Bowater (Continued)

Bowater Closes In Queens County

Since the closing of Bowater in Brooklyn, Queens County, Nova Scotia earlier this year, someone began a face book group and I've been adding lots of photos. Some of the photos came from the Mersey Quarterlies. Thought I would add them to the blog so people who are not on my facebook can enjoy them.

 

 

 

Mersey Townsite Documentary on DVD

A documentary about the Mersey Townsite is for sale at $15 per copy. The documentary was researched by me and the actual DVD was edited and put together by Plateau Entertainment Films http://plateauentertainment.com/

If you are interested in purchasing a copy leave a message, your name and email address on this blog.

Searching for homes of some people...do you remember where they lived?

Been researching a project for 2 years and am wondering if anyone might remember where the following people may have lived in the Liverpool area - in some cases I know the street but not which house it was.....

Peter Isaac
Harriet McQuinn (Hunts Point)
Jennie Smith
Clarence Drew 

Basil Knox
Esther Williams
Forest Peach - Old Port Mouton Road
Lester Smith - Union Street
Roswell Nickerson - Prefabs
Arthur Parker - Brooklyn
A. Harris MacLeod - Main Street
Fred Maynard
Arthur Young
Murray & Alta McPherson - Main Street
Russell Wamboldt - Main Street
Harry Peach - Old Port Mouton Road
Howard Sperry
William Clatttenburg - Brunswick St
Austin Clattenburg - George St
Rona Payzant - Summer St
Floyd & Nettie Whynot

The Riverside Hotel, Main Street, Liverpool, Nova Scotia

Riverside Hotel - later the site of the Liverpool I.G.A.

When I look at what we have along Main Street in Liverpool, I often wonder what was there before. The 1960s saw a lot of changes on Main Street, with so many of the older structures demolished to make way for new cement box type buildings. For those who are old enough to remember, the 1960s saw the building of the Stedmans building (now Packets Landing), The Peoples Store (now Home Hardware), The Liquor Store (now vacant but was Value Plus), The Metropolitan Store (now the Bargain Shop), Canadian Tire (now gone because of a 1996 fire) and of course the Liverpool IGA. The IGA and Bowling Center were built around 1960/61 and of all the buildings mentioned previously, it was the first to be constructed. Before it was built, there stood a beautiful old building known as the Riverside Hotel. Unfortunately I do not remember this building since it was gone years before I was born. I do know that it was owned and operated by Walter Cook and his wife Ella. The photo above was loaned to me by Barbara Cook Meredith, grand daughter of Walter and Ella. I'm hoping readers will offer some of their own personal memories of this building since I have none of my own memories.

Walter & Ella Cook - owners of the Riverside Hotel

Fire at Bowater Mersey

Anyone remember what year the fire happened at Bowater Mersey Paper Company? Was it the early 1960s? Tell us your stories...fill is in.....

The old Liverpool Bridge

This photo shows the old Liverpool Bridge which in its day looked like 3 adjoining bridges similar to the bridges in Milton. The center section of the bridge could turn to allows ships to enter the upper part of the river. Sadly today, that is not possible. One can see in the photo that the old bridge is about to be demolished to make way for the new bridge, Lanes can be see in the distance. This all took place in the 1960s. For those of us in our 40s, the present bridge is all we can remember. Such a shame more thought wasn't put into the design of present bridge to allow boats of all sizes to enter the upper part of the river.

Milton Days,,,,it was a busy weekend

The Milton Days celebration has been an ongoing event for many, many years. I've had the pleasure of enjoying it as have my parents, even my grandparents. The festivities may be fewer in number and perhaps the crowds aren't as big but it still takes place every July. The poster above is probably almost 70 years old...street dancing, canoe races, swimming races but most of all the big news during this Milton Days Festivities was the opening of a paved highway through Milton. Most of us don't recall a day when the roads weren't paved but for those who are older I'm sure that was big news. I'm not sure when Milton Days first began, but luckily the tradition continues thanks to the dedication and hard work to many volunteers!

Congregational Church in Milton,N.S.

Next time you drive over Milton Bridge and go up Tupper Street have a look to your left at the grassy field that exists there today. At one time that was the site of the Milton Congregational Church. Not sure what year it was built but well before 1900. My dads grandparents were married here January 1, 1914 so the building holds a special significance to me. In the 1920s when the Congregationalists and Methodists united to form the United Church of Canada, so often the Congregational Churches ceases to function as a place of worship. That is exactly what happen to this church. It basically became a community hall until it was taken down. Dances were held here and a very good friend of mine went to a dance here in the 1940s where she met her future husband and they enjoyed over 55 years together, once again this building has special meaning to me. The old church was torn down in the later 1940s and Milton was without a community hall until the present hall was erected in 1961. The site of the Milton Congregational Church has been vacant since it's demolition about 65 years ago. The photo shows the Ivy VanNorden house to the left and this house still exists today.

Main Street, Liverpool, Nova Scotia

Main Street in Liverpool during the late 1960 or 70s...I remember a lot of this well and those of you who are older than I am would have even clearer memories of a much busier Main Street than we see today. Veinots Footwear on the right, Simpson Sears on the left...Worthmore store straight ahead. The taxi stand was going strong on Jubilee Street and the Town Hall was still in use as a municipal government building. The Stedmans Store was relatively new and the town was going through probably one of it's busiest growth spurts ever. Peoples, Met, Canadian Tire and the Liquor Store were either just built or were about to be. Liverpool's Main Street was changing and changing fast.

Site of McDonalds in Liverpool,N.S.

I'm sure most of us with a few years under our belts recall the houses along Bristol Ave/Sandy Cove Road where McDonalds is now located. On the corner (known as Chesley's Corner) was the Fina (later Petro Canada) Service Station...next to it was an apartment building. I believe there was a furniture store in the front at one time. I remember Carl and Evelyn Ernst living there. There were many units that extended back from that front apartment. My aunt and uncle Sherri & Ted Roy rented there around 1974. Next was another apartment building where various families lived including Robert Brown family, Mervin Hartlen family and the Gary Young family. The next house was the Brewster house. Next being the home of Bill and Nita Foley, later an apartment building. The house on the far right was also an apartment building in my days but I'm sure some of the readers may recall what family lived there. I believe Gus Vromans, owner of Liverpool Pizzeria owned it at one time and rented it. McDonalds opened its doors in November 1995 so this photo dates back before that time. One wonders where the years go, I'm one of those people. Seems like yesterday these houses lined the street as we all drove to Brooklyn. Times change and time passes by so fast and yesterday becomes yesteryear very quickly.

Ladies Bowling Team at Mersey Lanes in Liverpool,N.S. in 1965

Can you help identify the people in the picture?

Front Row Left Side
1. ?
2. Doris Gerhardt
3.Alice Huskins
4.Audrey Thorbourne

Front Row Right Side
1. ?
2. Ellen MacLeod
3. Joyce MacLeod\
4.Mabel Roy
5.Geraldine Ingram

Sitting at Table
1. Nellie Schupe
2. Ruth Dalby
3. Lloyd Doane

Middle Row Left to Right
1. Betty West
2. ?
3. Elaine Whynott
4. Mildred Coops
5. Nancy Whynot
6. Sandra Whynot
7. Diane Coombs
8. Helena Keans
9. Lillian Croft
10. Marjorie Roy
11.Geraldine Ingram

Back Row Left to Right
1. Marina Wood
2. Peggy Dalby
3. ?
4. Marion Whynot
5. Joan Whynot
6. (man) ?

Anyone recognize this Queens County house?

Old Ball Field now Sobeys in Liverpool,N.S.

The Old Liverpool Ball Field where Sobeys is now...note the wooden fence on the left...building on the right was later the Dairy Treat.

Next time you drive through the Tim Horton's drive thru in Liverpool remember that you are driving where bleachers once were. Those bleachers were behind home plate at Liverpool's old ball field. That ball field is now Sobeys and it's parking lot. The famous ball team Liverpool Larrupers played on this field. I don't know when the ball field started here but I have a video from the late 1920s early 1930s and it shows a short clip of a ball game held there. I remember going to a ball game in the 1970s with my grandmother where the comedy team the California Cuties played a hilarious, fun-filled game against the Liverpool Fire Fighters ball team. As late as the 1960s there was a wooden fence around the ball field and in it's last years, there was a metal mesh fence around. Sobeys purchased the property and built their store and created the parking lot I would guess the early 1980s. Little did we all know, that this was the beginning of a new commercial area in Liverpool with many other new businesses going in that part of town. Back then it was hard to believe the ball field was gone. Today, one would never know a ball field was ever there. After the old field was sold, a new ball field was created on White Point Road.

Best Western, Liverpool, Nova Scotia

 Who would've thought that Liverpool would ever have a large Best Western Hotel? I'm in the group of people who never would've believed it. A few years back, the Sapp house, the former Astoria Beverages building and the Liverpool Dairy treat were all demolished and all the land behind those buildings, was cleared to make way for the new hotel, the new Rec center and hopefully more. The hotel is in a great location making it visible on the 103 Highway and with the land being cleared, Liverpool can be seen from the 103 as well. Passers by, who are tired and need a place to stay for the night can quickly drive off the highway and get to the Best Western in minutes. I have to admit, I've never been inside the Best Western but the outside of the building looks very attractive and I've heard inside is even better. The staff is both very helpful and knowledgeable, the rooms both comfortable and beautiful. The lounge is apparently really nice, too. Weddings have been held here, Christmas parties as well as many other functions. Now that Queens Place is open, I'm sure business at the Best Western will increase even more. That area is changing and in a good way. None of us could've predicted that Best Western would ever choose Liverpool as a site for a hotel and now we can wait for even more businesses to be constructed on the property.

Building the new Liverpool Best Western

Liverpool Best Western

New Liverpool Legion Branch #38

Building the new Liverpool Legion

For many years the Mersey Branch #38 of the Royal Canadian Legion was on the Liverpool Waterfront. The first building had been located on Inness's Wharf. That building was demolished and a new building was built around the same location. That building was used as the Legion from the 1960's until just a few years ago. The present Legion was built along side of what was the Metropolitan Store (Now Bargain Shop). The new Legion is much smaller than the previous building but is certainly manageable for the Legion members. The previous building was in need of expensive repairs and the cost was too much to handle. Darts, pool, flea markets, bingo, Legion and Ladies Auxiliary meetings, dances and more are held here. I will go in detail on another post of the first 2 Legion buildings. The present Legion is located at 43 Henry Henry Drive and can be seen quite easily when driving through the Liverpool Parking Lot because of it's bright blue and yellow color.

 

The finished product!

Liverpool Curling Club Property, Gorham Street, Liverpool, N.S.

I've always been curious about what was in a certain place before the present building was built there. For example, the Liverpool Curling Club. It's been there since the 1930s and for most of us, that's longer than we've been alive. What was there before the curling club was constructed?

Liverpool Congregational Church

Located on that property, basically where the parking area is, was the Liverpool Congregational Church. It was a large church and from photos that I have, in my opinion, probably the nicest looking church in town. The minister's home was directly across the street and in the late 1980s or early 1990s it was demolished to make the present parking area behind the Astor Theater. The Congregational Church was operational until the later 1920s when at that time, the Congregationalists and the Methodists united to form the United Church of Canada. The Methodist Church in Liverpool was on Main Street (now Zion United) and since the 2 congregations united to form 1, only 1 church was needed so the Methodist Church was the chosen building. Rev. George Ball was the last minister of the Congregational Church. He had suffered the loss of his only son who died from appendicitis when he was about 16 and then lost his church due to the union with the Methodists. The stress took it's toll of Rev Ball and it was said that he committed suicide in the Minister's residence across the street. The Congregational Church stopped being used as a church and I believe was used as a hall for a time and I believe someone said used as a place where auto repairs were done. (I forget who told me that, maybe someone can confirm it). When the Curling Club was built, the church was demolished. I've always thought the 2 cement steps that you can walk on from the sidewalk to the curling club parking lot were probably the steps that took you to the front door of the church. The cemetery for the Congregational Church is located on College Street on the right hand side, now known as the United East Cemetery. Rev. George Ball, his son and the rest of the Ball family are all buried in this cemetery.

Frederickville School in Milton, N.S.

I don't know any of the history of the Frederickville School but have a few photos of it. A few people have asked me to put one on my blog. If anyone knows any history of the school please comment. I believe the building still exists and is a house owned by Clarence "Ham" Waltherr. It is located past the second bridge, perhaps some of the readers might know exactly where this school was.

Anyone recognize this Liverpool house?

Anyone recognize this Liverpool house?

Anyone recognize this Liverpool house?

Anyone recognize this Liverpool house?