Summer Memories

[rcrawford34]

In 1955  my parents bought a Cottage up at Brock's Beach Ontario approx 7 miles from Wasaga Beach. Took a few years renovating it they converted it into  a Winterized Home .When my sister and I started school we would spend the full summers there. Leaving Toronto the evening of the last day of school would be there to Labor Day with the exception of one day when we went to the CNE in Toronto

My Dad was a Dentist Would stay in Toronto during  the week then come up for the weekends taking 3  to 4 weeks off in August

My father owned the place til the Mid 1980's

Sort of like a mini country Subdivison lived up from the beach.  Long term residents everyone knew each other.  Going up til my late 20's the neighbors knew me well. They had watched me grow up from 1 years old up. Quite the experience going there in my 20's and I was still called Ricky 

Could not wait for summer.  Long summer days  swimming and playing at the beach, playing with Summer friends   going polly wog minnow and frog collecting near a stream near there,  Getting on my bike and going fishing near Tim Horton's  Home. (Very rarely saw him but it was neat to be fishing near a Famous Persons Place).

As well would go to a Trailer/Campground near us to play pinball at their store and  sneak into a Forbidden Building there.  A Dance Hall.  Restricted to anyone under the age of 18 or so.  My parents would also take us to Wasaga Beach proper  The Main Drag had a Small Amusement Park  area  and arcades. It was magical but incredibly Tacky. About 10 rides  most of the summer til some were taken to The CNE in Toronto had a Haunted House Ride  The Cage of Death for Motorcycle Stunts  and The Wild Mouse Roller Coaster.  Located at the corner of the park it was permanent.   Right beside the fence  the other side was one of the main streets. Never aligned properly averaged about 5 or 6 people fell off it  going around one of  the corners to the sidewalk each summer. The main streets were filled with arcades food booths loud music usually playing nonstop  "The Candy Man" by Sammy Davis Junior and gift shops. 

One building had a restricted area for Adults Only.  Back of one of the buildings was filled with 1920's Coin Op Peep Show Machines   For a nickle you got to see the pretty women doing a very tame striptease. When I  was 12 or so could go the Main Drag by myself with friends. Loaded with nickles in our pockets we would sneak in and watch them til we got chased out  then would wait awhile sneak back in and do it again. Out in Front had a Coin Operated Full Sized Cowboy. Used to Freak Me watching it. Put the Money in it would Draw out a Gun from its holster move around and in a loud voice would tell you to "Draw Partner"

Also would hang around the area The Satan's Choice and other Motorcycle Clubs would park their bikes and Congregate. Wasaga  was a major Place for these Groups to be

If my Parents had ever figured out I was doing This  I would have been "GROUNDED"  til I was 350 years old or longer!  Never did til I admitted it to them in my 40's. My Mom's jaw dropped and nearly caught Pure Heck that day til she realized it was 30 years in the Past

Also  went To The Lorna Doone for 5 cent soft  ice cream cones (occasionally would eat them but usually threw them at each other and had "The Great Ice Cream Wars")  Would go into Collingwood and view the Great Lake Ships being built at the end of the main drag on Georgian Bay . Nothing better than being there when they released these from their built up berths into the water.  Collingwoood was packed those days. Then there was the Beach. Hot Summer days it usually smelt like a Chip and Food Truck.  In Stayner about 3 miles away they had a Vinegar Company producing it and Collingwood had A Molson's  Plant producing Beer

If there was a gentle breeze on those days the whole Beach smelt like a Chip Truck. Always walked away from the Beach starving

Those were also the days Major Companies would do unique things to Promote their Items. For Years a Large Transport Truck with a flatbed trailer would cruise the streets. It was Planters Peanuts.   On the flatbed there was a generator placed near the Cab and a Huge Moving Planters Peanut Man. It would wave and Planters employees wearing Promotional Clothing would sit or stand on the Flatbed Trailer and throw out small packets of their peanuts to those there. Did That for Years. Often wondered what happened to the Animated Planters Man. Would be a killer item to have 

One of my best memories was on Sunday Nights. We had no TV no Phone etc just a Radio. My Grandparents lived a few blocks over. For years went over after dinner and Watched Front Page Challenge. Ed Sullivan and then  BONANZA

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[kawartha-ephemera]

Sounds like a LOT of fun. Very similar childhood summer experiences here minus the bikers and peepshows!

My parents purchased a waterfront lot in the Haliburton Highlands of Ontario in the late 50s, I have a vague memory of attending the land auction held at the area Lands & Forests office, it was Crown land subdivided into lots that was auctioned off to the highest bidder, it's hard to imagine today but back then an acre or so of land with 120 feet of prime waterfront sold for $500. The buyer was required to construct a cottage within I think 2 years before the buyer could obtain a clear deed.

Anyway, this Haliburton Lake was large with only a handful of cottages at one end, mostly wild shoreline everywhere at that time. For the first few years every Friday night the family loaded up the car and drove north for 3 hours to the lake but there was no road access so after driving 3 hours everything was loaded in a small boat for the final half hour of the journey, often arrived after dark. 

Eventually after clearing enough bush to land a boat, pitch a tent and eventually put up a nice Panabode cottage we settled in to cottage life, hydro and summer road access followed as more cottages soon appeared. Great childhood summers were spent there with mom and I staying up from end of June through to Labour Day, quiet weeks followed by boisterous weekends when my dad, older siblings and visiting family arrived. We had so much fun, swimming, fishing, exploring, hiking, playing cards, campfires, huge bonfires, relaxing in the screened porch, barbecues etc. Very happy times spent there until coming of age, work, other youthful pursuits and business ambitions ultimately displaced cottage life. Just writing about this puts a smile on my face!

[femmefan1946]

Most of my memories are of playing down at the creek, Etobicoke Creek west of Toronto.

It's down a ravine and there were two parks separated by an enroaching cliff with a very narrow path along the base. The park closest to us was cleared and had a couple of baseball diamonds and a clubhouse where our older sisters went to Teen Town dances. Across the shallow creek which could easily be forded or crossed on naturally occuring stepping stones, was a sewage plant, securely fenced off, which occasionally spewed towers of foam into the creek.
The other park was wooded and to our childish eyes, a wild jungle. It was hard to get to along the narrow path without falling in and getting wet. Getting wet was a dead giveaway to our mothers that we had been in the water and meant severe punishment in those days before the Salk vaccine.

[rcrawford34]

I was raised in Willowdale (North Toronto)   Had a couple of areas that were not parks  The one close to us was near Finch and Bayview   Had a huge sand cliff in it (well maybe it was  remember this through the eyes of a child).  We used to climb to the top get back and run full force to the edge and jump off landing in the sand and rolled down. Hours of fun. Looking back we probably got have hurt doing so but all ended well

The other was just off Finch Ave between Bayview and Leslie.   There was a tributary of the Don River running through it. Great times swinging across the small river on a rope someone had tied a heavy rope to until one day I did it Swung across the river did not let go and ended up just above the Don not moving. Only way down was to drop in the water. The Don was not to clean at that point but it was the only way down.   Rode my bike home and went to go in the side door of our house. My Mother met  me at the door and guided me to the small bathroom just inside the door ordered me into the shower stall clothes and all and stood guard for 1/2 hour or so not letting me out til she felt I was relatively fit to be around. Then took me to the one upstairs ordered me in the tub with instructions to scrub really well. Doing this she threw away the clothes I had been wearing.   After got a earful from her. She was Small but  Mighty

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[rcrawford34]

I lived in Haliburton County  from 1970 to 1978 except for a few stints going to Toronto to attend School. Lived in the West Guilford . Carnarvon Area. Last place I lived was just outside of the village of Haliburton on Jim Beef Lake. A picture Post Card small body of water  but Leech infested. If one even dipped their toes in the water for a few moments  they ended up with unwelcome friends on them. 

Worked for a Organization that had High Needs Children from the age of 18 to 24.  Lived in a Old Resort in Carnarvon they owned. This now has been restored and is Quite a Nice Resort again used by many.  At that point Carnarvon had 2 general stores  a lumber yard  a small snackbar   a Restaurant the last year I was in Haliburton and a Building that housed a Bowling Alley in the basement.  4 Lanes the lanes were  right off kilter one had to learn to adjust ones throw of the ball to get it to go to the pins.

Loved it up there but until the age of 23 did not have a car.  Made it interesting getting places without a lot of walking or Hitch Hiking

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[kawartha-ephemera]

I was not raised in the city but we often visited family in Willowdale, still have an Aunt and Uncle living in the heart of that neighbourhood. Well before my time but my Grandfarher owned a farm right where Bayview Village sits today. He and his father before him were in the hay business, they hauled into the city selling to stables. I'm guessing motor cars had severely soured that trade by the latter 1920s, anyway Grandfather sold the home farm in 1929 and retired ... fortunate timing. He held on to a smaller acreage my Dad referred to as the "rough" farm, it straddled the Don, it was probably very close to the location where you had your adventures. I have pictures of my Dad and siblings dangling their legs in the river (more of a large creek) in the early 1930s. They were all wearing swimsuits but I don't know if there was much actual swimming happening, there was a couple of BIG squared timbers forming a low dam so there was some pooled water. I recall Dad speaking of some sort of facility in the neighbourhood that stunk pretty bad when the wind direction was unfavourable, cannot remember what sort of place it was, maybe a tannery or abbatoir or something along those lines. Anyway the water quality was likely not so good even then.

[rcrawford34]

Bayview Village is about 1/2 of a mile  or so from where we lived. It was a strip mall when I lived in that area. On Bayview there was a large farm near us  with Cows, Horses, Sheep etc.  Over the years the land was sold off. Til it got to the point there was only the farm house and the barn. Soon after their were town houses in the shapes of barns built. Very strange looking places. Now they are gone and replaced with other homes 

Have not been there for years (used to do a Nostalgia Show in Thorinhill off Bayview) til about 10 years ago so used to go by there) but the 2 homes (one they bought completed and the other they built are still there apparently.  Most the properties  around were sold demolished and huge and very expensive homes sit there now. Swear with some of them you need a map to get from the front  to back door.   Last time there the area  did not look  same at all

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[kawartha-ephemera]

That's too funny you lived literally almost on top of my ancestors farmhouse.

Any chance you ever took in a movie at the Dufferin Drive-in? Back in the day I leased the farmlands that surrounded that place, occasionally took in shows like High Plains Drifter from the comfort of the tractor cab and tail-gate. In those days the city came to a hard stop at Steeles, that sure didn't last. Had another farm leased over on Weston Rd well north of 7... that one's been under asphalt and concrete for many decades too. Even my then headquarters to heck and gone north has now met the same fate, nothing there but earth movers and dump trucks now ... being virtually at the foot of the Moraine hasn't stopped progress.

[rcrawford34]

did not go to that drive inn. Only one i ever remember going to in the Toronto area was in Pickering. Now a very distant memory  for Many folks .

when I was A Teenager my Parents and Uncle and Aunt bought  us a Horse that we kept at a farm Just North of Steeles On Yonge. Owned by a Sudbury Mining Corp  and rented out to a couple. It was about 250 acres and ran between Yonge and Bathhurst. Had about 25 horses boarded there.  

Our Horse was called Foxy Lady. She was a Standard Bred Mare  trained as a Sulky and then trained for Riding. Wild Ride her Trot was much faster than her canter.  Found out after we got her  she had been abused.  Hated Men.   With a lot of patience and a lot of sore joints and bones from being thrown off her she finally trusted me. Whoa Betide any other Male getting near her 

The train tracks ran east west beside the edge of the property We could ride between Yonge and Bathhurst.  Nearly  Every day at 4 PM or so a train would pass through and we would race it the length that we could.  Got to the point The Engineers would stop if we were not there yet to wait for us. Then the Race was on. That went on for about a year. Each time we hit as far as we could go the Engineers would blast the Horn and a hand would come out waving at us.

They kept the Horses out in a field facing Yonge. Every once in awhile they would break through and chaos would ensue on Yonge with horses all over the place. Our Horse for whatever reason was the only one that would not leave the property. Each time she would go right to the opening and just watch out

Funniest incident was there Was a GEM Department Store on Yonge just a bit North of Steeles.  One day the horses ended up in their Parking Lot. The store had sliding doors and Yep The Horses ended up in the store for a half hour or so. Caused quite a stir 

Now that property has hundreds of homes.   Hard to imagine where the farm house and barn were

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[kawartha-ephemera]

Horses running loose on Yonge, that would get peoples' attention alright. That railway line followed along just north of Steeles at least past Dufferin, the right-of-way formed the south boundary of the one farm by the drive-in. If you rode as far west as Bathurst you were getting pretty close to my neck of the woods. I'm trying to remember the name of the old guy who lived on the first farm north of the tracks on Bathurst, think it might have been Blainey., he ran a collection of old yellow and white Mighty Minnie tractors. I clearly remember the GEM store, dad had a membership that got you in the door, it was a big store ... they were an early Costco like retailer. No idea what happened to them only that they disappeared.

[rcrawford34]

The GEM Store was known as The Government Employee Mart or The Government Mutual Mart depending on the source one reads about it.  At first one had to carry a Govt Card to shop there but in the late 60's  or so they stopped this and anyone was allowed to shop there.  That one closed in 1977. Apparently they were across the U.S. and Canada.   Just North of there was a Loblaws Store  that was Converted into  Multi  Brand Car Dealerships. It was huge. I believe a version of it is still there

The last day or so we had Foxy at the farm (We moved her to a place near Barrie   the farm got a new addition  boarded there. 

A Baby Elephant. Talk about causing Chaos and Traffic Jams on on Yonge St for awhile . It was out in the front field with the Horses. Could have imagined Drivers  driving along looking over and a Elephant was staring over at them. *Chuckle no matter what time of the day I am sure some had to take stock and think if they had been drinking or not

When my Parents first moved to Willowdale   they looked at property just off Yonge one block north of Finch Ave. Did not buy the home because with a young child did  not want to  be that  close to Yonge. (My sister came along later) Dad later on kicked himself when they extended the Yonge St Subway. That Street plus others was Purchased by The TTC for their station etc.  No Negotiating the TTC paid close to a $1,00,000 each for each home there

My dad has his Dental Practice just west of Willowdale Ave on Sheppard. A Victorian home he used most the front of it on the main floor  for his Practice. My Grandmother lived in the rest. It was Purchased by the Catholic Childrens Aid for a Main Branch office

About  a 5 to 10 minute walk to Yonge and Sheppard my Mom would bring Lunch most days and when the weather was good would have a picnic in the farms field that was located there. Hard to imagine that now

Have not been to Willowdale proper to stop in for  years or Toronto as a whole . Now just pass through  it on the 401 (or try to)  If they moved Toronto sure would make it easier to get  where  I go to in  the SW Ontario region. 

Now live in Peterborough Ontario.  Been here nearly 43 years

As a side when Malton Airport  near Toronto was being replaced an area of land just west of the City of Peterborough  was seriously considered to be used as the New Airport for Toronto and area.  If that had happened Peterborough and area would have been much different than it is today. The City's politicians and other areas ones  did not go for the idea so Pearson and Then Toronto International Airport was created on the Malton site

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[femmefan1946]

Was that the baby elephant that ended up at Riverdale Zoo? I took my little niece (then three, now twice a grandmother) to see the animals and she lost all faith in me when I told her the huge beast she was looking at was just a baby.
For some reason, I remember the little guy as having a light coat of long red hair. So maybe Sandy was right to be skeptical.

[rcrawford34]

I'm not sure where the elephant ended up after the farm. I  moved from Toronto to Haliburton about 4 months after we moved the horse

You mentioning how huge the beast was peoples perceptions of Elephants in North America in the 19th Century. There were only a limited number of them in NA at that time.  When they saw them they were huge and foreign. 

One was Jumbo the Elephant owned by PT Barnum. He was touted as being Very Large when in Actually only he was only Medium sized compared to other Elephants in Asia etc. But not seeing them often here people thought he was huge.

As many know Jumbo was killed by a Train in Stratford Ontario crossing the tracks in 1885.  When killed Jumbo was moved from the tracks  a Tent was erected  and for a few days Jumbos remains could be seen by the Public for an admission fee. Barnum was first and for most a Business Person.   once it became dicey keeping the Elephant in the Tent  the skin was preserved and his skeleton finally ended up in the Smithsonian

My Moms family lived near Stratford at that time. One of the most famous pictures of Jumbo was when he was moved off the tracks and Circus personal and Townspeople  posed for a picture with him   There was  a young man wearing a bowler hat   near his ear. He is my Great Grandfather. Nearly every time there is a article written or special is  on TV  that picture is shown 

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[keiffer483s]

I saw that planters peanut man on an episode of American pickers, you can probably find in in the older episodes. Love your story I was one of the motorcycle gangs who frequented that area.

[rcrawford34]

I saw that American Pickers episode  that is a great piece. A few weeks ago was doing some searches on the Net and found one the same for sale.  This one was in better shape snd was very expensive. A great item

This is not the one however that was used on the Flatbed.   The one on the Flatbed  one was Mechanical and much larger. Done searches for that one but have never found any reference to it

I have always had a thing for Display items such as this.  Never found items like the Planters Man  but do get Store display pieces from Time to Time

Have owned numerous items that were used in the T Eaton Main Store Christmas Window In Toronto in the late 40's and 50's

Had a Great Christmas Caroler a few years back.   She stood about 3 1/2 feet high moved from side to side with a Candle in her hand.  Found this one at a Sally Ann Store near us.   She moved from side to side and the Candle in her hand  lit up.  Used in the display window in the late 50's.  She was one of 6 used in that window.   These Surrounded a Large Movable Santa Claus.

My other half and I walked into the store I looked up spotted her Moving on a Shelf I pointed and said " I know You!. and got quite excited. My other half and others looked at me like I was nuts until I explained what she was.  Course she went home with me.   Right now I have a Paper Mache Lamb that was used in their window in the early 1950's

I also have a Animated 1960's Boo Boo Bear (Yogis Friend)    Plug him in his arm moves up and down holding a Picnic Basket. Would have been in a store window or on a counter

Then There is My 6 foot Paper Mache Giraffe  from the 1950's.   This was used in a Department Store for years . I bought him for resale but  he grew on me and now stands in my Living Room

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