Tuesday, May 22, 2018

60 photos bring back old time Griffintown and Point St. Charles

1
Abbott family at 428 Charron in the 1950s

2

Boxing in Goose Village 1930s

3

Richardson St. 1954

4

1950s officials turn dirt on new arena on Hibernia

5
 Redpath factory workers 1960s



Abandoned cars Butler and Coleraine, early 1970s

 7

Hibernia Street 1978, tram installed temporarily for filming of Les Plouffes movie

 8
 9
2674 Coleraine 



10 

Victoria Day celebrations in the Point.

11
 12

13
 Bridge and Wellington

14
Charlevoix and Mullins 
 15

Charon St. 1940s

16
Island and Manufacturers (aka Auguste Cantin) O'Brien grocers

 17

David Marvin photo from Griffintown c. 1965 - 1975

 18

 19

 20
 21

Park in Goose Village 1963

22
 Island and Centre 1953
23
 Leber and St Madeline 1974


24 
 Magnan's
25

26
 27


28
 Elected children mayors of parks in Point St. Charles
29

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 39

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46

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49 

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51

 52
53 
54 

55

 Leo Leonard 1982 on William Street in Griffintown
56


57


58 



59 



60
1971 Hibernia and Knox the Moose Tavern


Thanks to various people who posted these photos online, including contributors to the Point St. Charles and Victoriatown History FB group. Many of these taken by David Marvin

21 comments:

  1. good stuff love photos

    ReplyDelete
  2. Photo number 27 is circa the early 1950s at 1221 Shearer (F. Schnaufer & Sons Ltd., Fur Dressers & Dyers). The building was later demolished and replaced.

    The camera faces north toward the corner of Richardson where the former Northern Electric Building can be seen. That company's main entrance was at 1751. Decades later it was subsequently closed and the building diversified into its current, various commercial usage as well as condos.

    Note the black 1951 or 1952 Plymouth on the left with several MTC Brill-type busses in the background of the now-defunct route number 79 which ran from approximately the corner of Charlevoix and Wellington to Guy and Dorchester--essentially identical to today's bus route 57.

    A mystery are those tracks on the west side of Shearer. Were they an earlier, rush-hour streetcar extension serving the employees of busy Northern Electric or more likely a proposed tram route never completed as busses were taking over anyway?

    The invaluable 1947-49 aerial maps clearly shows this line connecting to streetcar route 2 on nearby Centre Street to the south. Although less likely, it might have been a railway industrial spur used to haul certain equipment to the west side of the building, although back in the day there was a dedicated rail line running to and from its northeast corner. More research is necessary.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shearer Trackage.

    The photo is captioned; Northern Electric, Shearer Street, June 23, 1952.

    The trackage in the pavement on Shearer is to ' bank ' empty streetcars for Northern Electric Employees to board when their shifts ended. BUT! Looks as if the trolley wire has already been removed as autobuses deemed more flexible to destination and available after the War?

    The Brills are parked there for the same reason, their chauffeurs arriving by regular Autobus at NE quitting time.

    The Plymouth may well have an Ontario Plate?

    http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/jpglps/CN_ONTA_GI3.jpg

    Track visible, here.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P6-24.jpg

    http://transit.toronto.on.ca/photos/images/montreal-streetcar-map-1948.gif

    Empty streetcars would proceed West on Centre, then back in North on Shearer.

    When boarded, the cars would head South on Shearer, then East on Centre to various locations throughout the Tramways' system.

    NE Main Entrance on Shearer.

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4836247,-73.5629269,3a,90y,56.96h,95.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_q_5T9nyoecuGx2sd4Rs7Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    My Father worked for The Northern before the War riding down from Ahuntsic Station on the 24 St. Denis route from Kelly/Lajeunesse to Terminus Craig then up the hill to Rte 2 Centre from Place d'Armes.

    Terminus Craig,

    https://mtlurb.com/index.php?/topic/11878-terminus-craig-1925-1970/

    Place d'Armes.

    http://www.shorpy.com/node/22954?size=_original#caption

    His favorite streetcars were the Montreal, Park and Island cars of their 1040 class, one of which is now at CRHA/Exporail St Constant/Delson, Quebec.

    As a longer Route in the System, Tramways operated ' Trains ' which were two streetcars coupled with One Motorman, and two Conductors.

    As here.

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Electric_railway_journal_%281918%29_%2814738059256%29.jpg

    Tramways' Ahuntsic Station. Looking West.

    https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7340/9917990544_8faee87272_b.jpg

    My Grandfathers' house is visible to left/South of station.

    The last Tramways' trains operated on Rte 5 Ontario, turning back East at the Terminus mid-block off Alymer across from Morgan's Store.

    FWIW.

    As a teenager I had to travel to Terminus Craig to have photo taken for Student Fare Card.

    NElson Central Office. 1930 to 1955.

    100 14 th Ave., Lachine Quebec.

    https://www.google.com/maps/@45.433964,-73.6834443,3a,33.5y,67.65h,106.26t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9GRcvnP4vRqVd2hdEywA_w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  4. According to Lovell's 1945 edition, Northern Electric's sales office was at 1600 Notre Dame West (previously listed as 814 prior to citywide street address re-numbering beginning in the 1920s). The Point St. Charles plant opened in the year 1913 as 121 Shearer (later renumbered to 1261) with 1751 Richardson (previously 93) as the company's "side" entrance. It would be interesting to know which of these equally prominent-looking two doors led to what specific offices and if newly-arriving visitors were told to "go to the other one". Northern Electric being one of the city's major employers, it manufactured many diverse products besides telephones.

    The truck shipping/receiving docks would presumably have been on the east side of the building (as they clearly are for today's current commercial tenants), with the railway tracks originally accessing a gate from a freight line which ran along the north side of St. Patrick and which, although left unused and rusting for decades, was not actually removed until around the 1990s. Relevant vintage photos would be interesting to study.

    Inevitably, the company later expanded and moved to various facilities throughout the city and worldwide, its name transforming into Northern Telecom and finally Nortel Networks Corporation--commonly referred to by most as simply Nortel. See Wikipedia for further historic details.

    As for that odd-looking 157EN licence plate on the Plymouth, Ontario would indeed be the logical choice. See:

    https://www.google.ca/search?biw=1600&bih=769&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=y2cJW5e3LsuwjwS88LCgDw&q=ontario+1951++license+plates&oq=ontario+1951++license+plates&gs_l=img.12...52089.52320.0.54648.2.2.0.0.0.0.190.281.1j1.2.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.0.0....0.6CQK34qfrHs#imgrc=aGENJ2uHerR1dM:

    Pennsylvania was also one of the few states in that era using both upper and lower case letters and numbers for automobiles.

    Regarding Montreal's streetcar network, a small fragment of an excellent 61-minute video I purchased years ago has finally popped up here:

    https://gpsvideocanada.com/scm6-dvd-streetcars-of-montreal-tramways-de-montreal

    Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. CPR Switched the NE Plant on Shearer from their Island Street Freight Yard to the left/West of the NE Plant. ( Note shadow NE Powerhouse chimney. )

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P6-24.jpg

    http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/industrial/images/nelectric12.jpg

    https://www.cca.qc.ca/en/events/2772/an-industrial-landscape-observed-the-lachine-canal

    Once entrance to Island Street Yard. NE building in distance to right of St. Patrick.

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4831493,-73.5667359,3a,75y,57.16h,91.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8hV_sQirwH0kvRUQvPX1Zw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    Canal Bank Spur from CPR LaSalle once ran to left/North of St Patrick

    Another CPR Spur arced into NE Plant proper from East along St Patrick.

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.485439,-73.5629929,3a,90y,181.3h,91.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shLcNFCF3_--aqygf1Eg1eA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    Locomotives were once kept in Cote St Paul Yard East of d'Eglise to right of Cote St Paul swing bridge.

    A locomotive with train from LaSalle is pushing a caboose is visible to West of Church.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P8-16.jpg

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4642932,-73.5949455,558m/data=!3m1!1e3

    Pont CSP. Looking South.

    http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/carpos/c05683.jpg

    West end of CP Canal Bank Spur joins CPR @ LaSalle.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P12-05.jpg

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4354754,-73.6536412,558m/data=!3m1!1e3

    In the next image to the East, the NE Cable Plant is visible under construction to the right below CPR's Sortin Yard.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P12-06.jpg

    To the left of the future NE plant, between it and divided Highway 2-17 is the Mighty St. Pierre River, a portion of which had it's origin way over near the CPR Hump. Over the years, back in the Fifties, before it was all built up, we walked the St. Pierre from Blue Bonnets/CPR Hump to St. Remi, thru CNR Turcot Yards after the new Montreal Yard was completed.

    There was a tunnel under the CPR Sortin Yard by the Yard Office at the end of CSL Road.

    To the west of 2-17 is the Dominion Engineering Works, which constructed the Diesel Engines for many locomotives built at Montreal Locomotive Works, paralleled by CNR thru to Lachine and Dorval and Montreal Tramways.

    To the bottom of the photo is The " S " Bridge, a road overpass above CNR and the Tramways which was a known location point thruout the West End. We used to stand on it and watch CNR steam engines and streetcars, Rte 91 Lachine.

    FWIW.

    Old Powerhouse with flume. Lachine Canal. Cote St. Paul.

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Power_House%2C_Cote_St._Paul%2C_Montreal.jpg

    Industries to South/Right water powered by larger flume behind them which can be seen in the photo.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P7-18.jpg

    Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The so-called "bank" streetcar trackage which dead-ended halfway up Shearer Street just to the north of Richardson Street was in fact, according to the 1890 map below and maps of a later date (see link below), originally part of a more extensive tram route which connected from Centre Street, along Shearer, and over the Lachine Canal to intersect with William Street and beyond.

    https://archivesdemontreal.ica-atom.org/uploads/r/ville-de-montreal-section-des-archives/1/0/10658/VM66-S5P068op.pdf

    Further research into the STM's archives would be needed to discover both the inaugural and termination dates of this route, including whether or not it was ever double-tracked along its full length (though clearly not so in the 1952 photo nor in the aerial map) and what its original route number was--if not 79, the subsequent bus route prior to its evolving into today's route 57. Subsequent MTC maps do not reveal the route number, either.

    Now, during the decades PRIOR to when the trackage was ripped up north of where it was later cut off at the western side of the Northern Electric building, I suppose it is possible that streetcars could have been officially scheduled to park but wait for only a reasonable period of time until they were fully loaded up with Northern Electric employees as otherwise this would have seriously slowed down other streetcars as well as vehicular traffic elsewhere on the route.

    The fact that in the 1952 photo there exist no trolley-poles nor overhead wires must, for the moment at least, leave us guessing as to exactly when these were removed and when, if ever, there was another set of tracks on the east side of Shearer.

    The notion of the Shearer Street dead-end remnant of the original, complete tram route being subsequently transformed into a "bank" is an interesting one. However, the tracks dead-ending as they do presents a problem since for safety reasons only a double-ended streetcar such as the Birney cars (about which it is unclear as to whether these were ever used on routes in that sector of the city) and a few of the larger but especially-modified single-ended streetcars could have legally be permitted to back up under the one-man operation system (a driver but no conductor).

    According to Mr. Richard M. Binns' text on page 79 of his excellent book, "Montreal's Electric Streetcars":

    "One difficulty with one-man operation was the necessity of stationing a man at the ends of lines where cars were required to wye. From the beginning it was strictly forbidden to to back a one-man car without a man at the rear to guide the trolley pole and watch the traffic. In 1937 and 1939 twenty of the single-end cars were equipped with an ingenious "back up" control system. The apparatus was designed and built by the MTC at Youville Shops. It permitted the operator to carry his brake handle to the rear, and by its insertion into a socket on the window sill, have full control at backing at low speed.".

    Yes, I suppose it would have been possible to circumvent this rule by slowly backing standard single-ended streetcars from Centre Street north along Shearer to the dead-end and, once fully loaded with Northern Electric passengers, make the return trip south to Centre and beyond--the driver now correctly facing south again. But is this likely? Imagine backing streetcars against oncoming vehicular traffic during rush hours in order to slide up Shearer?

    Hopefully, someone alive today with first-hand or reliable second-hand information can enlighten us regarding the procedures taken back then?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Digging somewhat deeper, the fascinating map dated August 1923 (see link below) clearly indicates that by that date a route 79 streetcar route ran from the corner of Shearer and Centre and north ending at Ste. Catherine Street (note route number terminal points being encircled).

    As yet, however, until more information is uncovered (including earlier maps), the inauguration date of route 79 is as yet undetermined, as well as exactly when its streetcars were replaced by busses, although clearly by 1951 as is shown in photo 27.

    It should be noted that the very first transit bus route in Montreal was inaugurated in 1919. See:

    http://www.stm.info/en/about/discover_the_stm_its_history/history/bus-history

    I should point out here that text on the 1890 map link I referred to in a previous post clearly states "Paved streets, streets over which the M.S.R'y [Montreal Street Railway] have rights, and which have been taken over by the City, are coloured RED", with various subsequent years also indicated alongside certain routes.

    Since it was on September 21, 1892 that Montreal's very first electric streetcar "The Rocket" made its first appearance on city streets, it stands to reason that it would have taken a few more years at least before route 79 saw its first electric streetcar, although I suppose it is possible that horse-drawn cars may have been used there. Again, more research is necessary.

    Unfortunately the Google Image photos I see do not present a clear vintage shot of Shearer Street showing streetcars or streetcar tracks to the west of the Northern Electric building. The photos there appear to be re-touched for whatever reason or not taken during the relevant time frame of this particular study, although a couple of them do show another railway track entering the plant's north side a short distance from Shearer--all such tracks now long gone, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wattman For a Trip.

    Ten years ago I was ' " Wattman " For a Trip '.

    Before the War my Grandfather and his family lived in Ahuntsic and used Tramways' route 24 St. Denis to commute to Montreal.

    Tramways Ahuntsic Station, inside loop. Fire Station and Pont Viau, top.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P23-39.jpg

    He worked at the Place Viger Refrigerated Warehouse adjacent to CPR Place Viger Station and Hotel, the warehouse visible here to the East of the trainsheds, it the large building with two 2 circular roof-mounted water tanks ( for fire sprinklers ) painted white.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P7-35.jpg

    Note turntable, bottom right of photo.

    As a teenager my Father commuted on the Rte 24 down to Montreal High School, therein falling in love with the aforementioned Montreal, Park and Island cars.

    Later he worked at NE on Shearer until he Joined Up and went Overseas.

    My Maternal Grandfather ( d. 1928 ) worked for Canadian Vickers and Montreal Locomotive Works on Dickson in the East end

    Canadian Vickers.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P7-50.jpg

    Montreal Locomotive Works on Dickson.

    http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P8-48.jpg

    Note Railway Spur South from MLW plant crossing double-track of Montreal Tramways AT GRADE, Notre Dame Rte 22, and wending it's way West to harbour near Vickers.

    FWIW.

    MLW constructed steam locomotives for SNCF ( France ) after the War. Some were railed to New York City and loaded on MV Belpamela For Furtherance. At least one locomotive broke loose at sea sinking the ship.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCF_Class_141R

    https://www.warsailors.com/homefleetsingles/belpamela.html


    Back in the day, after the War, we lived on Saranac of the Supertest Service Station off Decarie, of the Chish and Fip place corner of Dalou, and Snowdon Junction at Queen Mary.

    As we did not have a car we went everywhere by streetcar, traveling much of the Tramways' system and specifically taking certain classes of streetcar, my Father explaining their differences.

    We once traveled to the East end of Rte. 22, Notre Dame, to walk out on the ice and watch the Icebreakers openeing a route to the harbour at Montreal. The ice shifted as they rode up on it and I was scared.

    He would read in the The Montreal Star that autobuses would soon be substituting for Tramway cars on a certain route, and off we would go on a weekend and ride the routes, those cars then going to Youville Shops for burning.

    On other occasions we would just ride down to the Harbour, sometimes on Route 29 Outremont, as it had the modern luxe PCC cars, and watch liners and ships and tugs AND the Montreal and Southern Counties cars loop around their Terminus, still extant,

    ReplyDelete
  9. Years passed, the Automobile and roads transformed the past, and, my Father passed away in 2008.

    His firm left Quebec during the FLQ/RIN era and he was situated in Torrana at his end.

    ( Our neighbour, a teacher, witnessed the mail box explode, injuring Mr. Leja. )

    I brought his ashes down to Montreal on the train, up the steps into the concourse of Central Station and ' home ' to NDG for the last time.

    I took his ashes, ( and a tablespoon ) one evening and wandered around the West End sprinkling a part of him in locations where we once had been.

    We took the Metro to Cremazie and walked around Youville Shops, sprinkling, then walked the old Tramways route North on Millen to the Location of the Tramways Ahuntsic Station and out in the middle of Henri Bourassa to where the house once was.

    The Special Occasion was to travel out to the CRHA at Delson where we boarded MTCo car 1959 and made the loop of the property.

    I was anointed with the proper headgear and was Motorman, stopping regularly and laying ashes on the ties, ringing the bell as a dirge. Clang-Clang-Clang.

    Later I put some of his ashes in ex MP&I 1046, up front by the Motorman's position near the bell and foot rest, which he rode during the Depression and, then, called it a day, and a life.

    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8c/8c/a6/8c8ca678d14a99b7bb029b1a71dd7378.jpg

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4379509,-73.6671382,3a,75y,315.64h,93.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZnBKbbNh911y6Vr6bf3Nhg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


    Not that long ago I was crawling the Web and found this account of a fatal accident on the Tramways.

    https://mercier-est.pamplemousse.ca/2015/09/collision-entre-un-train-et-un-tramway-angle-desormeaux-et-souligny/

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.6008894,-73.5176256,3a,90y,21.32h,98.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7dRdnu0oFw0HnUo2uGQNmQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    I had not heard of the name ' Wattman ' for the Operator of a Tramway vehicle!!

    Garde Moteur or Motorman, Yes, but, NOT Wattman.


    Wattman.

    https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wattman


    So! I was Wattman of Record for the last trip of my Father on a Montreal streetcar.

    Appropriate??

    Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Here is the 1923 Montreal Tramways map link:

    http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2244368?docsearchtext=la%20compagnie%20des%20tramways%20de%20montreal

    ReplyDelete
  11. Just for the record, the Tetreaultville train-tramways workcar collision occurred on August 13, 1913, making front-page news in the French newspapers of the following day, but oddly only warranting a two-column write-up in the Montreal Gazette of August 15, page 7. Perhaps the Montreal Star gave the story more space?

    See Gazette: https://news.google.ca/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19130814&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

    See La Presse: http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/3241524?docsearchtext=collision%20a%20tetreaultville

    For the Gazette, scroll forward via the arrows at the top to page 22, columns 5-6, the article headlined "Motorman Was Killed". No photos.

    Gory newspaper descriptions of such rail and road tragedies and back in that era often pulled no punches. Possibly it was thought that such explicitness would be a deterrent against unnecessary risk-taking even if many were simply unfortunate accidents; being at the wrong place at the wrong time, children acting carelessly or not paying attention, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  12. MTCo 1046 Green.

    Here is a view of MTCo 1046 painted Two-Man Green facing South at Snowdon Junction, Decarie and Queen Mary. Note flag on trolley rope. Marquee sign Snowdon Theatre visible above second streetcar.

    https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3n0AAOSw9sZa05Cg/s-l1600.jpg

    Note little steps and grab irons to left of front door so Motorman could climb to roof to access trolley pole.

    In earlier times, suburban cars carried a spare trolley pole underneath the car to replace one in service if it broke.

    If the trolley pulley left the wire at high speed, the springs on the roof mount would pull trolley pole vertical rapidly. This force combined with car speed would often break trolley pole on next cross wire supporting trolley wire centre of track, necessitating pole's replacement.

    In later years a Trolley Pole Retriever was mounted on rear of car which had a spool on a coil spring inside which trolley pole rope was wound around, the spool having centrifugal clutch with dogs on it's exterior that opened out if spool rotated rapidly when trolley pole dewired, catching rope and pole before it hit crosswires.

    Suburban cars were often fitted with a red coal oil lamp on right rear corner to illuminate rear of car against a following car if trolley pole broke at night, or car had electrical problem and stopped..

    Streetcar w Red Marker and trolley rope retriever northbound Rte 17 Cartierville.

    http://www.dewi.ca/trains/montreal/pix/a005_11.jpg

    Older streetcar W/O trolley pole retriever. Sloped guards were later installed to prevent riding on outside of rear of car. Passengers on platform inside rear of car had not paid yet, and would do so passing Conductor's station inside left door inside car.

    https://postmediamontrealgazette2.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/a-boy-hangs-onto-a-streetcar-in-montreal-in-1912.jpeg?quality=55&strip=all

    ( An Aside.

    My Uncle HATED streetcar Conductors and would, after descending from rear door on a Two-man car, would run around behind car as it restarted and pulled away, pull rope on trolley pole and let it go with trolley pulley now off the wire.

    The car would stop, no electricity, and Conductor would have to lean out rear window or descend to put pulley back on.

    If Motorman had not shut his Controller, it's handle not spring-loaded on old cars, and had come out to watch, the car would start with a jerk as pulley touched wire, annoying passengers, and causing Conductor leaning out to swear. )

    The MP&I cars were constructed in various configurations, then, some, later in life, rebuilt at Youville Shops and regeared for slower speeds more adaptable to City Service.

    At first the rebuilds were painted Traction Orange, a colour that provided better car visibiliy.

    Later, these cars were painted Tramways Green.

    When streetcars were to be removed from Ste. Catherine in 1956, MTC refurbished several cars to earlier appearances for a ' Last Day ' parade along Ste Catherine, and MTC 1046 was painted back to Traction Orange.

    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8c/8c/a6/8c8ca678d14a99b7bb029b1a71dd7378.jpg



    More.

    Where is this Tramways Sweeper??

    https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3928/32992516126_e01904b1dc_b.jpg

    Thank You.

    Get Mr. U L scrambling, AGAIN!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That tramways sweeper appears to be facing south on Westminster in front of the duplexes at addresses 109 through 115, although evidently some renovations have occurred since the photo was taken. See the 2017-2018 Google street view below:

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4537711,-73.6477173,3a,74y,351.55h,101.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sectH2WcwfkrK5U-mKqh4xQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    The clue was the building style.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Montreal Tramways Views.


    MTC 2659 Wye Dominion Bridge. Lachine. March 29 1958.

    https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KTQAAOSwrU1bLBYz/s-l1600.jpg


    The TREE would be under rear truck.

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4348954,-73.6689881,3a,75y,108.91h,73.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssL6PZVzQLZHOqBf4Z0HXLQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YPmjHM6kNs4/maxresdefault.jpg


    MTC 1046. Backed in by substation St. Pierre. March 29, 1958.

    https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/s6kAAOSwUl5bLBXg/s-l1600.jpg

    https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.4419998,-73.6477047,3a,75y,152.8h,90.39t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sgAI3j4aFBSf1MCheBb8Gpg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DgAI3j4aFBSf1MCheBb8Gpg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D153.57437%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100

    Note MTC crest above door keystone.

    Thank You.

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  15. Very nice old photos, indeed.

    Coincidentally, I recently went for a bike ride next to that old Montreal Tramways building at the southeast corner of Notre Dame and 6th Avenue, Lachine; a structure which has sadly been left to rot under the elements until it either collapses or "mysteriously" burns down, as too often occurs. Rest assured that unless it has been registered as officially protected, whoever owns the property could care less and is keen to put up a condo, depanneur, or fast food joint. The same corner is also featured on YouTube by another local transit fan.

    See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPmjHM6kNs4

    Note that in the comments beneath the video it is mentioned that there are indeed other places on the island where old streetcar tracks sometimes emerge through the surface of the worn-away asphalt to reveal former tram routes including (as of 2018) on Ogilvy Avenue near Hutchison, and along Outremont Avenue approaching Van Horne.

    If the city's initial plan was to remove every last one of these tracks for steel recycling, it was soon discovered that the cost and labour required to accomplish this task would have been prohibitive, therefore in many cases it was decided to simply pave over them instead.

    Wandering through Gazette archives, I stumbled across this tidbit of June 9, 1928, page 5:

    See: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19280609&id=nnwqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_osFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6628,1468286&hl=en

    which, among other things, outlines the planned extension to Cote des Neiges Road of Outremont streetcar route 96 from where it orginally terminated at Hartland Avenue, although evidently that extension had not been fully completed until several years after the announcement--the delay possibly due to the Economic Depression or other municipal priorities of the day.

    The 1941 Montreal Tramways Map clearly shows route 96 (and its supplementary route 97) terminating in a loop on Van Horne just south of where Hillsdale Avenue would be built upon and a short distance further west from Hartland Avenue. The "Van Horne Extension" is indicated as continuing from there, its exact completion and inauguration dates as yet not researched.

    See: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Montreal_tramways_company_route_map_1941.gif

    The aerial map of 1947 or 1949 clearly shows the aforementioned tram loop (near the bottom right hand sector) with most of the surrounding residential neighbourhood still yet to be developed and subdivided from what appear to be the last remaining farmlands and vegetable gardens. The then "suburb of Cote des Neiges"!

    See: http://archivesdemontreal.com/greffe/vues-aeriennes-archives/jpeg/VM97-3_7P14-26.jpg

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  16. If you owned a 60s-70s musclecar in the Pointe ( or verdun ) & you needed to test it's performance you would use Butler street it was like a 1/4 mile track without the "drag Xmas tree" my old friend Daniel used to row the gears with cars such as 70 roadrunner, 70 plymouth gtx & the yellow 70 plymouth superbird which i found for him over 30 yrs ago.

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  17. #29 The Vogue theatre later became a recording studio where Corry Hart, April Wine and even Rene Simard recorded.

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  18. My mother and her 2 sisters had a depanneur called "The 3 sisters" on the corner of Centre and Montmorency in P.St.Ch. in the mid 1950's, I'm trying to find some pictures of it.

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  19. Correction: J.E. O'Brien grocers was at the corner of Island and Richardson, not Manufacturers, as written.

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  20. Picture 32 is a corner of Richmond Square in Little Burgundy.

    Picture 44 with the water and laundry hanging out is even further from Griffintown/Pte. St. Charles. It's Cote St. Paul. The house on the left is still there today (2021) but the churchy building was pulled down around 1970. This is now the corner of Cabot and Hadley but when the picture was taken there was still that narrow basin off the Lachine Canal. The basin cut into St. Patrick street. Going west on St. Patrick you had to turn left into probably Eadie, then right on Cabot and take it to the end where it joined St. Patrick. From there you'd turn left and could continue west to La Salle and Lachine. Before the Cote St. Paul swing bridge there was a level crossing of the CPR track that emerged from the Cote St. Paul yards and followed the south bank of the canal.

    I remember the church from that time of the early 70s looking as if it had long been used as a garage or storage space. I think it was demolished when the small Cote St. Paul powerhouse next to the lock was demolished, the narrow basin here filled in, and St. Patrick extended over what had been the mouth of the basin. Hadley obviously didn't extend this far then.

    The house on the left which still stands, judging by its roof probably dates as far back as the 1850 or even 1840s though it's been played around with over the years.

    ReplyDelete

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