"Club Was Started During War" as recalled by former 500 member George Drummond,who was Station Master at Windsor Station.
"It started,he recalled,during the First World War at which time a group of friends gathered regularly on Third Ave..Verdun to play cards-------and the game they invariably played was '500' ,what else ?
There was a dock at Third Ave. and Lasalle Blvd. at the time & when summer came the card-playing group would thro duck boards over the shoreline so they could walk out to the water and swim.
This big city version of the old swimming hole attracted quite a few Verdunites. So many ,in fact,that the place got crowded and so it was decided to organise a club called ,of course the '500'
Later came a small shack and still later,lumber to build a deck. Then a boom was put out to protect the swimmers and the club was a great success.
A swimming meet was staged annually and a trophy donated for the winner of a race from the 500 Club to LaTortue wharf, which Mr Drummond reminds us was out near where the Natatorium is today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Cheers !! HF&RV
-----------want to read the complete story from the Gazette (besides I'm tired of typing this).....hahahaha ------then Click on the Link ......read the full story there.
4 comments:
**** there are provisions for you to read the newsppaper page by page and also a full screen choice to make it easier to read.....fool around with it & you will figure it out.....
if not then ask & we will try to help you out (which way did you come in)........hahahaha
Cheers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HF&RV
Les,
This is fantastic, I was just wondering how the name 500 was given to the 500 Verdun Sport Club. This information will be included in my article I am preparing. We now know that the club included swimmimg, hockey, basketball and boxing and probably boating. Les, your resourcefulness is endless.This all started with William Higgins photos.
Guy
Hymie's Verdun Junior Football Club
Have you heard of this team?? Many of these players were from Point St.Charles. Alfie Slewinsky and Pat Duffy two of Hymie's Stars.
Can't find much about them
The Verdun Shamcats were from 1950 to 1960.
This Gazette article mentions the plan for Verdun Beach at the foot of Riverview, read the story & scroll down a little to see where they mentiont the planned area for the beach,They also make mention of opening the dam for 24 hrs. to flush the area,then they will fill the holes with rock & gravel ,topped with sand I guess......
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P3ctAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l5gFAAAAIBAJ&dq=verdun%20beach&pg=6974%2C1450715
So that old photo we have around here somewhere might actually be at Riverview (foot of) ?
Cheers !! HF&RV
ps: I seem to remember somespeculation on it's whereabouts,Near Leblancs & a few other spots were mentioned too,.including Muscle Beach which would really have been in Lasalle more or less.?Keep in mind that this is 'not' the swimming club's which we have photos of as well.
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