Why a Reunion in Toronto, not Montreal?

Why Toronto, not Montreal?

Stay Inn is among the hotels where we have set up special MCHS 2015 room bookings, with block rates available for the reunion attendees. Lynn (Hennebury) Legge found the Stay Inn online. Jaan Pill followed up by visiting the site and speaking with the manager. The hotel is close to Sherway Gardens and Cloverdale Mall, for those who like to shop. Jaan Pill photo

The Stay Inn is among the hotels where we have set up special MCHS 2015 room bookings, with block rates available for the reunion attendees. Lynn (Hennebury) Legge found the Stay Inn online. Jaan Pill followed up by visiting the site and speaking with the manager. The hotel is close to Sherway Gardens and Cloverdale Mall, for those who like to shop. Jaan Pill photo

What follows is an edited version of our April 1, 2015 discussion in Kitchener, among members of the Event Committee, about the “Why Toronto?” topic. This is a question that everybody has an opinion about. It’s a great topic for discussion.

At our April 1, 2015 meeting, we had the following dialogue, which I’ve edited (and made minor additions to) for the purpose of featuring it at as a blog post.

On May 13, 2015, at our most recent organizing meeting in Kitchener, we recorded brief interviews about the “What do I get for $150?” question and the “Why Toronto?” question.

DSC_0157

February 2015 view of the Humber River, next to Old Mill Toronto. On October 17, 2015 in the afternoon prior to the 6:00 o’clock opening of the MCHS 2015 Reunion, Scott Munro will lead a Nature Walk along the Humber River. Jaan Pill photo

I’ve recently completed a prior video project, about the effort to Save Bala Falls in Ontario’s Muskoka cottage country. On all my current video projects, I’m working with an video editor named Steve Toepell of Bohemian Passport. He will edit the upcoming two online videos about key topics of conversation related to the planning of the MCHS 2015 Reunion.

If the topic interests you, click here to see Save Bala Falls video >

Here’s the April 1, 2015 “Why Toronto?” dialogue:

Lynn (Hennebury) Legge: I’m still getting a lot of static about “Why is it Toronto, not Montreal?”

Jaan Pill: Have you got some good responses?

If you keep an eye out for them, you will still see some 1960s-era cars on the streets of Toronto, such as what appears to me to be a vintage Lincoln Continental from "days gone by." Jaan pill photo

If you keep an eye out for them, you will still see some 1960s-era cars on the streets of Toronto, such as what appears, in the photo. to be a vintage Lincoln Continental from “days gone by.” Jaan Pill photo

Lynn: I responded with the fact that we took a general consensus of how many people were in the Toronto core, and the fact that a lot of people have moved out to Ontario.

So we decided to do it in Ontario. And being at the central core, people can travel in from different states, different provinces, and if you should desire, you could go back to Montreal and make a side trip out of it.

Gina (Davis) Cayer: And then if you look at the Malcolm Campbell website, after ’73, ’74, most of those people stayed. Right next to Malcolm Campbell High School, my girlfriend stayed. Her whole street was practically Jewish. It’s all Armenians and all Greeks now. And she’s still there.

In Long Branch, which is south of where the Stay Inn is located, '50s dances are a local pastime. Jaan Pill photo

In Long Branch, which is south of where the Stay Inn is located, ’50s dances are a cherished local pastime. Occasionally, we check out such events as part of our research for MCHS 2015. Jaan Pill photo

But if you look at the website, after ’73, ’74, most people stayed – because they were still in school, whereas our group of people, most of us had to leave because the jobs left, or the opportunities went elsewhere, because of the Parti Québécois coming into Quebec. That was the big reason why many people left.

Pepsi is a product that was popular in Montreal in the 1960s, as I recall. With rare exceptions, I haven't had a soft drink since about 1972, when I became a vegetarian and also gave up soft drinks. Jaan Pill photo

Pepsi is a product that was popular in Montreal in the 1960s.  Jaan Pill photo

Scott Munro: One of the answers to is that this association of us over the past ten years, of small groups of us gathering in Toronto. Christine (Hamilton) Plumtree came in a few times, and Tim Hewlings was down, and Bill Hollingsworth.

Jaan: And Bob Carswell was there too.

Lynn: And the organizers are here. The people that decided to organize.

Jaan: Plus we’ve made a point of traveling to Kitchener regularly, because Lynn is a key player, in terms of ideas and everything else. And so if we were to have the meeting in Montreal it would be pretty hard to get Lynn involved.

In Toronto, you can still find some vintage Slippery When Wet Signs. The newer version of the sign has graphic representations of snow in the space above the car. Jaan Pill

In Toronto you can still find some vintage Slippery When Wet signs. Other versions of the sign feature a graphic representation of rain and snow in the space above the car. Earlier versions of this sign have two thin, squiggly lines under the wheels, which suggest the car is trailing strands of spaghetti. The more robust skid marks (above) constitute  a more recent approach, from what I can gather. The photo was taken east of the Spaghetti Junction, which is located to the west of Old Mill Toronto. You can read about the Spaghetti Junction, which embodies 1960s-era concepts of urban planning, at the Preserved Stories website. Jaan Pill

Gina: But the whole thing is that you folks decided to organize this. Did anybody else from Montreal jump up and say, “No, I want to organize it”?

Lynn: Well, see this was organized before I came on board. But as I said, my view is that it’s a centre core, and that’s what I would respond to some of the emails that I got asking, you know.

The choice was made because it’s the central core and people are coming in from different Provinces, different States, and they’re making it an event – and some of them are going back to Montreal during this, as well.

Jaan: We’ll have that on the website.

At our April 1, 2015 meeting we also discussed groups of people who are thinking of attending

Southwest of Stay Inn, across the border in Mississauga by the Lake Ontario shoreline, you are in easy driving distance of the Arsenal Lands. Image from Arsenal Lands west of Small Arms Building at Dixie Road and Lakeshore Road East. Jaan Pill photo

If you travel southwest from the Stay Inn and cross the border into Mississauga near the Lake Ontario shoreline, you will arrive at the Arsenal Lands where small arms including Bren Guns were assembled and tested during the Second World War. Young women from across Canada worked here during the war. Image from Arsenal Lands west of Small Arms Building at Dixie Road and Lakeshore Road East. Jaan Pill photo

Jaan: That is very important. To encourage them.

Lynn: And giving them that option to stay at a different place, that isn’t too pricey.

So I have another email that I formulated that I will send [to a particular contact], so she could get the whole family involved; it could be a Saraguay reunion the night before.

Jaan: Absolutely. And also if there are relatives, like sons, daughters, whatever, they can also attend.

Toronto features Red Light Cameras at selected intersections. Watch your step. Jaan Pill photo

Toronto features Red Light Cameras at selected intersections. Watch your step. Jaan Pill photo

Gina: I have about 15 who want to come but what they want to know is, “Who’s coming?”

It’s important. And especially when people pay, to put the years that the attended, because just having a name may not be enough – may not ring a bell.

Lynn: And just getting the groups together. Like I haven’t been able to get the core person from the Boating Club yet.

Sherway Gardens, located within walking distance of the Stay Inn, retains some of its 1970s feel, but is constantly being rebuilt to serve the describing tastes of the high-end consumer. Jaan Pill photo

Sherway Gardens, located within walking distance of the Stay Inn, retains some of its 1970s feel but is constantly being rebuilt in order to cater to the tastes of the high-end consumer. A recent project has involved the additional of massive amounts of space for additional parking. Another nearby shopping destination is Cloverdale Mall where, if you don’t happen to shave in the morning, nobody’s going to mind. The latter mall is a delightful place to visit as is Sherway Gardens. Jaan Pill photo

I keep looking on the Internet trying to find that core person. I left long before these friendships and marriages occurred. I left Montreal.

Who’s coming?

Gina: People want to know who’s coming.

Jaan: That’s critical.  We will make that a priority – to find ways to get that information out to people.

Click on the images to enlarge them, Click again to enlarge them further.

Update

Just to let you know, in case you like to visit new places, a Sept. 21, 2015 Toronto Star article is entitled:

Expanded Sherway Gardens opens doors Tuesday: A $550 million expansion includes 50 new stores, more parking and a new food court that can seat more than 1,000

[End of update]

 

4 replies
  1. Klaas Vander Baaren
    Klaas Vander Baaren says:

    In response to Lynn’s comment about a key person in the Boating Club, have you called the club to ask about long time members from the 60’s? Or looked up the National Champions from the 60’s and early 70’s in kayaks and canoes? The club was one of the top in Canada. Barclay Allen who lived on Somerset is a candidate. He played for NDG and then the NFL for a couple of years. I last saw him in a sports bar he owned on St. Catherine St. in Montreal and I believe Bob Horrick (sp) was managing the place for him.

    Reply
  2. Jaan Pill
    Jaan Pill says:

    I remember playing football at Recess in Grade 4 with Barclay Allen and other classmates. That was at Cartierville School. We had such a great time. I’ve forwarded your message to Lynn.

    A key question that Lynn (Hennebury) Legge asked at the April 1, 2015 meeting in Kitchener was, “Do you know of anybody from the Boating Club who is a core person?” That may be a paraphrase not a direct quote. There was an extended discussion about who such a core person might be, who would know everybody else at the Cartierville Boating Club, and how that person might be located.

    I’ve also forwarded your message to Gina (Davis) Cayer. My notes from the April 1 meeting indicate that Lynn is working on the Saraguay group and Gina is working on the Boating Club group. Their work is so important and relevant. The work of detectives, historians, archaeologists, intelligence agents, and investigative journalists all comes to mind. Help from any source will be much appreciated.

    Reply
  3. Jaan Pill
    Jaan Pill says:

    We have had some discussion at Facebook, and I’ve sent a message to the organizing committee, regarding a third key area of discussion, aside from the “$150″question and the “Why Toronto, not Montreal?” question:

    Along with the “What do I get for $150?” and “Why Toronto, not Montreal?” – questions that we are answering in recent blog posts and that will be featured in two brief online videos – we have a third question (this is from Facebook):

    – – –

    Gary Lambertz: Can we get more of the attendee updates as they become available. It will help us at this end to push the people that are undecided.

    Jaan Pill : We will work to get the attendee updates in place. This is a key topic of interest for many people, and for good reason.

    – – –

    I would like to start posting the names and graduation years of the signed-up attendees at the MCHS 2015 website. I can set up a separate static page at the website for that.

    But before I do, I want to check with the organizing committee. Are there any privacy concerns related to the MCHS 2015 registration process, as it relates to the posting of names?

    Reply
  4. Bob Carswell
    Bob Carswell says:

    Try this email address for Lynda & Barclay Allen…no guarantees:
    [I’ve passed along the email to our organizing team: this is a note, that you are reading, in square brackets, from Jaan Pill. I’m pleased that Bob Carswell took that matter in stride and in good humour.]

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *