hi calirose; no, I don't recall Biggerts in old TO. I was born in that busy city & spent my teenage years going to many dances around town & down on the lakeshore, as well as small restaurants such as Beckers which was known for their footlong hotdogs. do you remember that place? also enjoyed dancing at the Palais Royale which may be still down on the lakeshore. went swimming in the old Lake Ontario at the now defunct Sunnyside Beach. also liked swimming in the old Sunnyside Beach Pool, even though it was overcrowded on weekends.

Does anyone remember the slacks we called "strides?" They were tight at the bottom, wide at the knee, pleated at the front with a wide waistband but narrow belt. I had a glen check pair and thought I looked pretty cool. Also the jeans were worn rolled up a few turns with penny loafers and either a plaid shirt or man's white shirt. Most of you are probably too young to remember those styles.

Sure do remember "strides" - all the guys were wearing them and also they were in pastel colours, pink, yellow, etc. They were so tight at the ankles that they had zippers in order to get them over the shoe. I also wore the penny loafers and the jeans rolled up. Sure does take a person back many years and it was so much fun in those "good old days".

The Palais Royale is still there and has been refurbished.

calirose: I don't remember the pastel ones. The ones I remember were usually different checks, black with pink flecks, pale grey, charcoal with flecks,etc. You couldn't wear slacks then to work; they were usually for weekends or holidays and they sure didn't like them at Mutual Arena.

Loved Bo Diddley and Bill Haley
but saw him in Montreal

Anyone here remember:

BROTHERHOOD JACKETS

they were navy blue and had buttons
steel on them.. Many wore them and wrote
their name or the boyfriend's name on the back

CHUM CHARTS AND Dances


bluefox


Just drove by the Palais the other day
My it is nice down there and at Harbourfront


)

I remember the CHUM Chart; it had the coolest music. Used to answer the phone with "I listen to CHUM." in the hopes of winning a prize but I never did. My kids remember this too - must have been in the 60s. Jungle Jay Nelson was on then.

Hi everyone:

Your hostess of this thread seems to be lagging behind..........LOL

OMG, the Zoot Suiters were such fun to watch. There was a restaurant on Dovercourt at Hallem........where they often hung out. Cool!

Does anyone recall wearing Ivy League trousers for girls? Maybe an inch waist and tapering in as they reached the ankle. Most had vertical stripes........

I do remember Brotherhood Jackets......mine had eith Gord's or Bob's name on it......

I must agree, that the Toronto Waterfront is gorgeous now........

I use to save CHUM Charts too, guess most of us did........but, do not have any now, all gone. I enjoyed Al Boliska but he passed away quite young and I think, that is when Jungle Jay Nelson came to CHUM.

We were sure........never at a loss for something to do, that's for certain.

It's nice to see so many getting a kick out of this thread........hmm, what else can y'all think of?

....MC

Howdy everyone:

MC.. oh, like myself, I am on and off as time allows

Al Boliska died young, oh, I do not remember
that. What happened? I do recall his name
and the chum charts being all different colours.

LOL

Well, when weather gets nicer, anyone wanting
to go to the island, put their hand up.

Does not open till about May, but I usually head over to Ward's with friends, and then do a trip on my own. It is so lovely.

Fish and Chips, down off the Danforth in newspaper, the BEST!!!

My Grandmother loved eccles cakes.

Blackballs, and lips candy.. 3 for lcent was it???

bluefox

OMG blackballs! The challenge was to eat them in high school without getting caught. Sometimes they'd be rolled down the aisle.
I remember those skinny pants in the 60s but they were always too short and hit the calf of my leg, then split. I was glad when the longer bell bottoms came in. Also hated the pointy toed shoes which made me go up a size and were so uncomfortable. The girls wore pop tops and page boy haircuts and we gave each other Toni home perms.

Hi to everyone - Blackballs and candy lips were awesome!! I also loved eccle cakes which were a favorits of my mother and empire biscuits too. The Palais Royale was a great dance spot - I remember my sister used to practically live there and the dance rage then was "the shag"". Her and her boyfriend were great at it. Also Mutual Arena was a great place for roller skating. Does anyone remember Masaryk Hall- it also was a great place for dances and I think at one time was also used for roller skating.

Hello bluefox, calirose, haili and all:

Hi everyone......

Bluefox, if I am not mistaken.......Al Boliska died, after choking on food and then throwing up.

Does anyone remember The Bathing Pavillion at Sunnyside? It was a huge building backing onto Lake Ontario. I have pictures of my parents there in probably the thirties. It wasn't a pool but rather the lake that you swam in.

When I was in my teens I had a friend in Windsor and boy could she ever do "the shag." I think it was the influence from Detroit........the shag was big there.

....MC

Hi Mamacarol- Yes, I remember the Bathing Pavillion at Sunnyside - in later years you had to go thro those same doors to get to the pool which we called the "tank" Also, the Club Top Hat or the Esquire Club was right across the road where we used to go dancing too. Also, the Palace Pier was right there too. Does anybody remember the SeaBreeze dance pavillion where you danced uunder the stars - it was really awesome!!

Just heard that Frankie Laine died. He was one of my favorites and I saw him with Patti Paige at Mutual Arena many years ago. He and Kaye Starr were the coolest singers once upon a time. He was 92 and I didn't realize he was that old.

I am sorry to hear about Frankie Lane, but 92 is a good age, I guess!!

I loved reading all the posts because they sure brought back memories. Someone mentioned that you had to be 21 in the old days and that is true, but I could get in most places on Yonge Street, but never the Brown Derby. Doorman would say, look at you, you've still got baby fat. Oh I wish someone would say that now. LOL

Did anyone ever go to Tops Restaurant after a night at L'Coq Dor. I remember the red headed manager saying you kids behave yourself or you're out. You've been drinking. Yes, we'd had a couple but we were starving too. He was a funny guy and watched us like a hawk.

Haven't heard anything else about our streetcars. I don't think the TTC knows what it is doing. For those of you who don't live here an adult fare is now $2.75 and the fare for seniors is $1.95.

One reason the City is no longer safe is because it has grown so big and there has been a lot of immigration from other countries and other places in Canada. It just seems to have grown with not much thought to how it grew, but now the politicians have noticed and maybe we'll have some improvements. They are going to redevelop the waterfront for a start.

[This message has been edited by nellieanne (edited 07-02-2007).]

I think the city is still safe. It's all the immigrants of the past 20 years that have made Toronto a far more interesting and stimulating place to live, in my opinion. The old days were great but I love Toronto more today.

I agree Trawnapal. Toronto is still one of the best cities in the world for things to do and for safety.

Yes I agree, I still go for walks at night, but you can't deny it has really sprawled out and all the condos downtown make it somewhat like New York. I guess I was thinking about the shootings although these seem to be under control now.

Hi everyone:

Calirose.....I didn't realize, that the pool had been built there on that site. I don't think I ever went swimming there.

Haili.....Frankie Lane was 92, wow? I think he sang a song called "The Midnight Gambler." Who could ever forget "Mule Train?"

Nellianne.......I tend to agree with you re: the size of Toronto and the immigration over the last years. I personally think, that the worst thing the politians did, was to add all of the surrounding areas into a Mega City. Time will tell.

Trawnapal and yaya......Maybe had I not moved from Toronto to Scarborough, at age 12 and grew up with the changes happening slowly, I might feel differently. But, I tend to compare it now with the Toronto of 1953........ The house we lived in when I was born on Wallace Avenue.......is now painted a hideous coral. OK.....small potatoes........LOL

You know one of the things I loved about the old Toronto? Little grocery stores, in amongst the houses on the block.......cool!

....MC

mamacarol: I loved that song Moonlight Gambler., Mule Train, etc. He had a great voice.
Also remember going to the stores for my mom in the days before we had a refrigerator. I would go and get whatever meat was for supper. One of the stores ran a tab which had to be paid every Friday and they delivered by bicycle so no-one bought much at a time; not like today when we get a big load of stuff. Of course the milkman would leave milk outside the door each morning.

Hi haili:

My mum use to ask me to go to the Red & White store across the road for her. They did run a weekly tab and so did the butcher shop. We had an ice box until 1950 I think and you couldn't keep very much in it.

Of course it is........Moonlight Gambler.

Artist/Band: Laine Frankie
Lyrics for Song: Moonlight Gambler
Lyrics for Album: The Best of Frankie Laine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can gamble for match sticks, you can gamble for gold.
The stakes may be heavy or small.
But if you haven't gambled for love and lost,
You haven't gambled at all.

So they call me a moonlight gambler.
Well, I've gambled for love and lost.
When I gamble for love but it isn't in the cards,
Oh, what heartaches it can cost me.

Win or lose, I'm a moonlight gambler,
And a winner is what I long to be.
So I'll gamble for love just as long as I live,
Till the day Lady Luck smiles down on me.

Well, you can gamble for match sticks,
You can gamble for gold.
Stakes may be heavy or small.
But if you haven't gambled for love and lost,
Well, then you haven't gambled at all.

No, if you haven't gambled for love in the moonlight,
Then you haven't gambled at all.

So I'll gamble for love just as long as I live,
Till the day Lady Luck smiles down on me.

So they call me the moonlight gambler.
Yes, they call me the moonlight gambler.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
....MC

Thanks MC, Great Song. I remember Mule Train and the power of his voice. I was only a kid at the time but loved it. Didn't he also sing Mariah?

I have lived in Toronto since I was 10 years old. I remember my parents saying how prim and proper Toronto was after Montreal. Nothing open on Sunday. I agree that the immigration has added a real character to the city and there are many new restaurants but the changes and growth have just crept up on me. I would never want to live anywhere else however. I still think this is the best place to live. I think the world was a quieter, safer place in the 50's. I think we were very lucky to grow up then.



[This message has been edited by nellieanne (edited 08-02-2007).]

Frankie Laine had lots of great songs but that Moonlight Gambler was a good one.
People from Montreal can be annoying the way they always think their city is better; why did they move here then? Jobs, it seems, but they go on about the food and how Torontonians aren't as much fun, etc. We had lots of fun anyway as I recall.

Hi everyone:

Nellieanne......yes, Toronto was closed up tighter than a drum on Sundays. That seems so long ago now....... I think you're right, the fifties was a quieter time and with the quiet came safty. My paternal grandmother's family were born and raised in rural Quebec........my parents loved going for visits.

If I am recalling "Mariah" correctly.....I would say that it sounds like a Frankie Laine song but not certain.

Well haili, I have never been to Montreal but, I do have a good friend........that travels there every chance she gets. Loves the cafes.......and the friendliness and she was born and raised in T.O. However, downtown Toronto would still be my choice for a fun night out.

Bernied......what can I say? I love Quebec too......

Thanks guys........MC

I've only been to Quebec twice and did enjoy it but I think Toronto restaurants are just as good.Sundays used to be quiet but they were real family days and we did a lot of visiting then or going on picnics. Also had to go to Sunday school when we were kids. Since Sunday shopping came in people seem to rush around all day Sunday.

I think the song by Frankie Laine is something like "They Call the Wind Mariah."The other one I liked was High Noon and I remember going to see the movie when it came out .

That's true haili........Sundays were for the family. Going visiting or having other family members for dinner. We use to often go on picnis........just start driving on the back roads and see where they would take us. Gosh.....we thought nothing of parking alongside a farmers field, throwing down our blaket and having lunch.

Now so many people have to work on Sundays, that the kids don't know how to relate, to Sunday being a special day.

Yes and always either Sunday School or Church, which meant getting all dressed up.

I was checking on Google for Frankie Laine songs..........and OMG, there are soooo many.

....MC

Nice reading the posts - taking a trip down memory lane!

Back to the topic at hand:
Toronto Was A Safe And Fun Place.....

I was raised in Winnipeg and continue to reside here. The same thing could be said for my City and any other I suppose.....
Times change and many of the streets that I would walk late at night as a Teenager -there is no way that you would even walk those streets in the daytime now.
Society has changed, drugs was something a doctor prescribed - now its to get high,gangs are prevalent, people used to fist fight IF there was a fight - now they stab and shoot each other, muggings were rare - now it seems that a woman going to her car in a shopping centre lot during the day can get her purse ripped off.
Most of us do have pleasant memories of the "good old days" and its not because we are just getting older - the world is a more
dangerous place to live in. Our cities are the breeding grounds for the dredges of society and our judicial system leaves our cops ineffective.

Thank you dib.........I believe you have put it all into perspective.

....MC

Really enjoyed all the comments and just had to add one. My late husband grew up in TO and had wonderful stories about playing baseball/football at Christie Pits! When he came to the Maritimes, he couldn't wait to get back to Ont. He did return for 1 year in late 50's, and then decided things had changed there,so returned to the Maritimes for the remainder of his life. (thank goodness)

I lived in Weston for aabout 6 months in 1947 and was never so scared to live in a city in all my life. Everytime you picked up the daily paper, it seemed there had been another murder in Toronto.

Nowadays, most cities are the same as TO and Montreal were then. I wonder if this is called progress.

Still lots on this thread
good

I loved those songs too.. Moonlight Gambler
etc.

Now, I recall a time visiting my favorite
Aunt Mabel. She lived on Cowan Avenue
you all know where that is, Parkdale
and it was a lovely area, all round there
way back when. I had the grandest time
out on her verandah.

I have not been down there in years, drugs
and all, I believe.


Montreal vs. Toronto. I lived in Montreal
in teen years, etc. Time of Habitat and it was wonderful. I always have a good time
wherever I go, and Toronto has changed now.
I do love our city, and the Harbourfront.
Just take care wherever I go out. Do not go much at night alone, either


bluefox

Hello everyone:

Starstruck.......we lived near Christie Pits and it was a favourite place to go. It really was a pit........had to walk down a fairly high hill on all sides to the park. I am happy for you, that your guy went back to The Maritimes too........

Balsam......were you living in the same city I was during the year of 1947? LOL I, very seriously, do not recall more, than perhaps a few muders a year. Toronto prided it'self on the safety of the city and was cited for it........

Hi bluefox.......Parkdale was a beautiful part of Toronto. Loved the old homes with the huge verandahs.....such character. My paternal grandparents home was on Wallace Avenue and had such a verandah. OMG, the times spent there with friends......

Over the last year we have had occasion to go into downtown Toronto several times. But, each time......have chosen, before heading home, to go touring old neighbour hoods for old time's sake.

Gigantic eye opener.........but, nothing stays the same forever. I love this thread, thanks....MC

Did anyone ever go to Riverdale Zoo. Of course there are no big animals there anymore they have all moved to the new zoo, but the grounds are still the same and the park in front of the zoo is still there. I was sitting on a bench under a big tree last fall when an elderly man sat down beside me. I was looking at the wading pool and remembering myself as a 10 year old splashing in that pool. I mentioned this to the old crabby man and he just said "I hope there was water in it then." LOL

Also the streets leading to Riverdale Zoo have the most beautiful houses. There are a lot of heritage houses and the rest have been renovated to their past glory. This is one area of Toronto where time seems to have stood still. Now Parliament Street is another story.

It is nice to walk down a street and it looks the same as it did 50 years ago. The old Victorian houses were built to last forever. Parkdale used to be the same and you can't take away from the beauty of the houses. It is being reclaimed now by people who are restoring the homes to the way they were.

[This message has been edited by nellieanne (edited 10-02-2007).]

Hi Mamacarol - we lived in Weston (Windall Avenue, and a great neighbourhood, knew everyone on our short street - Windall is now all under pavement and large apartment buildings). Anyway, we moved there in Sept of 1947, absolutely wonderful landlady, she was like a mother to us.

But every day the paper had an account of another murder - I don't remember details except for the one where the woman was found murdered in High Park (??) I think it was. I guess I remember that one because it was particularly brutal.

Mu husband was airforce, and as such had to be away sometimes. I was a young twenty year old, and was absolutely petrified to stay alone at night. I remember the daughter of the house worked at TD bank and often had to come home late at night on the trolley. We worried so about her.

Of course I had come from the (then) small town of Dartmouth, where nobody ever locked their doors and you could walk anywhere alone at night. I soon got educated.

But in the daytime I used to take our two month old daughter in her buggy and walk all over downtown Weston, I wasn't scared then.

It was around that time too, (memories are coming back), that an ex-airman, someone we knew, had tried to stop a robber at a local store, and was gunned down right in front of his wife and small daughter.

So some of my memories of Toronto are not good. Nowadays, I would not walk alone in Dartmouth either. Hoods and prostitutes plying their trade in the nice, working class neighbourhoods that used to be so lovely.

My mother used to take us to Riverdale Zoo every summer. There were a lot of places to go then that had free days for kids and it just cost the streetcar fare. We'd take a lunch with us to eat outside.
There is always crime in a city - remember the Boyd gang? It didn't seem so common then, though.

Hope I don't bore you with this but here goes...

I can remember my first hockey game at Maple Leaf Gardens.

My Uncle took me to see a game in 1942, I was six, and I can vividly recall walking into the Gardens and hearing all the noise...programme sellers, the buzz of people talking, the excitement of walking up the stairway to the green section and seeing the ice for the first time. The ice was sooo white! It was magical!

And there, out on the ice..the Toronto Maple Leafs in their blue sweaters and the Boston Bruins in their white, gold and brown sweaters....and I noticed that one of the Boston players wore a leather helmet....funny what one remembers.

My absolutely favourite player was number 12, Gordie Drillon. I was mesmerized by the game, the cheering of the fans and, when Toronto scored a goal, everyone went mad!

During the summer months my Aunt, who was a baseball fan, took me to Maple Leaf Stadium to see the baseball Maple Leafs play. My Aunt knew Peter Campbell, the owner of the team and, of course, we got great tickets....and I got lots of attention, being young and all.

I lived in the Bathurst and Bloor area of Toronto and spent a lot of time at Christie Pitts, playing baseball during the summer and tobogganing in the winter.

I recall, one summer day, a pal and I were standing on the hill at Christie Pitts..this was during the war years, I'm guessing about 1944, when we looked up into the sky and, streaking toward us was a plane...it was a Mosquito fighter plane.

Anyway, he was flying really low and, as he passed overhead, we both started to jump up and down and wave! Off went the plane, screeching overhead and disappearing into the blue sky.

We watched as he slowly turned and didn't he come flying back toward us! WOW! As he streaked pass us he began to wobble his wings! We were both so excited! We waved as he went by and the plane roared away. Often think about the plane and the pilot...

I recall the big snowstorm of 1944 and NOT having to go to school due to the storm. I remember seeing people skiing down Bathurst Street...nothing else was moving. The snowdrifts were sooo high...of course I was only eight.

I can also remember taking a trip with my Grandmother to Weston on the tram...it seemed to take forever and it was way out in the country. Visiting relatives who lived near the Kodak plant and the railway ran past just down the street so I spent a lot of time watching the steam engines go by and waving at the engineers who always waved back. Some even blew the whistle at me.....

Also, the street cars in Toronto were heated during the winter, if I recall correctly, by stoves and the ticket collector was situated in the centre of the car by the middle doors.

MY Uncle worked for the TTC, as a tram operator, and, when it was possible, I was able to go with him from one end of the St. Clair line to the other and it was my job to ring the trolley bell.

Also, when my Father came home from the war, we met him at the CNE grounds. We were so excited! I recall the soldiers marching into the building, with pipers playing and the mayor of Toronto was there to make a speech. The speech didn't last long as everyone swarmed to meet the soldiers!

Ah, yes, memories of living in Toronto......how things have changed.....

Hi dugger.......I am not bored.

My paternal grandfather was a carpenter by trade and his company (Handcock's Lumber) put the seating in MLG when it was built.

Yes, I too recall tobagganing at Christie Pits in Winter.

What a treat it would have been to see the old Maple Leaf ball team play at Maple Leaf Stadium. It was such a landmark on the lakeshore for sooooo many years. I always thought it looked like a huge jail....but I never saw a game there. Guess I was too young but, my brother did.

What a wonderful memory........of the day you and a friend saw the plane over christie Pits.......

Dugger, the old wooden streetcars.......did have a stove by the centre doors. Life in Toronto was incredible back then.

Thank you dugger for your post....MC

We used to go to ball games at the old Maple Leaf Stadium regularly, even though we lived north of the city. My father would drive in and we'd meet my aunt and her friends.It was great fun watching ballgames there. We always sat along the third base line. When we drove home we always stopped at Laurier (?) motors at the north end of Hoggs Hollow where the 401/Yonge interchange now is. It was the last place for gas that was still open. And in those days there was little north of that spot. In fact I can still remember the old street car line that ran from Richmond Hill down the side of Yonge Street - the last remaining stretch of the old line that used to run up to Lake Simcoe.

Christie Pits is still going strong and ball is still played there. Bathurst Street has changed little over the years, until you get north of the city.

I remember also the street cars with the stove in the centre. Also as a young girl, we would have our competitions (races,etc) at Christie Pitts. I too, lived in Parkdale which was a lovely neighbourhood back then. I wouldn't want to live there now. We used to hurry home from school to have a swim in the lake (I don,t think I would do that now either). I remember Cowan Avenue well. I knew some kids that lived on Cowan and we all attended Queen Victoria School on Close Avenue.....oh the memories!!

Hi trawnapal and calirose:

Varsity Stadium.........was the place for track and field way back when, as well as other occasions of the time.

Calirose.........I knew a family that moved from beside our home on Hallem to, close Avenue, in about 1950 something. It was near the time we moved to Scarborough and that was 1953........

Their family name was Rybarczyk.........Polish, the three girls name's were Diane, Christine and Marilyn. diane was my age.........

Very interesting.........eh, what?

TTYL.........

YUP< Cowan Avenue, and all that area

Also, I used to go to the library near Coxwell and Gerrard. There was also a Kresge's or Woolworth's near there.

re: Hoggs Hollow

Remember that Tavern: well, they have redone it all
I dont care much for it myself
you might

The Old Miller or something it used to be called






bluefox





ciao

I remember going to the baseball games at the old Maple Leaf Stadium. Our family had a friend who always got us tickets to the game. The umpire used to yell STREEEK!!! every time a strike occured.
There was one time where they were giving away free baseballs and my older brother took me to the game and we both got a ball but he was annoyed that I would not give him mine for "safe keeping".

My dad took me to Maple Leaf Gardens when I was about 8 years old. We sat up in the greys. He bought me a box of Cracker Jacks but he told me the noise I was making while enjoying them was interrupting his concentration on the game. Years later, I took him to a game and we had seats in the blue section. Didn't buy myself any Cracker Jacks though.

The Old Miller or something it used to be called
bluefox


It was called "The Jolly Miller" I think.

Hi bluefox, geezer and trawnapal:

Bluefox.........I thought maybe you were speaking of The Old Mill but I guess not..........that was west Toronto.

Geezer........cute story about the Cracker Jacks. I have never seen a hockey game at MLG's...........only concerts.

Hi trawnapal..........I asked hubby if he had heard of The Jolly Miller and he said, he thought it was a tavern but he couldn't recall where.

I noticed that I had been neglecting this thread...........don't tell me I have nothing else to say about Toronto. I asked y'all not to tell me..........

*************************
The Jolly Miller is a Pub on Yonge Street south of Hwy 401 in an area called " Hogs Hollow " I think it is still operating as a Pub

Thank you Paul..............I just told my hubby.

Does anyone remember when going to the show downtown was a special event? The Imperial Theatre on Young St. had those beautiful dark red velvet curtains, gilt trim, marble and a big aquarium in the foyer. The first movie I ever saw was Snow White at that theatre and also saw Gone with the Wind there later in the 50s. It was quite impressive. There was also Loews and a couple of others downtown and 2 on Bloor. One was the University and I can't remember the name of the other but I saw Greta Garbo in Anna Karinina (not the original release but a re-release!) There were also small neighbourhood theatres and I went every week to one of them. There was also the Capital on the Danforth.

hi! I also remember going downtown TO to see a good movie at these theatres: Tivoli, Sheas, Lowes Uptown, as well as the very, very old one which has since been demolished at the corner of Queen & Spadina--the Pickford; also the Orfeum which was west of Spadina on Queen st. oh! just recalled another one; bigger & nicer than the previous ones mentioned .. it was the Victory Theatre. don't think that's still standing or not. when I went to these movie theatres it was back in the forties & fifties. the Victory was on the corner of Spadina & Dundas...haven't been to a movie theatre in years; especially when we got a VCR player, then a DVD player.

Wow what memoreys! thanks for sharing. I lived all over Toronto as a kid. I think we were always one step ahead of the bailiff. Was born on Leslie St north of Queen and went to Leslie St School. Lived on gerrard west of of,crap, forget the street ,but Browns Bread was there and my brother had a bread route around Greenwood Park with the wonder horse Prince. My brother was a wonderfull racontour and he had great storys about Prince going all the way back to the charge of the light brigade. Went to Pape school then. Lived on Victor ave north of Gerrard.Went to Withrow School. Thats when the Boyd gang escaped from the Don Jail. I wore my six shooter to school that day in hopes of capturing these desperadoes .LOL Lived on Woodbine and went to Norway Public. Got the strap from Mr. Lilly for forgetting my speller in grad 4. Moved to Scarberia and went to Wexford public and then went to work for a living. Worked at all kinds of jobs. Worked for Tommy Morgans esso. think that was at marjory and gerrard. Worked at sinnot News in the old war time buildings off of Eglington in Scarberia. Delivered telegrams for CP down around Front and Young. I knew ever building and alley in those days. Scares the heck out of me now to drive down there. Used to get the best corn beef sandwiches on Richmond St near the liquor store. The Hickery dell was the name. My Mom worked at General Steel wares at River and Gerrard and so did I for awhile in the mid fiftys.
But I liked the movie theatres on Saturdays. There was the Crown at Broadview on Gerrard, the Pape,Bonita,Prince of Wales on Danforth. Gosh it was great. Two movies of my heroes Roy,Gene, Lash Larue etc on a Saturday along with the serials and a cartoon. Sometimes they would have live on stage some guy who could really work a yoyo. The thing is those movie heroes taught us manners and to be a good guy.I feel sorry for the kids today that they don`t have the same kind of heroes.
There was a Loblaws on Broadview just south of gerrard. I stole a wagen and used to make money carting grocerys for folks. If you owned the wagen I apologize. Delivered for Tamblyns drug store on Broadview and I was so small I had to ride the bike under the bar.
When I got enough money together my friend Mike and I would go on a sunday afternoon to watch St. Mikes and Marlies square off. My Pal Mike was a Dogan and we would continually scrap,me being a prod and all. Fifteen minutes later with fresh bandages applyed he would be calling up at our third floor flat to come out and play. Remember snatching ice slivers off the ice truck. Gosh that tasted good.Best money I ever got was working the Pop stand during BINGO games at the Mick Church on McCaul St. Mostly Jewish women.. I think it was called st Patricks. $10.00 bucks for the night. Father Cassidy was the guys name. Remember he asked me if i could get another honest boy to work. I said sure Father my friend, his father is a minister. I didn`t realize then why he chuckeled ,but he said to bring him out. My friends father found out and he was forbidden to work any longer. Anyway ,moved out to the Queensway and then joined the Army. Best thing I ever did. Sorry if I bored you all.
Yes Toronto was safer if you ask me. Mostly white folks in those days,but we still fought as kids. Mostly Prods and Micks and sometimes the Jews. But we never killed anyone.Just a bloody lip or a a black eye and steal your opponents bag of alleys and add them to your collection.
Oh yah! There was a catholic orphanage at the corner of Broadview and Victor Ave. Gosh I felt really sorry for those kids. It was like they were in jail looking through the barred gate. I used to buy or steal one cent candy to give to them. Wonder what ever happened to those little kids?
I thought they were so poor I didn`t realize how poor we were.