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2011-07-03T13:23:00.002-07:00

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2011-07-03T13:23:00.001-07:00

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2011-07-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hi,

My email with the attachment bounced as the file was too big. So I’ve reduced each of the four pages and am sending one now and three later. The archivist only photocopied the front cover and 3 pages that dealt with your ancestor. Too bad there isn’t any year date to the flyer. When I was growing up the telephone exchange was BYwater and then it changed to Riverside… probably in the early 1950s.

That’s too bad about the balloon flight. Hopefully the guys will get another chance and you can do your ‘chasing’.

Have a good summer!

ST LAURENT, MONTREAL, QUEBEC - MILLAR STORE

2009-04-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

The D.A. MILLAR General Store

The MacDONALDS: Some time between 1818 and 1828 the MacDonalds moved to Canada. In 1847, at Lewiston, New York, USA, their son, Alexander married Jane Donald, the daughter of Robert Donald and Jane Middleton. Their first daughter, Susannah Cornelia, was born in 1848 at St. Laurent and their second child, Marjorie Elizabeth was born in 1850 at Brooklyn, New York, USA. Later that same year, the family returned St. Laurent. Susannah died there at the age of two. Another daughter, named Clara Jane was born in 1853. Alexander died in 1856 before the birth of his fourth daughter, Alexina Mary who was born at St Laurent the same year.

At some time after 1851, David Millar Sr, left the family farm at Ste Therese and moved to St Laurent. In 1861, he married the widow Jane Donald MacDonald and was the merchant of a store on Rue Principale near Cote Vertu and Decelles, a few blocks north of the building that was to become our grandfather's store.

Before 1903, David & Janes' two sons, Norman and David Allan, ran a store together at St Laurent. Later they each managed their own separate store.

The store shown above, was purchased from Edouard Gohier circa 1903. According to the 1903 Lowell Street Directory for the Village of St Laurent, Edouard Gohier was listed on Saint-Matthieu (later Cote Vertu) and the Millar Brothers Store was now two stores, with the 'new store' listed at 184 St Laurent [Grampa's store] and the 'old store' at St Laurent [Norman Millar's store]. The D.A. Millar Store address changed to 240 Rue Principale and later to 810 Blvd Ste Croix.

The look of the store had changed from this view. In my memory the stairs did not exist and there were other changes as well, though the general look was the same. After shortening the legs of one of the tables that held merchandise in the middle of this room it was used in our children's play area. Some years later, the wood was sanded and somewhat restored, the legs cut shorter again, and it serves as a coffee table now.

I remember walking north on Blvd Ste Croix toward Cote Vertu with my mother and she pointed out the store that had once belonged to her grandfather. It is probable that the store at 210 St Laurent Road, had once belonged to Great Grandfather David Millar.

Grandfather's store was located near the corner of Blvd Ste Croix and Rue d'Eglise, across the road from the RC Church and Vanier College complex.

MILLAR BRAND MERCHANDISE:
Grandpa sold under his own name as shown here.

This photo of Uncle Donald shows the inside of the store, the wooden counter running from the back to the front with merchandise layed out on top, shelving, and the inside of the display window in the distance.

This room was our playground. We entered from the door that opened from the dining room of the house, down a few worn steps to the store. To the left of the door was a huge cash register, brass and marble. To the right, near the front by the other display window, was my grandfather's desk. It was a huge piece and was an area we seldom frequented. I do remember Grandpa working there. I remember that there had been candies in glass jars and other items along the aisle near the desk when I was small. High on the wall above the desk was a portrait of our great grandfather David Millar. In the middle, running almost full length of the store, there, were various tables holding boxes of goods for sale, men's shirts, shoes and boots, work pants. The ladies wear and toys were on the shelves or counters on the other side. It was a General Store and in its time carried food items as well as household goods and clothing. On occasion, when we were visiting, there were hired female sales clerks who only spoke French.
Here in this room, we checked out the merchandise, played tag and hide & seek, and generally wore off our childhood energy.

Through a door at the back of this first part of the store was another room, which for the most part, held boxes of various shoes. There was a bathroom there as well and it was not well heated during the winter. Very cold, I remember. At the far end of this room, there was another entrance into the store, reached from Rue d'Eglise. I think there was another room beyond this one that was small and cold and held little interest for us. At the front end of this room, to the left after entering, there was a windowed door that opened onto a narrow stairway. The wooden stairs were well worn, scalloped out, from the many feet that had trod them. At one time the upstairs had contained furnishings and other goods. In the early days of our exploration, there were old and dusty iron bed railings strewn about, but this area over the main store was not of much interest to my brother and myself. The second room, above the shoes, and at the top of the stairs, contained a mishmash of boxes and items no longer offered for sale. I remember ladies high buttoned leather shoes and men's spats along with a few toys that I never knew the names of.

ON THE OUTSIDE

I have only seen one side of the store, that part exposed along Blvd Ste Croix. The sidewalk to the back porch was a favoured place for family photos, and the backgrounds give glimpses of the store.

Check out the glimpses in the photos below:

The above photos:
Top
left - Cousin Mabel outside the stable circa 1932.
next - Cousin David with Grandpa Millar and the dog 'Lad'

Middle Row
left - Likely one of my mother's brothers, standing on the sidewalk, hiding the side door to the store, with stable door in backgroundCousin Jean Holland attop pile of snow, near side door to the store. Rectangular window is above the small circular ones.
right - My mother in front, her sisters behind, under the second circular window from the back porch
next - Cousin Jean Holland sitting atop a snow pile near the side door to the store.
last - My mother, Edna Millar, standing at end of the sidewalk with the side door to the store to her right.

RESOURCES: History of Saint Laurent, by Robert Rumilly- Business: 'General Store', Millar brothers, David and Norman, had an interurban telephone installed (c.1895) for use of inhabitants of Saint-Laurent.
- Council Members: David Millar 1905-1907, Leonard Harris, son in law of Norman MIllar
- P196 entitled École des dissidents, the first Protestant School of St-Laurent, showing D.A. Millar at the age of 5 years old. Photo dated 1872;
- P164 Maison d'Édouard Gohier et magasin général D.A. Millar, located at 810, Sainte-Croix Avenue (1956);
- P3733 Résidence D.A. Millar, located at 804, Sainte-Croix Avenue (1882). Gohier Website:
http://www.famillesbelanger.com/edouard_gohier.html

ST LAURENT, MONTREAL, QUEBEC - MILLAR HOUSE

2009-04-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

This photo is of a photocopy of an original postcard, now lost, of the D.A. Millar house, situated on the corner of streets now named Blvd. Ste Croix and Rue d'Eglise. At some time before our grandfather purchased the house, it may have been used as a bank.
In my memory, there was always a roofed veranda across the lower front of the house [to the right in this photo], as well as a smaller porch on the second floor, entered by a door that must have replaced the middle window.
The house(and store) were purchased from Edouard Gohier circa 1903. According to the 1903 Lowell Street Directory for the Village of St Laurent, Edouard Gohier was listed at Saint-Matthieu and the Millar Brothers Store was listed as two stores, with the 'old store' located at 210 St Laurent and the 'new store' listed at 184 St Laurent. The Norman Millar residence was 212 St Laurent and David A. Millar's residence was listed at 182 St Laurent Avenue.
.
Grandpa and his family moved into their home on the corner, beside the store with their family which would have included: David Nelson, Jane Mabel, Alan Leslie, Eliza and

At that time, the family consisted of David and Eliza, and their children: Nelson, Mabel, Alan, Eliza, and Donald, and possibly Lawrence who was born in February.

The street names and the house and store numbers eventually changed to 238 and 240 Rue Principale and then to 804 and 810 Blvd Ste Croix.'

.
My mother's home. In this photo, my mother and I are looking at my uncle Donald who is arranging merchandise in the store window. My room was the middle one with the small veranda. I do not remember ever being on the veranda, though I vaguely remember the door open to allow in cooler air. It was a small room and rather dark as little light from the outside could come through. There was a floor to ceiling built in closet, about ten feet tall, and containing linens and other unknown items. Between the closet and the door into the room from the hallway, was a white cast iron single bed where I slept. A chair and a tall dressor completed the room. On one side of this room was the master bedroom where I remember that my parents would sleep when we visited. On the other side of my room was another large room which became the room where my parents slept after my Aunt Eliza moved into grandpa's house and had the upstairs for her use. Down the hallway from these rooms, was the washroom on one side and the stairway on the other. The washroom had two sinks and a bath and it had a small window high up toward the ceiling. It was often cold in this room in the mornings. Continuing down the hall, there were two bedrooms on either side. One was large and had a typewriter in it which we played with, some times copying the numbers of the buses that passed on the street below. This was my favourite room but I never slept in there though it is possible that my parents had. On the opposite of the stairs was a smaller bedroom that overlooked the back entrance. Uncle Donald once had that room. Years later, it was Nelson's room while he was at McGill. The hallway continued past a small closet sized bathroom with one facility. The stairs to the kitchen were on the right and another bedroom was to the left. This is where my brother slept when we were children. I remember a Christmas when one of us got a viewmaster for a gift and we were viewing the pictures while sitting on the bed. There were no more rooms but there was a bit of space where a few items were stored, in particular, the black and silver upright vacuum cleaner. There was a door that led out to the upstairs back porch.

Memories of 'my room'
I remember waking in the night and having to use the facilities which seemed a very long way away down the dimly lit hall and past the black gaping hole of the stairway. I was always jumpy making that trek.
Another time, I found myself checking out the drawers of the highboy dressor and came across a letter to my grandfather from my Uncle Raymond who was serving in the RAF overseas at the time of writing. I remember reading in the letter, reference to his soon to be born first child and to the fact that my mother was pregnant, this would be with me. I don't know if Uncle Raymond ever got back to Canada to see his son or not. He was killed returning from a mission when his plane was shot down over Paris. I was 4 months old.

Another memory from that room was the painful and grateful bursting of a boil on my upper arm. The pain of the boil and the infection made me very tired and uncomfortable so I had gone upstairs to lie down. My dad came to see how I was and to take a look at the boil. I do not know whether he did something specific or not, but while I was looking away, it burst. Helped or not, I was out of that misery

And lastly, a Christmas Eve, past the time of hanging stockings for Santa to fill, and my mom encouraging me to hang a stocking on the footrail of the bed. I did, and awoke in the morning to find a pair of nylons in the stocking.

We visited this house a lot, every Easter and Christmas for sure and we stayed here when we went to visit both sides of our family in Montreal. All of our Christmases were here until after my grandfather Millar died. It was the meeting place of our clan. People that I only remember seeing occasionally joined us that day. We all gathered at the dining room table and I remember it as a very special time especially when my favourite uncles were there!

Pre 1933: Grandma Millar at back of house

Grandma Millar stands at the back of the house in this photo. To the left is a windowed porch, its roof covered with snow. This was the way we entered the house and I have always thought this was the coldest place in the world. Maybe that was because in winter, we left a warm car to get to the house and left a warm house when going to the car.
We were always greeted with warm hugs from the aunts, Grandpa and others who were at the house when we arrived.

Description of lower level
We entered through the back porch and through the door to the house, arriving at the large country sized kitchen. To my right was a fridge, situated under a staircase that led to the bedrooms above. When there was no one using the rooms upstairs on a regular basis, the kitchen stairs were sealed up to preserve heat on the lower floor. At the base of the stairs were the main cupboards. They stretched from just above the counter to the ceiling 10 feet above. The counter was short and not very high from the floor and held a very old large white sink. I managed to spend very little time in that area. Usually the stairs were blocked off since no one was using the rooms up there any more. At the other end of the counter and cupboards, there was a tall window looking out onto the back yard and the parking area. Radiators kept this cream coloured room warm. A small shelf in the corner held a radio. The wall directly opposite the door we had entered contained a stove, a window, a clock and the table and chairs. I remember my grandfather sitting at the table having come in from the store to have his lunch. My aunt Dorothy used to come to this house every day to make a full course dinner for her father and brother's lunch time meal. The wall to the left contained a cabinet which held the baking supplies. A doorway led to the dining room and a pass-through to the front hallway. To get to the store, it was necessary to enter the dining room, turn left and exit to the store through the door on the far wall. Perhaps the door was oak. It was a strong door. Another door was also there and it was at least six inches thick, probably to prevent an illegal entry into the house from the store. It certainly would have served asw a sound barrier as well.

The dining room held an immense table in its center. Along the passway to the front door was a huge buffet that contained the dishes for our Christmas meal. On the nearest wall to the left was the only window which looked out into the back porch. My grandfather's desk, a telephone sitting on it, and a very large phone book, was located beside the door that led to the store. Completing that wall was a china cabinet. The wall was arched open between the dining room and the living room where the Christmas Tree could be found. I remember a particular Christmas when a very large gift was against the wall and partially behind the tree and it was tagged for my brother and myself. Exciting. It turned out to be a wooden hockey game and the puck was a ball bearing, a gift to us from Uncle Donald.

After entering the dining room, there was a short hallway off of which was the door to the basement, a place not frequented by me. Continuing down this hall, there was a bedroom on the left where my Grandfather slept in later years. When I was about three years of age, I remember sitting on a bed, my legs dangling over the side, watching my mother and her two sisters, dressed in black, sorting through jewellery. This bedroom belonged to Aunt Clara and the jewellery had been hers. Clara had recently died. At the end of this short hall there was a three piece bathroom, also a dull yellow in colour. There was one window, high up near the corner of the room.

Passing through the dining room, there was another hall that led to the front door and the main staircase to the upstairs. A room on the right was very large and when I was young we would go in there to listen to the victrola record player. I remember lots of nice things being in that room, particularly a table. When my cousin Mabel brought her infant daughter, Janet, to the house for Christmas, the iron crib was there for her to sleep in. Later Uncle Donald moved into this room and my Grandfather moved into Aunt Clara's old room. The room to the left was the front room used by the family. This was where Grandpa sat in his wingback chair, and with a magnifying glass in later years, read his books or listen to the radio. If I wanted to purchase something from the store, it was there that I would ask him and I only remember being told that I could have the item and no money was exhanged. This was also the room where the gifts were exchanged each Christmas and where the tree was set up.

THE FAMILY WHO LIVED HERE

Nearly all the family is in this 1911 photo.

In the back standing, left to right, are Alan, Eliza, David, Mabel and Clara. The parents are David Millar and Eliza Lochhead. The baby on his mother's lap is Raymond. Standing beside her father is Dorothy. The children seated in the front row, left to right, are Lawrence, Maurice, Edna and Donald. Another son named Robert died in infancy. Winston was yet to be born.

Seven of the children married - Alan, Eliza, Mabel, Dorothy, Edna, Raymond, Winston.

.Only Eliza, Mabel, Edna and Raymond had children, and there were six grandchildren born. Of these, one of Mabel's daughters died at age five, and sadly, we never met Raymond's son.

Grandma Millar died in 1933 and Grandpa in 1965.

Two related websites, with photos:
1. Family History of Belanger
http://www.famillesbelanger.com/edouard_gohier.html

2. History of Vanier College
http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/facilities/history/saint-laurent.html

DARLENE'S MEMORIES:

I think the china cabinet to which you referred is the one that is now in my possession. Cheryl and I (we almost always played together and investigated together) were always intrigued by the fact that it was closed with a key - which was attached to the handle with one of those ball-bearing chains (or whatever they're called). When Grandma (Eliza) Vincent moved out of the old house (which I believe had been condemned) [a] after Uncle Donald died, the china cabinet, which I inherited (from Uncle Donald), was moved to our house in Chomedey, and stayed with my parents through their move to St Urbain in 1990 (or was it 89?), then came to my condominium on Arthur-Lismer in St-Laurent 1995, and now rests in my living room in Sheila's house in Rocky View (near Calgary), Alberta. I have bequeathed it to my God-son nephew Michael Frechette, and I've asked that he keep it in the family.

I remember playing "hospital" with my sisters on Uncle Donald, using the seemingly never-ending supply of Ace bandages that I think Grandma (Eliza) Vincent used on her legs. [Aunt Eliza had Phlebitis.] We would wrap our patient, who we called Unca Junga or Uncle Donald Duck, and pretend to Xray him using the old black and white TV which didn't work, while he sat in his easy chair in his bedroom, [b] I also inherited the chair and had it reupholstered and it's now in Michael's possession in Langdon, Alberta.We would pester Uncle Donald to tell us about his girlfriend. We never saw him keep company with anyone outside the family. He would tell us (we were probably under ten years old at the time) that she had green hair and green teeth.

When I talk about the house we played in, I'm referring to the house on oh, was it Ste Croix or de l'Eglise? [c] When I talk about the house I remember sitting on the veranda and being about to see the 2 towers and was told that it was CEGEP St Laurent. The house and general store were torn down for the parkng lot next to the funeral home. Now that I think of it, I don't think that was my grandmother's house, but her father's. [d]

We (mostly Cheryl and I, sometimes Sheila, but often she was doing other things - like there was the summer she spent with you, when one of your babies were born, was it Mark, Duane?) [e]made up a song on the veranda and played in the store - after it was closed and empty except for dust, the roll-top desk and the cash register. I just watched as Cheryl (and I assume Sheila) would run around and on top of the counters, in and out of the changing rooms as I rummaged through the desk. I have a vague recollection of an open safe. We went to the house every Sunday (or it seemed like every Sunday) for dinner. Uncle Donald would come pick us up in Chomedey, the 3 of us girls in the back seat, and my mother on the passenger front seat. My Dad was always at work, and he'd come meet us, have dinner, and then we girls would play quietly while Mom and Grandma did the dishes. Uncle Donald would drive us home (I guess it was the three of them in the front - it was a bench seat, not 2 bucket seats - but I just don't remember). It was very important to pretend to be asleep when we got home, so one of our parents had to carry us in. Dad usually worked Christmas Day too, so we'd all get up around 5 or 5:30am, open our gifts, then see Dad off to work. In our stockings we always got a Clementine, so that was breakfast, then we could play until we were tired enough to go back to sleep until around noon. Then Uncle Donald would come pick us up and bring us to see Grandma. When Dad arrived after work, we'd open gifts there too, then sit down for a fancy meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turnip, etc. Then it was like any other Sunday.

[a] The house and property had been expropriated by the city of Saint Laurent for the purpose of widening the street de l'Eglise and Uncle Donald and Aunt Eliza moved into an apartment together in Saint Laurent. Uncle Donald died shortly afterward.

[b] Uncle Donald moved out of his upstairs bedroom and into the large living room to the right of the stairs when descending. He had a single bed tucked in behind the door, not visible from the hall. This move was done during my growing up years and probably because my brother Nelson was going to use his old bedroom while attending McGill University.

[c] The street address of the house was Ste Croix. The veranda ran along the front of the house. The parking area and the entrance we usually used were at the back of the house, accessed from de l'Eglise.

[d] Darlene's grandmother was the second daughter of David Allan Millar and Eliza Ann Lochhead. After marriage to Alexander Charles Vincent, she lived in one side of the double house on her father's property. When Uncle Alec died, she moved into the upstairs of Grandpa Millar's house.

[e] The summer that Duane was born.

[Darlene is the daughter of my first cousin David Vincent, son of Eliza Millar and Alexander Charles Vincent, of Saint Laurent. She is the second daughter of three to David and Babs and currently living near Calgary, Alta.]

STE THERESE, TERREBONNE, QUEBEC

2009-04-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

It is such a long time ago now that Nelson, Bev and myself travelled to Montreal to start our family research. After looking for and at records at the downtown archives, we drove out to Ste Therese and St Rose in Terrebonne County. We had the census records that told us where our ancestors had farmed and that information sent us down Grand Cote where we found this house on the south side.

It appeared to be old enough and in the right location to be our Millar ancestor's original homestead. When we drove by this house, there were two people and two dogs working out in the garden at the front of the property and I asked my brother, who could speak French, if he would go and ask them if they knew the history of this house.

They kindly invited us to come inside and brought out their property papers. Our ancestor was William Millar, but the name shown on the present owner's papers appeared as 'William Willar'. Close enough. We believe this was the house where our gggrandparents, William Millar of Ste Therese and Janet Scott of Beauharnois begun their married life and raised their children.

After looking at the papers, the houseowner gave us a tour of his restorations and of the original structure upstairs. On the main level the wood floors gleamed and the kitchen held a large [modern version] of an old fashioned cook stove. Narrow original stairs led to the attic where we were shown the original wooden beams and nails, and the very very thick stone walls.

Land Description: Cadastral No. 110 measuring 3 arpents wide and 39 arpents deep on one side and 39.5 arpents deep on the other. The las was bordered on the north by Cote Cachee; by the river Jesus, or Milles Isles, on the south; by Mr. Alexander Millar on the east and by Filions on the west.

THE FAMILY WHO LIVED HERE

... William Millar emigrated from Ireland some time before 1825. It is not known why he left his native land or whether he came with others or on his own. At some time before 1830 William was settled at Ste Therese in Terrebonne County. There were few English speaking families.

Register St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Montreal

William MILLAR of Ste.Therese, farmer and Janet SCOTT of Beauharnois, were after being regularly proclaimed, joined in holy bond of marriage on 24th April 1830, by Alex Mathieson, Min.Wit: Arch. Ogilvie, Alexander Scott

1831 Canada Census: Ste.Therese, Terrebonne, QC - C 722
William Millar (5 in family) 30-60 yrs, Farmer
1 male under 5yr
1 male 14-18 yrs not married
1 female under 14yr not married
1 female, married, 14-45 yrs
1 female, not married, 14-45 yrs
1 Farm Labourer
5 Church of Scotland
The 1831 Census of Lower Canada (Quebec) was taken from June 1 to Oct 1, 1831

Photo: David Millar, 1832-1896

William & Janet's first child, David, was born at Ste Therese in 1832. He was baptised at St James Methodist, Montreal, Quebec in January 1833. David moved to St Laurent, where he became a merchant and met and married Jane Donald, widow of MacDonald

The rest of the family:

Alexander married Christian Lindsay and remained at Ste Therese.
James married Caroline Robinson, moved to St Laurent, then to Montreal.
William remained on the family farm. He did not marry.
[1866 Land Transaction Record No.14296 26 March 1866 A.Sequin, Notaire
William Sr. transferred the farm to his son, William.
Referenced in Land Transaction No.42618, March 19, 1898 - William Millar Jr sold the farm to his brother Alexander.]
Anne Millar married John F Kimpton and they remained at Ste Therese.
Robert married Annie and Margaret Cullens. Lived at Ste Eustache.
Thomas died shortly after his birth.
Janet married Daniel Shaw.
George did not marry. He died in his mid-twenties.

BROCKVILLE - WELLINGTON STREET

2009-01-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

I have no early pictures of this house, No. 25, only these outdoor photos taken of my brother and myself, with our mom.

I have no memories of our life here, my first home, but there are a few stories about the night of my birth.

My mother's sister, Dorothy and her husband Sid, came from Montreal to look after my brother when it was time for me to be born. Apparently Uncle Sid and my father had gone to a show in the evening. Were they called home, or had they arrived after the show was over? I think the former but do not know for certain. I was born at 1:00 a.m.

It was said that Uncle Sid had suggested Louise as a second name, named for my father's regiment, the Princess Louise Dragoon Guards. However, my father's mother's name was chosen instead, thus my second given name is Catherine.

Photo: My dad in uniform

BROCKVILLE, BROOKVIEW CRESCENT

2008-02-26T08:38:00.000-08:00

I started highschool in the fall of the year that we moved here, to No. 75. The yards here remained in grass and the pond and rock garden of our previous home were not repeated. Only the front of the house had plants. The cottage became the focus of my dad's gardening endeavours. A single car garage was built at the end of the driveway and there was still lots of grass to cut.

My brother now old enough to drive, was given the old family car, a blue 48 Chevy and he would allow me to come along with him and his friends on our way to school....me a grade niner and him in grade thirteen.

He had adventures with that car but these were usually not shared with me. One afternoon though, he arrived home, instructed us not to look out the windows. We heard car doors close and then were told that there were a few people who had entered his car at the arena where he had been, and asked to be taken home. Presumably this had been going on a fair amount and he was no longer feeling as obliged to perform this service for these girls, so he brought them home.....to his home!

Another time, late at night, and Nelson had not returned home. My parents were pacing and my dad uttering threats through his fear, and I lay in my bed sad and worried. When the car drove into the driveway, the house was silent. Apparently he had had two flat tires wherever he had been since leaving the house in the early evening, and these being repaired had delayed his homecoming. My parents were so relieved to have him home safe, as was I, and the earlier threats were soon forgotten.

The 401 Highway was being built behind our house and trucks were hauling huge rocks to build a ramp for the overpass of the CPR tracks, all day long, pretty much in our backyard. Once the construction was completed, there was surprisingly, seldom notice of the traffic driving there.

Here it was that I became the babysitter for the street. Lots of young children but not so many teenagers. We had a healthy walk to our highschool and would join others making the same trek along on our way. We had to cross the CNR mainline just a few blocks from the school itself and many mornings we would race to cross before the morning freight train arrived from Montreal. No one wanted to stand and wait while 90 cars or more creeped by. Once the train surprised us all and came earlier than usual. Even the schoolbuses were held up. We all arrived at the school late and caused a hubbub at the office. The walking students were given late slips but the bussed students were not. Some of the older boys protested and my new grade nine neighbour and myself joined with them. The principal declared we would have late slips and serve the detention and so we annoyingly but meekly complied. Later, we were called from our classroom and issued non-late passes. A quiet revolution? A moment of justice.

THE COTTAGE AT NARROWS LANE ROAD

2008-02-26T08:28:00.001-08:00

This would be an annual scene in the 50s. My dad's sister and family as well as his mother would come from Montreal to visit at the cottage each summer. Lots of good times doing the usual summer things and always in the evening there would be a full family game of cards, Hearts! My Granny was forever being stuck with the Queen of Spades, the "Old Lady" as she called it.

One summer my dad's brother and his family stopped by when his sister was visiting. A photo was taken of the whole clan.

Back Row: Harold, Eric, Dad

Middle Top: Brian, Gord, Nelson

Seated:

Doe, Connie, Granny, Edna, Lorna

On the Grass: Judy, Gary, Keith

The Fairbairn's cottage was built first and I think we used to holiday in it when I was small but that may not have happened. I vaguely remember our prefab cottage being put together. At first there was no electricity and we burned coal oil lamps in the evenings. Also in the early days, and for quite some time, there was no plumbing and we would trek out to the 'backhouse' about 10 p.m. carrying flashlight and feeling spooked.

The picture to the right shows the land when it was first purchased and being prepared for the cottage. That is me, about age 3, right in the midst of the action, though seemingly taking a break when this photo was taken.

I don't know all the details about purchase of this land but I am fairly certain that it cost $25 per linear waterfront foot.

For many summers, Granny and I would stay here, and for one week, my cousin Judy would come and join us. The following week, I would go to Judy's in Montreal.

to be continued.....dad building boat, the Tempest,

This is me late teens, a spring time visit to the cottage. I remember this coat, it was red.

HUBBELL STREET

2008-02-25T15:58:00.000-08:00

This was the house I was brought to as a six month old baby, the first house my parent's purchased. We moved to Brookview Cr when I was 12 years old.

My dad made many changes to this house and yard during our time there. One thing was to add a garage. I remember being outside at the garage door when my father was working on something or other inside. My parents friends were sitting inside being entertained by my father's work and occasional shouts of "ouch". Everyone laughed, but I was not. How could they laugh when my father was hurting himself, I thought. I was assued that he was not being hurt. To put in the garage, there had to be a restraining wall on the house side as the garage was at street level. Concrete stairs led to a concrete sidewalk to another concrete porch and the front door. After the above photo was taken, there were flowers and shrubs and evergreen trees at the front. The walk also led by the garage and around to a patio at the back of the house. It must have been quite an undertaking but I have no memory of that part.

Photo: Nelson & I at Fish Pond

In the back, there was a magnificent garden surrounding the whole yard. In the back right quarter there was a fish pond and rock garden. An apple tree took the center position of the back left quarter and all around were flowering shrubs and flowers. Separating the patio from the lawn were an abundance of rose bushes and at the end, a beautiful sweet smelling dark purple lilac tree. Along the west side of the property was a border of peonies. I have their descendents in my yard now.

The pond had a lot of fish. Dad had a small rectangular cement pond as well as an acquarium for the fish during the winter months. One of our neighbours had a goldfish and bowl and she brought her fish to the pond for one summer. It became quite large in its new home. The fence in the background was also made by my father.

Two evergreens were planted in the middle section at each side of the yard, one a blue spruce. A stone outdoor bbq was also stood at the east edge of this area.

At one time there was a Rabbit hutch and pen at the back of the garage. Nelson had two rabbits which he kept there.

MONTREAL

2008-02-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a building that brings back an abundance of memories. It is here that my grandparents lived in Montreal for a good number of years. They occupied the apartment on the upper left.

Whenever we went to Montreal we would visit our grandparents. My brother and I used to race to get the hammock first. It had been strung out on the small veranda outside the den. One time I was there for a number of days and I went outdoors to play with the children of the neighbourhood. They all spoke only French and I only English but skipping and other games broke the language barrier. I remember though that I got very homesick once the evening came. I sat on the floor playing with something, my grandfather in a chair nearby reading the newspaper and my grandmother reading or knitting in another chair. Then the horrid feeling called homesickness would descend. Somehow we all managed and sleep finally took me away.

I remember coming to this house because my grandfather was dying. The family was all gathered in the bedroom but myself and two younger cousins and their mother were in the living room. My father came for us I think and we all were in the bedroom where my grandfather lay on his bed with an oxygen tent over his head. His passing was silent. I was old enough for the memory to be retained but not to really understand what was happening.

Afterwards my grandmother lived with her daughter and her family in the lower apartment on the right side of this building. I remember Christmases here and summer visits and week long summer visits with my cousin. We would always go downtown Montreal one day during my stay and it was necessary to put on our best clothes for this trip. We sure did not dress up in that manner to go downtown in my small home town.

Eventually everyone left for a new house in another part of Montreal.

Madams Farm

2008-02-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

It was in 1995 that I visited this ancestral home. My Howick ancestors had lived here as tenant farmers for over 40 years, until the death of my gggrandfather William. His daughter Maria and spouse Leah, resided at Romsey for a number of years after his death.

It is here that the stories told to us by my grandmother took place. She loved visiting her grandparents, William and Leah, at the farm in the summers. Her mother, Rachel, would come with the children and do the bookkeeping for the farm. There had been apple orchards when my grandmother was a wee child, but when I arrived there in 1995, there were only a few trees that had survived the flood in the 1980s.

My Wakeford kin, Mary, had arranged for my visit to Madams and we were left to explore the house and grounds on our own. It is a marvellous place and I can well understand why my grandmother loved her summers there.

In later years, after the death of her mother, my grandmother would visit Madams and her Aunt Sally who was near in age to her. One day, she was shown a bicycle, a green one with pneumatic tires, and told it was for her. She and Aunt Sally cycled together, even going as far as London on occasion.

I feel her warmth for this place and am so glad to have been able to visit there.

GOFFS

2008-02-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of activity on the Wakeford family this week. Seems to be coming full circle now as I am receiving emails from cousins whose source is the same as mine, namely Mary, except it is nearly fifteen years since Mary and I connected. What fun!

I visited Goffs in 1995 and we were treated to tea as well as allowed to explore the house. The lower, all brown, building once used to be where the sheds were. Now they are very expensive cottages. The white two storey building was home to the Wakefords at different times. The property, near Northchapel, was held as copyhold by our ancestor Thomas Wakeford at one time. Years later, Mary herself spent many days in the house with her beloved aunt.

Visit the following: http://northchapel.org/index.php

http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/genuki/SSX/NorthChapel/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve55/sets/72157594254874948/

THE PROPERTY

2008-02-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

Looking from our dock, we can view a portion of 'The Property' that is to be Duane & Lianne's - just to the right of the moon.

Much excitement!

Lots of possibilities!

SUMARDUST II

2008-02-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

This is the cottage we purchased over a dozen years ago. In this photos, taken in 1994, it is getting a fresh coat of paint, changing the colour to med dark brown.

The dominant tree still stands though some damage occurred during the ice storm and some branches have had to be removed.

In the early years there were no neighbours when we came for holidays. The cottages were there but the people were not and it felt like we were the only ones on the lake. Initially our visits were limited to a week in the spring, two weeks in the summer and a week in the fall. Now we are there for over three months.

Love this place and what fun and family it represents.