Court Street
My earliest memories of growing up in Northwestern Ontario center on a rather imposing older three story house on a hill at 294 North Court Street in which we called the top floor home. The picture to the left was taken in June 2006. The house has changed considerably from the early 1950s when the front walk consisted of wooden steps and board walk rising to the front of the house at the top of the hill where it was perched overlooking Lake Superior.
How times have changed from those early years on Court Street when I would go with my father to the local lumber yard ice house to get block ice for the ice box. A young boy could hope to get a chip of ice to suck on from the attendant. Electric refridgeration was becoming popular and more reliable but many households still used ice and ice boxes for refridgeration because the Fridgedaire was expensive.
My first memories of ice skating involved stapping bob skates to my overshoes and being towed by my mother and father on the outdoor rink across Court Street from our home. I would later learn to use regular tube skates on numerous outdoor backyard and rec center rinks.
Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay, is bisected by many water ways flowing to Lake Superior. One of these water ways is McVicars Creek and it was located not far from our home. Between Cumberland and Court Streets there was a creek side park. I remember some lazy walks with Mom and Dad through this park. On most walks we would relax on benches placed so people could listen to the flowing water and the birds in the trees. I think most of the relaxing on benches was because I would tire of walking, being younger than five, and not yet attending school. I started school on Court Street and soon afterwards we move to Current River and the next chapter in my life.
Please continue to follow my progress in the land of my memories.