Reminiscing (When I Was A Boy....)

[Smokey©]

I remember all the mentioned places. Do any of you remember the IXL little diner on Terminal Avenue? It was close to where Mrs. Riches is now. I went there a few times after Friday night skating. Another memory is passing Tannock's junk yard to get there. Those barking guard dogs! (Where Budget Rent a Car is now)

Tannock's junk yard! WOW! That is ancient history, before my time!

[Spence]

Trying to remember Mrs Riches before the restaurant? I think it was Pacific Produce warehouse. The building next door was Wilton Motors(Austin and a few other English cars). I thought the IXL was further up Terminal, close to where Budget's office is now. I can remember them gutted waiting to be torn down. Made my mom sad, cuz she worked there in the thirties. Tannocks yard (big high wooden fence) was where Budgets shop and yard is now. I think it was a Texaco station on the corner? I always wondered what it was like living in the houses on Wallace that sat above the wrecking yard? Movies at the old Capitol theatre(nw corner of Bastion and Skinner) Lining up down the path to the ravine, on the bridge side of the theatre. It was torn down when they built Fiesta Theatres. Was a big deal to have a "twin" theatre, so we thought, until my dad informed us that during the days of the Capitol, Fletchers furniture before becoming that, was the Strand Theatre. Not quite twin theatres but two none the less. Remember good burgers at the Oasis, across from Red Carrs on Comox Rd. Stewart and Hudson on the Cliff Campbell and Terminal triangle. Memories, keep em comin'

[AllieG]

Saturday kids movies at the Capitol - always a double feature unless it was the new Disney or some other special film. I'm sure my parents would encourage me to go just to get rid of me for most of Saturday. I think it was 25 cents (50 cents for Disney). Unaccompanied kids weren't allowed in the balcony and I think teens were also banned due to flying popcorn boxes. The owner would come on stage before the film to tell us to behave (yeah, right) or he would stop the film. It was never the same at the Fiesta. Only went bowling there (remember Saturday School league?)

[swine]

when you are on the old highway between terminal park and brooks landing, there is a chunk of pavement up for sale. was that an old gas station in there?

[Tenspot]

Been for sale off and on for ages, actually had a trailer hitch installed there in the late 70's

[yogi bear]

It was a Chevron, I believe it was operated by Vern Goldsbury

[Harewoodian]

I believe there is still a few deer living on that property?

[Spence]

You're right on the Chevron part, but I thought a couple of brothers owned it. Vern had the Shell station at Country Club at the time(where Petro Can is now)

[yogi bear]

Spence,

I have a suspicion you may be right and I got the two mixed up...cheers : )

[Chester]

when I was a kid...
there was a parkade where the Port Theatre now stands - later part of it formed the downtown transit loop. There was a Toys&Wheels store in Harbour Park Mall and a dogs ear t-shirt! There was a pizza shop in the Fiesta Lanes; I think it was called the pizza pie man or something like that. Don Rawlins Motors was at Nicol Street and Milton where the boarded up Shell station is. The ferry line up used to go up Brechin Hill (sometimes all the way up to the highway) whereas in recent years they've lined em up down Stewart. There was a local Woolco, Sears and Eatons but if you wanted to shop at Woodwards or The Bay you had to drive to Victoria. The only theatres were downtown at the Fiesta and later the Caprice. Having 2 theatres was a big deal back in the day! There was a Hill's Indian Crafts in the old fire station. There was a gov't liquor store at the corner of Cavan and Albert and one in Harewood Mall.
There were firehalls in Harewood, Northfield, Dep.Bay, Wellington - I believe they were all volunteer and all buildings are still standing last time I checked. Georgia Avenue school (the original) burned down and all the students were bussed around the district. The mandatory provincial vehicle testing station was close to where the Superstore is now (it was a church at one point) Country Club Mall had, for a time, a supermarket called the Food Barn. Tom Harris Chev was then Jack Harris. There was a Volvo dealership on Bowen Road called Evergreen Motors (where the amusement park is located) Grandview Bowl in Beban Park was the local racing circuit http://www.canadianracer.com/old-tra...randview07.jpg
There used to be 2 pools at Bowen Park as well as animals on display down by the waterfall - I forget what animals (birds perhaps) they had but I can remember something about the animals being killed at night and that was the end of that. Of course most readers will know the Howard Johnson was (and to some probably always will be) the Tally-Ho!
There was a Robins Donuts (harewood mall also) and Binos restaurant on Terminal and a very cool pirate ship in the original terminal park mcdonalds.
The first 7-11 was built on bowen road (still there) and there was a kick ass orange julius kiosk in northbrook mall