Atlantic Nostalgia

[Nashe]

Other threads got me thinking about the idea for this one-off for a trip down memory lane:

1) Moncton: I remember drooling over Atari 7800's at the Real Atlantic Superstore when it opened in the 80's.
2) Moncton: I remember roller-skating car-hops at the drive-in A&W on Mountain Road. They had those push-button coin-changer belt things.
3) Moncton: I remember coming into town to go to K-Mart via Mapleton road when there was nothing on it but a hill and a little bridge over a creek?
4) Moncton: Eating at the diners at K-mart, The Bay and Zellers.
5) Moncton: The "Arcade Hallway" at Champlain Place just outside of where Walmart is now. (Or was it at the Sears end?)
6) Saint John: Riding the bumper cars and playing skee-ball at Chesley Place, down in a dingy basement under a hotel.
7) Saint John: Marveling at the fly-over concrete overpasses on the highway, something Moncton didn't have.

[jonny golden]

Pizza Delight flying saucer!

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by jonny golden

Pizza Delight flying saucer!

Yes!

[MonctonRad]

Taking the ferry to PEI.

I'm old enough to remember the old MV Abegweit (before the usurper Abegweit Two was commissioned). It was a nice boat. I'm even old enough to remember the MV Prince Edward Island (1917-1968). I'm pretty sure I even rode that ferry once.


MV Prince Edward Island

The sister ship of the MV Prince Edward Island (the MV Charlottetown) was torpedoed by the Nazis during WW2. That was before my time.

We used to take the train from Charlottetown to Moncton (and beyond). The whole process of loading and unloading the train cars from the ferry was fascinating.

I remember the ferry crossing in the wintertime, when the strait could be 80% or so covered in ice. I remember several times the ice ridges were so thick that we got stuck, and couldn't make it into the harbour. Usually they would wait for the other ferry to help break up the ice and then follow the path created by the other boat into the harbour. I recall being stuck as long as a couple of hours, but, occasionally a ferry would get stuck for a couple of days and had to be rescued by a coast guard ice breaker.

Nowadays, even pan ice in the strait is a rarity.

[Nashe]

I believe I was stuck on a ferry from North Sydney to PoB at some point in the 1970's... might have been '75 or '76? I forget which ferry. I think it was for a couple of days.

[adamuptownsj]

This reminded me of Rainbow Valley.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

This reminded me of Rainbow Valley.

With the creepy witches cave. What about "Fairy Land" with the "breathing" big bad wolf? And the Bonshaw 500 gocarts?

[sailor734]

As a kid I remember the Digby ferry ( Princess Helene) sailing from Smythe St uptown.
Shopping in MRA’s with my mom. Amazing toy department at Christmas
Saint John City Market before it became a combination lunch counter and souvenir stand
Riding the escalator at Woolworths ( current site of Percy’s Pit)

[josh_cat_eyes]

I remember before they built the Cap-Pele bypass, coming to Moncton from Summerside and stopping at Fred’s for supper. Once we got to Moncton me and my brother would freak out cause we were driving by Crystal Palace and we wanted to go there.

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

I remember before they built the Cap-Pele bypass, coming to Moncton from Summerside and stopping at Fred’s for supper. Once we got to Moncton me and my brother would freak out cause we were driving by Crystal Palace and we wanted to go there.

Crystal Palace was really quite special. Always smelled like a combination of popcorn and pool chlorine.

[Taeolas]

I remember (vaguely) going to Rainbow Valley on PEI once. I was impressed by it but don't remember much about it.

I remember more going to Woolastock Park as a kid, multiple times, both for the waterslides and for the Zoo/walking trail.

Only went to Jellystone once or twice, despite it being closer.

Went to Magic Mountain and got a bad sunburn there.

Had more than a few dinners at the Hinky Dinky restaurant in Woodstock.

And doing the tour of the Humpty Dumpty plant in Hartland.

[Ozabald]

CHSJ-TV out of Saint John.

The "bucket club" (Hartt Island campground) just west of Fredericton on the TCH (now NB-102; Woodstock Road) to drive golf balls and to try my luck in the batter's cage with their pitching machines.

Mrs. Dunsters' Donuts at their original location in Fredericton (corner of Union St and Douglas Ave.). Right around the corner from my aunt's house. The smell was heavenly!

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

I remember (vaguely) going to Rainbow Valley on PEI once. I was impressed by it but don't remember much about it..

There was just something unique and special about Rainbow Valley. No big fancy rides but there were lots of simple activities that everyone could enjoy. The layout encompassed several adjacent fields, and there was lots of tree cover for shade. Lots of picnic tables for lunch. Peddle boats, talking owls, shooting galleries, a rickety roller coaster, a water park, a maze that never grew tall enough to actually get lost in, spooky attractions and fake castles with big slides, and, a gift shop in a fake UFO. It was a simple family experience. You could go there for the entire day and be very happy and content.

It was the anti-Disney World, and, I miss it tremendously. I went there as a child myself. I took my own children there. Sadly however, I will not have the pleasure of doing this again with my new granddaughter.

[Pugsley]

How about the old CHSJ interlude vids? I remember the old fly-over video from the 70s, or this beauty...LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1Qg5DNSvV4

[bridgeoftea]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Taking the ferry to PEI.

I'm old enough to remember the old MV Abegweit (before the usurper Abegweit Two was commissioned). It was a nice boat. I'm even old enough to remember the MV Prince Edward Island (1917-1968). I'm pretty sure I even rode that ferry once.


MV Prince Edward Island

The sister ship of the MV Prince Edward Island (the MV Charlottetown) was torpedoed by the Nazis during WW2. That was before my time.

We used to take the train from Charlottetown to Moncton (and beyond). The whole process of loading and unloading the train cars from the ferry was fascinating.

I remember the ferry crossing in the wintertime, when the strait could be 80% or so covered in ice. I remember several times the ice ridges were so thick that we got stuck, and couldn't make it into the harbour. Usually they would wait for the other ferry to help break up the ice and then follow the path created by the other boat into the harbour. I recall being stuck as long as a couple of hours, but, occasionally a ferry would get stuck for a couple of days and had to be rescued by a coast guard ice breaker.

Nowadays, even pan ice in the strait is a rarity.

Would have love to have crossed over to Charlottetown in one of those beautiful ships.

[Pugsley]

And for the Crystal Palace fans, the first announcement...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5avYsu-VIuY

[Taeolas]

From another thread:

Originally Posted by b2dam

Yeah, all the chain stores seemed to back then. I remember Superstore renting VHS tapes (Woolco and Sears too)

Yeah I remember the Woodstock Save-Easy store, and renting VHS tapes from there, usually a video every week or two it seemed.

I also remember getting my first computer (A Commodore C64) at Canadian Tire... partly because dad worked there. Had the full kit; a Monitor, the Keyboard/computer, and a 5 1/4" floppy drive.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by Pugsley

How about the old CHSJ interlude vids? I remember the old fly-over video from the 70s, or this beauty...LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1Qg5DNSvV4

Awesome.

NTV (CJON-TV) in St. John's set the standard for interlude filler that one could describe as strange, bizarre, mystical. Say hello to Captain Atlantis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCXorHlegVM

[Sandbagger]

I'm reminded of some of the old sports facilities in my youth days:

Rinks

Kay, Carrol and Dud James arenas - were all clones of each other but were always packed. You don't get that same feel now with the 4-Ice.

Old Sackville arena - If you were a goalie you had to skate out to the blue line to see the clock at one end lol. It also had the stairs coming up the tunnels that led to the ice that made you feel like a big deal.

Charlo arena - I believe this burned down. I played a provincial tournament there one time and remember vividly there was no glass at all along the sides of the rink. Super dangerous and this was late 90's

Dieppe Centennial Arena - Only recently decommissioned but they were the smallest dressing rooms ever. One was basically a hallway shaped like an L. It also had the chicken wire behind the nets. An old boss once told me he went there to see Rush. Of course this was before they made it big.

Old Moncton stadium - Burned down before my time but I still drive by and see the ruins there and wonder about what it was like.

Ball fields

Lewisville - Right across the street from McBuns bakery there was the old Red Cross building and a ball field there that was basically in my backyard. Played so many games there, then we'd go over to Midnight Video after and score some snacks and rent Ken Griffey Jr Baseball for the super NES and wonder what was beyond the saloon doors at the back LOL.

Aberdeen Field - It's a public park now but I hit my first (legit) home run there. It always felt kind of cool too because you were playing downtown. It had kind of a Wrigley Field vibe.

Valhalla Park - Played many games there as well. It was not well groomed. The gravel infield would tear you to shreds. The outfield was not much better. I believe it was where the strip mall is on Mountain Rd with Sports Rock/Big League and the Meat Market is now. But it may have been up a bit further.

Kelly Field - Was across the street from Kiwanis Park where the apartment buildings are now. At the time it was probably the best (and largest) minor ball field in Moncton. Shoutout to the Kiwanis Pool as well. Spent many summers there and survived somehow.

[Sunnybrae]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

From another thread:



Yeah I remember the Woodstock Save-Easy store, and renting VHS tapes from there, usually a video every week or two it seemed.

I also remember getting my first computer (A Commodore C64) at Canadian Tire... partly because dad worked there. Had the full kit; a Monitor, the Keyboard/computer, and a 5 1/4" floppy drive.

Wow, you guys were rich. I could only afford a Vic-20 with cassette drive that I bought with my tips from my paper route. A friend gave me a 16K ram expansion cartridge. Couldn't believe all the memory it had after that.