Nostalgia
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Nostalgia
When my husband and I first came to Crawford Park, fifty-three years ago, it was pretty much a self-sufficient community. There were two elementary schools, one Protestant English and another Catholic half French, half English school with a French Mass on Sundays. There were also two Protestant churches, one United Church and one Church of England.
The two candy stores were called ‘‘Buds’’, on the corner of Churchill and Lloyd George, and ‘‘Wesley’s’’, on the corner of Churchill and Crawford Bridge. As well we had two grocery stores, one on the corner of LaSalle Boulevard and Fayolle and the other on the corner of Churchill and Clemenceau. Our drugstore, on Foch, had a post office. ‘‘Gibbons’’ restaurant on Clemenceau had a pool table in the back.
We had a small private hospital on the corner of Churchill and LeClair, and gas station on Champlain too. There was a YMCA, and a legion Branch on LaSalle Boulevard, ‘‘The Old Stone House’’. There was a hairdressing salon ‘‘Edith’s’’ and a barbershop called ‘‘Mr. Tarrs’’, they were both on Churchill.
Last but certainly not least, there was Harry Carlisle’s greenhouse on LeClair, where we would just drop in to get a few plants or some advice on gardening, which became more of a social visit. It was a place when you come out, you were happy. Harry’s greenhouse was very important to Crawford Park, as the people here took great pride in their gardens and people from around Montreal would drive through to see the beautiful flowers.
Crawford Park was a lovely little community where everyone had the time to speak as you walked by, so that in no time you knew people in every block, on every street. It made it very safe for our children to wander because you knew, and they knew, there were people to turn to if they needed help.
What a lovely time and place it was, for our children to grow up in.
The two candy stores were called ‘‘Buds’’, on the corner of Churchill and Lloyd George, and ‘‘Wesley’s’’, on the corner of Churchill and Crawford Bridge. As well we had two grocery stores, one on the corner of LaSalle Boulevard and Fayolle and the other on the corner of Churchill and Clemenceau. Our drugstore, on Foch, had a post office. ‘‘Gibbons’’ restaurant on Clemenceau had a pool table in the back.
We had a small private hospital on the corner of Churchill and LeClair, and gas station on Champlain too. There was a YMCA, and a legion Branch on LaSalle Boulevard, ‘‘The Old Stone House’’. There was a hairdressing salon ‘‘Edith’s’’ and a barbershop called ‘‘Mr. Tarrs’’, they were both on Churchill.
Last but certainly not least, there was Harry Carlisle’s greenhouse on LeClair, where we would just drop in to get a few plants or some advice on gardening, which became more of a social visit. It was a place when you come out, you were happy. Harry’s greenhouse was very important to Crawford Park, as the people here took great pride in their gardens and people from around Montreal would drive through to see the beautiful flowers.
Crawford Park was a lovely little community where everyone had the time to speak as you walked by, so that in no time you knew people in every block, on every street. It made it very safe for our children to wander because you knew, and they knew, there were people to turn to if they needed help.
What a lovely time and place it was, for our children to grow up in.
Sheila Howlett
3 comments:
This brought back memories. I was born in Crawford Park raised on LeClair ,my grandmother lived on Ouimet,my aunt and uncle and cousins lived on Foch and LeClair.I used to deliver prescriptions on my bike from the Crawford Pharmacy on Foch.It was a great community.The barbers first name was Charlie.Thanks for bringing these fond memories back to me.
Just to grow your comments a little, but it seems everyone forgets the ice house just down from Charlie's which was later converted to a furniture discount center and the auto repair/welding business just down from there on Leclair. The Lowry's on Champlain delivered the Gazette and Rutledge's on Clemenceau was the Montreal Star depot for home delivery (she also cut hair).
I also think growing up next to an operating farm to the west (on the Protestant Hospital for the Insane [now the Douglas Hospital] grounds) with grazing cows and cornfields; being bordered by the St. Lawrence to the north and Aqueduct and forest (until the Agrinon Park) to the south provided that separation from the city and a country, small town atmosphere that was Crawford Park.
Andy B.
Thanks for that info Andy, I think we do forget some of the commercial business's around Crawford Park,.....it was a completely different feel to Crawford Park ,(it still is) it is it's own little community,all the while being part of Verdun,...even the Bronx in Lasalle is more like Verdun with the neat little wartime homes of Crawford Park being neatly sandwiched btwn .
-Cheers ! HF&RV- thanks for the input.
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