off then. When we went to the savoy on saturday, sometimes we had to get up early to steal the change left in the milk bottles to go. Sorry if it was your milk bottle. Then they brought out those damn tickets.lol. Think back , on a cold day like today, the milk would be frozen and popping the cardboard lids off.
You know how people ask you "Where were you when such and such happened" When JFK was killed I was sitting on the stairs of 800 2nd ave, Mom came out in tears talking the neighbors about it. Then we moved.
That is traumatic for a kid in grade 3, Richard Ave was SO FAR AWAY. May 1st was moving day then, so meeting new kids for the last two months of school was awkward. But I met good friends at Riverview, some of which I still talk to today. Carolyn McDowell, Wendy Gibbs, Louise Gibson, Norm McKeough, Regaline Huggins, John Fyfe, Peter Veinot, Roddy McPhereson, Ted Sevier, Susan James, Gail Riddell, Gail Piper, Joyce Jordan, Stuart Simms, John Parsons, Hope Wentzell, Maureen McCarthy, Derek McQuattie, Donnie Andrews. Growing up on Richard was fun, we had good neighbors, John "Pokey" Burns, Halliday, Stan Hesse, The Mallins, Al Fernie, the Popovichs, who lived above Varley's on Verdun Ave. Varley's!!! what a store, nice old people who gave you extra candy sometimes for FREE. I remember being a wagon boy at Steinbergs at Verdun and Brault and looking at the new cars at Omer Barre's every September, the salesmen would chase us all out. I remember playing hockey , swimming at the Nat, fishing at torche. So many good times. Verdun " A good place to raise your kids???" back then a 100% yes. I'l let all go now , maybe be back with a part 2 next week. Trivia question, name three things Verdun doesn't have??
Take Care All
Gerry
12 comments:
Dear Gerry, Hi the three things Verdun didn't have I'm not sur now but were a BAR, RAILROAD, AND A HOTAL I remember my mother saying that's what made different hahah TaniaB correct me if I'm wrong I'd like to know if memory serves me right and see if like all good kids I listened to my mom.
hmmmmm, this is a question that was posed to us many times by our mom....Verdun has (or had) no bars, no railway and no Cemetary.
Good answers, I always it as no taverns, no rail lines aand no street beginning with St. Gerry
hi gerry i knew ur dad i lived on rolland next door to teddy and diane jones diane and i were very close but lost touch over the years i remember they use to enjoy the going to the river and tipping a few elbows lol take care jeanne
well they had no bars or taverns now they have the new fad thingie called REST-O-BAR,they serve alcohol,they still dont have a rr they do have a METRO (as in subway)they ran that right under the #4 legion.still no known cemeteries and no streets named Saint (cuz there was none) and that thought of a St Gerry street,WELL they might shortened the street named GERTRUDE when they start changing the names due to the MONTREAL merger and now VERDUN is a burrough of MONTREAL,(isnt that sad).from a CITY to a BURROUGH.how did they let that happen. bim
Hi Bim, Burrough sounds like something a animal might live in. The merger is just another white elephant like the big O. Dannyb--
hi dan. R U RELATED TO KENNY AND DONNA BIGGS.JUST CURIOUS. YES THAT MERGER ANOTHER WHITE ELEPHANT WELL ITS "ONE TOWN,ONE PLOW"NOW.SNOW REMOVAL SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE BUT IF U HAVE BEEN HERE LONG ENUF U CAN GET AROUND IT. WAIT TIL NUNS ISLAND SEPERATES FROM VERDUN.ITS IN THE NEWS. B-SAFE BIM
Hello Jeanne, Sorry I can't recall your name maybe if I knew your last name. Well Teddy is gone and Dad passed in 2001. Diane is in Vancouver. Did you live with the Smiths? Rick Smith has been married a zillion times, he married my Aunt (Betty) for a bit. Betty pased away too, three days after Bob. Take Care Jeanne
Gerry
Hi Bim, I guess I have been asked that question just as much as Kenny & Donna have been. As far as I know there is no family connection. Although it is not all that common of name. I have met Kenny and we had a friend or two in common, I use to hang around with Sandra Peacock and I believe he went out with her for a while. I think we are around the same age. Danny
hi dan i think u know me too.SANDRA PEACOCK HAS A SISTER SHARON I THINK.THEY LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME IN THE 60'S. BIM
Hi Bim, Sandra does have a sister Sharon. They lived on Verdun ave. Across from the old fire station on Osborne. And then moved to Beatty. There was a family next to the fire station upstairs named Kubiac not sure of spelling. And where did you live then. Dannyb
hi dan i Lived on verdun ave bootom flat next to the kubiacs.diane still lives in verdun on beatty between bannnatyne and beaurling,i think her sister sylvia lives with her.her older brother raymong becane a priest but is no longer.i seen raymond at my moms funeral in dec 2001.i lived between the kubiaks block and dysons jewellery store the address was 5629 up until 1970 i moved to allard ave.was there till 79.then as it goes got married moved to lasalle foe 3 years and have since resided in st hubert on the south shore. BIM PS IF I REMEMBER RIGHT RAYMOND IS BACK LIVING IN THAT BLOCK ON VERDUN AVE.MR KUBIAK WAS THE OWNER.
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