Click on "THE CLOCK" collage twice to get it full screen then read the history there. You can click on all the other photos once or twice to enlarge them as well.
I am reposting this photo from above for another reason... The first vehicle on the right parked in front of Chapples is a 1929 Pontiac Six sedan...the big giveaway is the split grille, the molded visor, and chief Pontiac on the on the radiator cap on the grille shell. This is a wonderful local photo taken in front of the Chapple building also known as the Grain Exchange Building in its day.
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| Chief Pontiac |
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| Read all about it. |
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| Side view. |
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| Pontiac Six only $895.00 |
The next Then and Now was known as "The City Substation and Telephone Exchange" (photo taken by the Fryer Studio, Fort William). It is quite a unique little building and has been used for many things through the years such as an art studio and a dance studio. It still exists but looks vacant at present. The address is 910 E. Donald Street.
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| Current photo. |
I never knew why our city would tear down this absolutely beautiful building which was once city hall. The city should have left this building and built a new structure in the Intercity area after the amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur into our present City of Thunder Bay. I am not sure of the exact year of the photo. The Hydro Electric building property in this photo was actually a service station at one time.
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| Current Photo. |
"THE ARMOURY" in this next collage, like the one at the beginning of this post tells a story in itself, so, again, double click on it twice to enlarge full screen then scroll around to read all the data.
Here are some enlargements of the tiny graphics that are in the collage above..click on them too.
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| HMCS Fort William - RCN. |
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| Navy League Cadets logo. |
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| Royal Canadian Navy sticker. |
Here is the Hydro Substation on Walsh Street taken in the mid 1950's. The present day photo is pretty much the same except the Hydro grid that was beside the old photo is no longer there, and I am not sure what the nice strong brick building is even used for today. The building is on the corner of Walsh and Sprague St.
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| Current photo. |
This next photograph is of Port Arthur Motors (Used Cars). It was their used car lot on Court Street in Port Arthur which was later used for many years as the Port Arthur Motors Body Shop, and just to the right of it was their outdoor used car lot. Kam Motors in Fort William where my father worked and Port Arthur Motors were both owned by Hubert Badanai Sr. in the 1950's when this photo was taken. The Badanai name still stands as the only Chevrolet dealership in Thunder Bay today.
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| Current photo. |
Sargent and Son Funeral Home and the Port Arthur Fire Hall on Court Street in Port Arthur...photo circa 1950's. Here is a then and now of that particular spot. Sargent and Son's now own all the property heading all the way north to Van Norman St.
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| Current photo. |
OK...back to Fort William. Check out this beautiful touring car parked on Simpson Street, just north and around the corner from Victoria Ave. As you can see, this was a very busy part of Fort William in the 1910's during the transition from horse and buggy to horseless carriage. What an interesting time it must have been to live during those days. The current photo below shows no buildings left in that area. Many were destroyed by fire in the later years. When viewing the old photos like these, note that most of the gentlemen always wore suits and hats, and the ladies were always in their Sunday best. In the vintage photo, the next side street at the right of the photo is Miles St.
Reminder - click on photos twice.
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| current photo |
The Daily Times Journal - The first photo is my own canvas bag that I used to deliver the TJ back in the 1950's.
The next two photos are then and now Times Journal building photos at 115-119 N. May Street in Fort William. I'm not sure weather the gentlemen are waiting to get a job or just waiting for the new edition of the Times Journal to be released. The Palace Cafe next door was many different businesses throughout the years.
For more about this building on Hot Rods and Jalopies, here is a link, then come back CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE TIMES JOURNAL
A huge thank you for all the support we receive from local and international members and watchers of Hot Rods and Jalopies.
Also a big thank you as well to "The Walleye" (a fabulous and informative local arts and culture magazine), and Kyle Poluyko for the wonderful article written about us in the January 2015 issue.
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16 comments:
This blog is a real treasure, thank you.
Do you have any knowledge of the old General Hospital? Located halfway between the Court and Cumberland streets. I worked in the hospital kitchen in 1968 and 1969.
Thank you K....I do have some General Hospital stuff....just have too look it up in my gazillion files...LOL
Dave, I used to help my brother deliver the TJ around Victoria Park back in the 60's. Fifty years later and my neck still hurts from that heavy bag! Lol.
Jon T.
I know what you mean Jon..The big bicycle carrier worked great to get the papers there, but you still had to fold them and carry them....I mostly hated the Saturday paper being a larger edition. Do you still remember how to fold them so that you could toss them onto their steps?
I sure do Dave. And in winter you would open the outside door, throw the paper up and then slam the door on it. If it wasn't folded right it would explode. haha
Jon T.
From an April 1943 newsclipping - shows a picture of the interior of the Fort William Armoury before it's official opening:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nPTHv5CRj_s/VKIG8q_fCzI/AAAAAAAAA08/n1xe1vaFKBc/s1600/FWArmouryDTJ1943April8.png
To view the link from Will S. you will have to highlight the URL above then "copy", then "paste" to your browser...got it? Thanks for the addition Will.
Dave, as so often happens your posts refresh an old memory. The discussion of delivering the Times Journal, and particularly folding the papers, brought back a perhaps repressed but crystal clear memory. When my older brother and I were in Cubs we were sent out on a paper drive, collecting old newspapers for the war effort or something. We were canvassing streets north and west of Isabella and Franklin after school. We had done well, and he decided that he should go home to get a wagon or something to assist in getting the stack of papers home. I was left sitting on the boulevard, assigned to keeping the papers from blowing away. After some time an older boy came along and took pity on me. Thinking I was supposed to deliver the papers, he folded them for me. I tried to stop him but he insisted on helping me. Anyways, it was long, long after he left that my brother finally returned. It seems that he had been delayed by stopping at home to eat supper. I still wonder if our parents knew I was sitting on the curb waiting for him to return.
Geo. R.
George, Thanks for putting your email to comments here...it's a great story and definitely one to add to the TJ story....great stuff as usual George. D.
Regarding the men in front of the Times Journal building, I seem to recall that Newspapers used to post the day's headlines (often by writing them by hand on a blackboard, if I remember correctly) on the front of their building. If something dramatic had occurred that day (especially disasters or major military events), people would cluster in front of the building to follow the developments, rather than wait for the next edition of the paper to come out. In the picture, it looks as if the people are reading something that's been posted on the wall.
An interesting observation Glenn...thank you for that. D.
I used to buy the newspapers at the Times Journal building in the 1950's for street and even beer parlour sales down Simpson Street. Always a long wait for the press run and the door to open as we jostled to get the papers and start our selling as fast as we could go. Delivering papers years later from the familiar bag seemed a step up and a breeze.
Gene...thanks for your comment and additional data. Did you go to Selkirk High in the late 1950's?...I'd have to check my yearbooks, but I remember your name...
I remember the Capital movie theatre would have the Small Fry Frollics on Sat. We would get there early as the first 50 kids got a free pass for next week ends shows. Cow Palace would sell them for 25 cents. What great times. I so wish my kids could have enjoyed those years. I tell them stories and they love it!
Yes Steve...it's all about the Memories...thanks
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