Dave Foss, who attended Cartierville School in the 1960s, sends greetings from South Texas to fellow students from the school

A previous post, from 2014, is entitled:

Cartierville School in Montreal

There have been so many comments at that post. It’s remarkable to know how many people have such detailed, and enthusiastically recollected, memories of the school.

Dave Foss in South Texas has recently added a comment, to the above-noted post. By way of bringing attention to it, I am pleased to devote the current post to it.

Dave Foss writes:

Hello all — It is wonderful to read about Cartierville, my first school. I attended from 1963/64 until November 1968, when my family moved to Pointe Claire. We live at 2977 Somerset, just across from the small circle park nearly to Kellar and the big field at the end of our street and Cousineau. I remember all my teachers, except for either 2nd or 4th . . .

K – Mrs. Carpenter
1st – Mrs. Wahlberg
2nd – Perhaps Mrs Talbot
3rd – Miss Aiken, on whom I had a terrific crush — then she was married at New year’s (I think), and returned to school as Mrs. Hoar, and I was heart-broken!!
4th – Perhaps Mrs. Talbot
5th – Mrs Mitchell
Mrs Boothroyd was Principal

I have many, many fond memories of my time there: the older gentleman who lived on Somerset about half-way from my house who always took such good care of his front garden and especially his lilac trees; skating all the way to school one day after an ice storm; field days on the front lawn (trying to slip under the school bench for the obstacle course); playing Champ on the paved playground out back at recess; Grade 3, during the Centennial year and a field trip to Expo ’67; being a scared kindergartener, until Linda Lee, the granddaughter of our landlady took care of me, the new kid; trying to help a new kid in Grade 2, Randy (forget his last name), who sneezed on my arm as he was crying; the beautiful flower garden out front; older students threatening to throw us over the fence of the hospital across the street if we didn’t scram; attending Cubs at The Church of the Good Shepherd; getting dizzy on the merry-go-round at the park up Somerset and playing hockey on the rink there. I recall playing on the golf course as it was being constructed, and losing a belly boot in the muck – then trying to explain how to my dad! Lots of other memories, too. Some nice folks, too: Linda Lee, her grandmother, Mrs. Yuen, our neighbours, Sandra and Michelle Knautz and their mom and dad, Betsy Tranter, and, of course, Randy.

I’ve been back to visit the old neighborhood a few times in the past 15 years or so. The last time was in October 2016, and the building seemed closed, resembling a storage facility as I looked in a rather cob-webby window to see piles of furniture; several years earlier, it was the Montessori School as someone noted above.

We left for Pointe Claire, as I mentioned, then to Ottawa for my high school days. After some stays in Kingston (grad school), Miami, Laredo (Texas), and now San Antonio (since 1996), I am myself a high school teacher, one who tries to live up to the kinds of instructors I had at Cartierville. It was a great time and place to in which to grow up, and I appreciate reading the recollections of the other contributors here. I came across this website while procrastinating on some grading, but it has absolutely been fun to reminisce with you all. So, Thanks, from South Texas!

Archival photo of Cartierville

I recently came across a Jan. 31, 2021 Facebook post from Peter Halliday that I want to share; Peter writes:

I posted this shot a few years ago, but because of the renewed interest in the Canadair shot below, I thought I’d re-post this one too. Some landmarks are visible already – the path of highway 15, the railroad tracks, Sacre Coeur hospital, the neighbourhood where MCHS would be built, in the lower center of the photo. I think the picture was from the 1950’s, but I am not sure when… If you want the full zoomable photo/file you can try this link:

http://depot.ville.montreal.qc.ca/vues-aeriennes-1958/VM97-3_02_10-159.TIF?fbclid=IwAR1_pTHg9hRYuBTP7nlTW8A9wce–10HVXABELl_AdmbOi95ci6HL2B1a-I

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2 replies
  1. Betsy Tranter Slopek
    Betsy Tranter Slopek says:

    I remember you too, David, one of the less “yucky” boys in my class! Your memories are almost bang-on. Mrs. Talpis was our 4th grade teacher (I had to look that up, I have no memories of her). The Cartierville Golf Club went bust so the property was actually being “deconstructed”. So much mud! Randy Jeannotte was his name and I remember it very well, he was the first (and last) boy I ever punched. We were still friends after. Mrs. Boothroyd kept a dog at school, his name escapes me but he was a big, goofy shepherd cross. Schools are a bit stricter now about random pets on the premises. I haven’t been back to the old neighbourhood in many years but I did wander nostalgically down Somerset Road courtesy of Google Earth. I used to tell my kids when they were younger about the epic trek to school I had to make four times a day, but it really wasn’t that far!

    Reply
  2. Jaan Pill
    Jaan Pill says:

    This photo, notes Klaas, Second one shows a caddy playing early. Caddies were allowed to play the women’s course at times. Walking from ladies 5th green to ladies 6th tee. The left side of the 6th fairway are the train tracks."

    We have many great stories about the Cartierville Golf Club; a list of them is available at the link below:

    Cartierville Golf Club

    One of the previous posts is entitled:

    Klaas Vander Baaren adds a comment to a previous post about the caddy shack at the Marlborough golf club in Cartierville

    The photo is from the above-noted post. Caption reads:

    This photo, notes Klaas, “shows a caddy playing early. Caddies were allowed to play the women’s course at times. Walking from ladies 5th green to ladies 6th tee. The left side of the 6th fairway are the train tracks.” Photo source: Klaas Vander Baaren. Click on photo to enlarge it; click again to enlarge it further.

    [End]

    Some other previous posts include:

    Additional comments from Graeme Decarie – regarding Saraguay, Cartierville School, and Marlborough golf club

    Further comment, regarding golf caddy at Marlborough golf club who became professor at Concordia

    Reply

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