THANKS for stopping by, I do my best to acknowledge when someone leaves a comment,you do not have to be a member here & everyone is welcome. Ps: This site is monitored but not actively posting on a regular basis. Mostly these are stories & some photos saved from a defunct site known as Verdun Connections which was on MSN Groups initially then on a social network called Multiply.
POPDOG, it is so true about the balconies. When I used to visit my Dad in the summer we always sat outside. Every person that walked by said hi to him and some even stopped and conversed for a while. Of the places that I lived in Verdun, I remember the balcony of 260 Osborne the most. I would watch the traffic on Lasalle blvd, the tennis courts in front of the manoir, people walking by, and a very cute girl that lived across the street. Of course I was so shy, I think I only spoke to her once. MPU
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ReplyDeleteThen, of course, there is David Fenario's Balconville.
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BobB
looking at these photos, were you near woodland and wellington, i had a friend lived there, a french family, the trottiers, she went to st. willibrords. did you know them? carolyn
ReplyDeletebahama..........The Trotiers lived in the flat above me.Can't remember one of the girl's name, but the other one was Margo.She was the one that was a bit slow.Our back yard was like a little lane way.We played a lot of horseshoes there. Steve
ReplyDeleteIn the summers of the 40s and 50s our family would cool off on the
ReplyDeletebalconies with most everyone else in Verdun. The heat and humidity
were torturous inside. No air-conditioning or fans in those days so
long ago.
We lived at 457 Second Avenue, and directly across the street was a
downstairs flat converted to a store that sold essentials -- milk
bread etc. I think we called it a candy store. I suppose today it
would be called a convenience store. On occasion mother would send me
or my little brother over there to treat us to a bottle Kik, and dad
smoked his Exports along with a bottle of Moslem or Dow which he
enjoyed on our 4 X 6 balcony. Good times.
Second Avenue.
Monteal balconies for me are one of the defining differences between Montreal and Toronto, where I now reside. Summer nights on the balcony in Verdun on Rolland Avenue. People passing by and stopping to chat with my father. Playing guessing games as to what colour car would be next, or what make (you could actually tell the difference then). Then when I married, I lived in Rosemount and St. Leonard. Same thing there. Everyone used their balconies. It was a community.
ReplyDeleteToronto, as much as I like it for all of its things to do, is not that way. More like "little boxes made of ticky tacky" here. Neighbours see each other in the driveway or in the back, but not for extended periods. But that sense of community the balconies gave us seems unique to Verdun / Montreal.
BobB
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ReplyDeleteSandy, the cute girl across the street was Cindy. I don't remember her last name or anything about her, except of course that she was cute, as I have already said a couple of times......................................................................................m.p.u.
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ReplyDeleteWalter ..........how's your mother? Did you have a good trip to Verdun? Steve
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ReplyDeletehow are you? her name was susanne trottier. did you know the renahan twins ,johnny and jimmy?they lived on woodland between bann. and verdun next to dawson. thanks for all the interesting memorabilia. carolyn bennett indian shores, fl. hey steve,
ReplyDeleteCarolyn............The Trottiers lived just above me on Wellinton Street. Steve
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ReplyDelete3e avenue à Verdun
ReplyDeletePromenade Wellington Verdun Quebec Steve
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ReplyDeletePopDog, I just happen to have some balconies from Desmarchais this past Christmas........... ...........a very beautiful sight......................m.p.u.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember such lighted splendor in Verdun. My parents always put a small string of lights up but they were soon stolen or broken. One of the pitfalls of living on a bottom flat?
ReplyDeleteOn my front lawn in Deux Montagnes, I have a blue spruce higher than the roof of the house. I used to put lights in it every Christmas, but then someone started stealing the light bulbs for the first 5 feet or so, so after a few years I gave up, and put lights around the edge of the roof..........................m.p.u.
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ReplyDeletePopdog, I think the best place for apples and apple products is St. Joseph du Lac, a couple of towns west of Two Mountains. Just to the east of D.M. is St.Eustache, which has some of the best Cabane a Sucres (Maple Sugar Shacks) around. Further west is Oka which is famous for cheese, and infamous for the Indian Crisis of a few years back. No shortage of things happening around here. that is for sure. m.p.u.
ReplyDeleteM P U ' I have told this story before , but it just seems to need to be repeated now, I used to know Larry Moquin the wrestler , this is his story . One time they were to fight to huge japanese guys in Ottawa , Larry Moquin and Johnny Rougeau , if my memory serves me , anyhow , the four of them decided to travel to Ottawa in the same car to save money, On the way they stopped in Oka and had a meal, Larry liked OKA Cheese and ordered some, he offered some to the two Japanese guys , who hated the smell of the cheese, so on his way out of the restaurant , Larry bought a Pound of OKA Cheese , and before the fight , he and Johnny Rougeau rubbed the cheese in their armpits, well , according to Larry , you should have seen their faces , when they were in head locks and the cheese and sweat from their armpits just about knocked them out , I still laugh at the story , and I am pretty sure its true , hahahahaha Jimmy
ReplyDeleteJimmy, a good story for sure. Some cheeses can give off quite a strong B.O., although if you can get past that, they have a great taste. m.p.u.
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