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

[Wyatt Earp]

Wow, this is awesome!

I'm not nearly as grey as some here as I was born in the mid 70's but lots of this stuff brings back lots of memories too.

Growing up in Lantzville, I remember the days when only the metral strip mall (used to have a Terry's Save Rite in it, now a beer store) and the Green Thumb were the only things visible from the old highway! No lights except at Hammond Bay I think.

Dots was great! The old IGA was on the top of the hill were Rutherford, oops, North Town Village is now - I have pictures of that since my dad built that mall back in '79 I think it was. Woodgrove was built in '81 I think.

I remember when many things, most things actually, were not open on Sunday, I remember the Speedway, the old pedal pusher bike shop, the best store ever if you were a kid collecting LEGO - Toys and Wheels in Harbour Park, then Brooks Landing and then Woodgrove. I remember the huge LEGO display at EATON's down town, the escalators in that store and going down there to shop with my mom. I remember Sears being across the street in PP Mall and Fletchers Furniture on Commercial as well as the musical instrument store too.

As a teen I used to go to the comic shop on comercial as well. I remember the bus depot being on Cameron Isl. and even the old pirate ship in the Terminal McDonalds back in the day.

I do also remember Marks and Spencers right beside the waterpark thing in Woodgrove, good times.

My dad bought a Volvo on that lot on Bowen. Too bad it is gone, I like Volvo's. I'm not old enough to remember it called Jack Harris but it will always be Tom Harris Chevy to me.

Anyone remember Nanaimo's first boutique coffee shop, Flithy McNasty's? That was only like 1990 or something where Acme is now and boy how things change with the Tim Horton's, Serious, Star Bucks and all the rest...

Lots of changes for sure.

[stanley strazza]

...you'all remember how cool the lawdogs used to be when ya' got caught doing a bad thing or two ( like lipping off at em')...I spent many a time walking back to town from the look-out on Benson where the mounties would drop me and my pals off...I guess they figured that by the time we made it back to town the parties would be over...lol...to-day is so different, you go straight to jail for any little nasty stuff now a days...it seems that they don't have a scense of ha, ha anymore....like man their way far to serious....bummer eh!.....stan the man

[Geoff]

This is an interesting thread. Much that I didn't know about Nanaimo, and much of this well before my time. But still interesting.

[GraceVI]

Anyone else remember?

Spending your hard earned cash at Kelly-Deyongs (sp?) for the latest hit?

Our folks doing the grocery getting at the Overwaitea on Gordon Str.? or at one of the three Super Valu markets - Harewood (now the Shoppers Drug) Haliburton (now the computer store) or Townsite (now that cleaner's warehouse) Or if they were "North Enders" the Vic's IGA at the original Country Club Plaza....

Shopping at Eaton's dowtown....the Metropolitan and Woolworth's stores on Commercial...maybe somebody can help me out here...one of them had a pet Myna bird in the back that used to speak quite a few words....this is in the mid sixties, and to a young preschooler (me) it was the coolest thing around...

And speaking of birds, how about the huge birdcage in the middle of Harbour Park Mall...(it'd be in from of where Falconer books is now, if my memory is right...)

When Nanaimo had two Drive-In theatres, the Cassidy (which is still kinda there, I guess) and the Starlite, which I kinda remember as being behind Country Club Mall, possibly where Wellington School is now. Anyone remember the story of someone setting off an explosion during the show at the Cassidy and destroying the huge screen (possible urban myth? : ))

Cheers,
Al

I remember that Mynah bird. It was Woolworth's. I don't remember it saying anything except "hello", but it used to wolf whistle. Across the street where Lucid is now was Yale Shoes; in front of the store in the concrete it had mosaic tiles that spelled out Yale shoes. And on the corners the sidewalks had blue and white mosaic tiles that spelled out the name of the street.

[Bunky]

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

I think we grew up in Nanaimo at the same time, I remember Nanaimo as you do. Do you remember the jeans store on Bastion Street I think, called The Magic Mushroom? Also, Mr. Mikes on Commercial. I loved the salad bar!
Also fond memories of all the old cars cruisin Commercial on Friday and Saturday nights. Seems kind of right out of American Grafitti now. If I remember correctly, the Foundry Pub used to be the Newcastle?? The Black Bear was Quiglys, ( or the Harp and Shamrock I think). And going out to the Quarter Mile on Sundays, out on Nanaimo River Road.

[Chester]

Mr Mikes on Commercial! Awesome. I seem to recall another Mr. Mikes out on Terminal Ave. For awhile there was an outfit called Tommy Tuckers downtown and another in Rutherford. Le Chef was an affordable gourmet experience in Woodgrove and the Pantry Restaurant was at Rutherford/Island Hwy.
The 'NHL Restaurant' (don't know if it had another name) was on the waterfront along Stewart - which also provided the first gig for a then fifteen-year-old Diana Krall.
I believe before the iconic Fast Eddies set up shop on Bowen that same space was the Bold Knight. The Pizza Patio was in the Terminal Park Plaza.

Media wise in the middle 80's there were 2 newspapers - the daily free press and the nanaimo times. The times was 2x week freebie. Local radio for the longest time was dominated by CHUB1570 cuz that was the only player in town. Eventually a new station CKEG began broadcasting (think it was AM1350) and they played country. Blech.

Funny, for the life of me I can't recall what the old A&B Sound was before A&B!

[Tenspot]

Funny that i can't remember what the precursor to A&B Sound was called but it's owner was Fred Mitteregger. He became the partner (After her life partner died) of Trudy who owned the computer training company on Kennedy that had a fire. That school later moved to the four storey red building on Skinner st.

[karenc]

Does anyone remember "House of Stein" run by Fred before A&B Sound.
Fred was a bit of a letch!
I remember the 1/4 mile. I actually used to race there once in a while.
Had a boyfriend with a hot car, that if you can believe would give me the keys while he was away logging.
Anyone remember the dray strip in Cobble Hill.

[tailtwister]

I've had 2 sources tell me that the A&B Sound building was the original Mr. Mikes location (which would make the Commercial and Terminal claims both correct-ish... I've been trying to find postcards or photos to confirm that. no such luck so far.

[Chester]

Twister is onto something with the a&b sound and mr mikes theory. The entrance to Mr Mikes was off of Commercial in that same block. There was a smoke shop on the corner where the building makes a 'V' shape into Commercial and Wallace. I doubt if mr mikes used all the square footage a&b used (that's a helluva huge restaurant if it did) but to be sure it occupied a portion.