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  #101  
Old Posted Mar 31, 2012, 5:12 PM
LilZebra LilZebra is offline
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Originally Posted by alittle1 View Post
Everyone has memories of their local theater that they went to as a kid, or a young teenager on a first date, etc. But, do you remember the other theaters that did our town proud?

Here's a link that I found, complete with pictures, that may jog your memories of your Saturday afternoon at the Bijou.

http://www.dancebob.com/Winnipeg_The..._Theatres.html
This photo almost looks digital, but then look again at the cars...They're all from the 1950s across the street. The Walk/Don't Walk pedestrian sign is another giveaway this was not taken recently. The Royal Alex is gone... etc. etc.

Whoever took that photo originally used a Medium format or a very good SLR.

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  #102  
Old Posted Mar 31, 2012, 7:26 PM
alittle1 alittle1 is offline
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Little red box on every corner

Remember when our Post Office gave a damn about our wants and needs. Now , you have to go to a major shopping center just to mail a letter. I once followed a mail pickup van to see where the mail boxes were, he made more stops at Tim's then at the mail boxes.

That's a great picture of Logan and Main.
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  #103  
Old Posted Mar 31, 2012, 8:03 PM
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armorand93 armorand93 is offline
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Originally Posted by alittle1 View Post
Remember when our Post Office gave a damn about our wants and needs. Now , you have to go to a major shopping center just to mail a letter. I once followed a mail pickup van to see where the mail boxes were, he made more stops at Tim's then at the mail boxes.

That's a great picture of Logan and Main.
When I first started handing out resumes (I was 15, 2008), it was all in person

A few weeks ago, strolled into Olive Garden, and even when the manager was right there (unless you know of a modern restaurant chain with a 50 year old host), I was given some stupid "Darden" card telling me to apply online, and if I can't (don't) want to, apply at a fucking library.

Apparently, if you personally show up at a business with a typed resume actually INTERESTED in the job, in front of what-was most likely the GM, you get told to return to the computer. Darden must be retarded, since the individual Olive Garden doesn't have control over that, thus why I'm not pissed at the staff themselves. BTW, they also control Red Lobster (found out 2 minutes later; Polo Park, same stupidass card) along with a bunch of American ones, also on the card, that I've never even heard about.

Its saddening...
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  #104  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2012, 12:54 AM
alittle1 alittle1 is offline
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I'm over in Germany right now, I found that every time that I punch in a new address into the GPS, when the route is mapped out for you, it will take you by a McDonald's as you head out on to the Autobahn.

The even funnier part is, it will take you away from a Burger King by having you make multiple left and right turns. Isn't that moronic?

I used to know the manager over at the Lag'e location, he told me that he got the job by asking for the manager at the Portage location when he was dining there one night. He was pissed at the service that he received and after talking with the Manager there, he offered him a job. So take that as your que.
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  #105  
Old Posted May 31, 2012, 5:05 PM
alittle1 alittle1 is offline
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I was over on Pembina Highway yesterday and after passing through Confusion Corner, I got to thinking.

First, Confusion Corner never was that confusing back in the 50's. Osborne ran North and South, just like it does now. Corydon came to an intersection at Osborne, just where the auto dealership is now. So what became so confusing? They made McMillian a one way going west to Osborne and then cut it across diagonally to join Pembina south bound. They took Pembina North bound and changed it into a right, then a left hand turn to do the same thing as before. The bus oasis in the middle seems to be the confusing part. (Maybe now that they have the Rapid Transit, they'll remove the bottle-neck.)

On the westside of Pembina around Mulvey/Fleet, was a service station that sold gas only (one of the few at the time). The unique thing at the time was the way that you paid for the gas that you used. There was a cylindrical tube that you placed your money in to, buttoned down a leather strap over the end, placed the tube with a suction washer in a vacuum tube that sucked it up to a Cashier in the control tower. Receipts or change went back the same way to the customer. The operator checked the pump with a pair of binoculars.The concept faded out in the 60's.

Eaton's had a similar vacuum-tube system that they used from a department direct to the Credit center for those 'instant approvals".

Further down at Scotland they had the RefinedOil Station that did oil changes that sucked the oil out of the crankcase without putting the car on the hoist or removing the drain plug. Most oil filters were located on top in the engine compartment area and if located underneath; a guy with a long gorilla arm would reach under, pull the old one off and install the new one. Oil changes were about $2.99 and the filter was about 50 cents extra.

There was 3 or 4 large vertical storage tanks outside where used oil was pumped to and allowed to settle out, before it was pumped into the next cleanest tank, and repeat as required. Oil never wears out, it just gets dirty.

The center island on Pembina Hwy was originally used for the Hydro lines that went from the City Hyro sub-station at Grant and Stafford to downtown Winnipeg via Donald Street South.

Garwood Grill made one of the best 20 cent hamburgers that I tasted, and coffee was a dime. Blue plate luncheon special was a buck and a quarter with beverage.

Whatever happened to the lawnmower repair place 'old garage' that had a hundred mowers out behind it every morning and they were all gone or put away by evening?

Anyone have a picture of the old Rancho Don Carlo restaurant?
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  #106  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2012, 1:06 PM
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harls harls is offline
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Ok, here are my memories of Winnipeg:

- being stranded at the Travelodge during the blizzard of '86.

- driving in from the country on hwy 3 and reaching the perimeter, realizing you're almost in the 'big city', then continuing on McGillivray blvd, still in the country.

- staying at a hotel on Portage for some junior high band thing, and thinking how cool the skywalks were.

- exploring the tunnels at HSC when my grandpa was there, sick with cancer.

- living in Summerland and throwing pitchers of water from the 9th floor balcony into the atrium below.

- Monty's.. the Pemby (with drive-thru beer), Scandals, Grapes Pier 7.

- BDI ice cream

- Goldeyes baseball games

- the old Hooters near the stadium.

- Edgefest 1997, wearing sandals and getting bloody toes from being stomped on.
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  #107  
Old Posted Jun 22, 2012, 12:16 AM
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Roger Strong Roger Strong is offline
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Originally Posted by flatlander View Post
New heating system? I thought it was just a few portable furnaces. Or are you suggesting that renos are underway?
Dunno about that, but in 2003 I was happy to see that the Met had a new roof. As long as the roof is maintained, the rest of the building will last.

I took some photos of it from the roof of the parkade a block to the west, after Eaton's was torn down and before the arena went up. I figured it was the only chance to get pictures of the Met from a distance.
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  #108  
Old Posted Jun 22, 2012, 12:08 PM
alittle1 alittle1 is offline
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Originally Posted by Roger Strong View Post
Dunno about that, but in 2003 I was happy to see that the Met had a new roof. As long as the roof is maintained, the rest of the building will last.

I took some photos of it from the roof of the parkade a block to the west, after Eaton's was torn down and before the arena went up. I figured it was the only chance to get pictures of the Met from a distance.
So, are you going to post up those pictures? and give us a chance to have a look at them? I would like to see them, Eatons was making picture-taking a little unbearable, even from the stock room on the 5th floor back in the 50's with a Brownie Hawkeye camera.
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  #109  
Old Posted Mar 7, 2017, 11:10 PM
Norman Bates Norman Bates is offline
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Originally Posted by alittle1 View Post
Ah, nothing was finer than taking Friday afternoons off to go shooting pool. I did this for about three years. I started out getting a note from my Mother, so I could go to the Doctor or Dentist, coupled with the 'was sick' notes to the school. I later started my own collection, in which I ranged from, taking care of a sick aunt; to having to go out of town. I was the comic relief for the teachers of my school, I'm sure they were taking bets on what I would come up with next. I even made the mistake one day of getting my dates mixed up and showing up for class to their amazement; " what are you doing here?"

In my younger day I used to troll the pool rooms from downtown to the 'burbs, looking for a new game. I played with the old guys at King George, down in the basement behind Mitchell-Copp on Hargreave. Waiting and watching for a couple of weeks, while I learned the game of 'skittles' from the English masters. I was called in to play when one of the regs didn't show up. It was a game that made you understand, weight, angles and banks.

I played the basement at Saratoga and watched the great one's hone their skills on the best that Winnipeg had to offer. When Vic, 'the stick' Johnstone brought Chenier to town in the early 60's, Brunswick's Glamour Boy dazzled the wannabee's with his trick shots and brisk style of play during the day. At night, when the paying customers where gone, the real money games started. I can still remember seeing Georges sitting in silence as Merle D ran the table on him, re-racked, and ran the table to the 5 ball, George just walked over and put a G-note in Merle's hand and said good night.

There was the Strand on Garry, next to the Garrick theatre. A very productive pool room that catered to the office worker at noon, the street kids in the afternoon and the 'Fedora- crew' at night. The 'commish' was just around the corner at Ellice and Donald where everyone stopped at before dropping in to shoot stick. The small snack shop at the front did a brisk business selling bars, gum, smokes and mix, while it was open till 10, everything was available for players when required. The big tables offered plenty of room to stretch, the felt was tight and groomed, the cushions were live and it was home for several years. Practice was a two bucks an hour, and any prospects for a game that the proprietor found for you, ended up with a 'fin' or a 'saw-buck' in the corner pocket for ole Bill. Valet parking was available if you had a good night and the Rupert Street street car was there for those who didn't keep the peace.

One of the nicer two table pool halls was AAC on Arlington at Flora. Pop's on Tache was convenient until the Big Snow of Feb./60 caved in the roof. Esquire and the 'Rio' were nice downtown halls that catered to the workingman. It would be a sin if I didn't mention Obee's Pool Hall, a North End Tradition.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mabel30 View Post
I couldn't believe it when I saw mention of this establishment. My great uncle John Clark McConnachie was the proprietor there from 1912-1930. I'm the family historian and have been trying to find out more information about him and his place. You seem to know something about it and I'd love to hear where I could find out more. I've Google Mapped the street address which was 334 Portage, right near Hargrave, but of course everything looks different today. Obviously the old building was torn down and the landscape quite changed. Can you or anyone else on the link tell me what they know? Thanks.
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Originally Posted by armorand93 View Post
Happen to know an Ken Creed by any chance?
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Originally Posted by alittle1 View Post
As I said before, King George was in the rear portion of the Mitchell-Copp building, just on the north side of the back lane (South side of the lane was the old Eaton's parkade). The facade on the entrance was a deep maroon tile, with a silver canopy, a step up from the sidewalk to a terrazzo floor extended inside the building foyer. A neon side stood in the window next to the front door. The doors were double oak doors with brass hardware (similar to Eatons) at one time, then went to aluminum store front. The flight of stairs down to the basement were purpose built, not an aftermarket type and they blended in with the plaster walls and wainscot. The basement height was over 8 feet, but less than 10 at where you walked in. The pipe smoke occupied the upper two feet near the ceiling and the overhead lights flooded the eight 6 X 12 tables. Heavy wooden benches with green leather seats skirted the perimeter walls. Common cue racks stood in the entrance area by the coat racks and private locked cue racks for regulars were housed under the stairs.

The players that frequented the establishment were mostly of English descent and the cockney accents sounded foreign at first, but you gradually got used to them and eventually you spoke them back, if you stayed long enough. Clientel was mostly Eaton's employees during the day, and office staff, lawyers, and downtown business people took over after 5:30. Typically, on payday (Thursday), a group would go to Moore's restaurant at N/E Portage and Donald for dinner, wander down to the 'Commish' for a couple mickeys of Haig & Haig or Gilbeys, and then go to the George for an evening of billiards. Those that went to the St. Regis for a few jars of bitters and beer, or an ale or two, were usually in by 6:30/7:00, and were somewhat more boisterous than the others than went to Moore's. Arguments and bickering were part of the atmosphere and were essentially, 'good sport' for the blokes that played there.

The fellow that racked the balls was the man-in-charge when on duty. Not only did he rack and polish the balls, he cleaned the felt, kept count of the runs, and announced 'game ball' for the big money tables. If you wanted to get in to the game, you passed him a fin and waited for a player to retire or over-spent the evening, to be called in to play. If the night was favourable for you, another fin would make you getting a game next time more pleasurable.
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Originally Posted by armorand93 View Post
he's my step-grandpa actually! heard he used to be around the pool halls alot around the 1960s, thus how he learned to play
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mabel30 View Post
Its great hearing about the pool hall. The descriptions of it are so detailed and I can practically see it, smell it and hear the sounds - in my mind. Thanks for the history. I'm no stranger to pool halls myself, having frequented and played in the Verdun Montreal area from around 1990-2000. I gather that you were at the King George around the 1960's. When was it closed? Does anyone know anything about John McConnachie, the guy who would have racked up the balls etc between 1910-1930, who died in 1930?
My very close uncle, who worked nearby in Eaton's Basement, was known to supplement his 1950s income with the occasional lunchtime round of pool.

I'm going to print this out to see if it brings back any memories for him.
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