Places again

I was thinking about places in my life as I went to a retirement lunch this week. It was in Gatineau (Hull sector) where I worked for a long time. It felt strange to be back there again. From November 1976 to October 2007 I worked at Place du Portage in Hull.

This made me think of familiar places in my life - I have mentioned them all before. Where do I spend my time and what other places have been important to me?

I have lived in my little house for 21 years.

I have worshipped at St. John’s Elgin Street for more than 36 years.

I have been engaging in horsy pursuits at Greenbelt Riding School for almost 36 years.

Of course I might have mentioned my attachments to Lachute and Montreal. I am not in either place often but they are very much a part of me.
　

French Canadians and France

These thoughts all started after having lunch with a French Canadian friend whose husband grew up in France. The family goes to visit often. She was also interested in immigrants who came a long time ago to Quebec.

Horses like Bishop and Charisma were not mentioned They had distinguished ancestors from France.

My area of the city has all 3 local politicians who are francophone - municipal, provincial and federal.

Of course Lachute is a French name - the falls. Actually the falls in the river are not very big at all.

There was a Lachute history written in the 1960s by a scholar from England. I might have mentioned his wife - Eleanor Rigby - who taught us music. Now you can read some of his book online. I have a signed copy on my bookshelf. Now there is a Rue Dr. Rigby in Lachute.

Tall buildings

I was watching a TV program about tall buildings - not in New York as one would suppose but in Chicago. I do not care too much for heights so most of the time I admire them from the ground.

The first tall building I remember is the Place Ville Marie in Montreal. It is 617 feet tall. It was built in 1962. I started Trafalgar in the fall of 1964 so the building was quite new. I must admit I spent a lot of time in the shopping mall under the building. It was especially nice to be inside during the cold Montreal winters.

I was taken up the Calgary Tower by a friend. It is 525 feet. It was a lovely view from up there but I did not enjoy it too much.

I had dinner in the revolving restaurant at the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls. It is 520 feet up. That was quite pleasant overlooking the falls.

My mom told me that she and my aunt went up to the top of the World Trade Center in New York to see the view. They were in the city for a fancy Jewish wedding.

Spaces and places in my life

I have written often about spaces in my life. There are specific buildings that are gone now or empty.

The train station in Lachute is closed. The Mirabel airport is virtually closed. Did someone refer to it as a white elephant? I wonder how that translates into French.

There was lots of farmers land expropriated around Ste. Scholastique where the Mirabel airport was built. A younger member of the family referred to this place as St. Elastic - cute… Now there is talk about returning some of the land to the farmers.

I found some quite sad pictures of St. Julien’s Church in Lachute and the old convent in Toronto.

St. Julien’s was a familiar place in my life. I was only inside there once but that was more to do with the reality of life in Quebec in the 1950s and 1960s for Anglophone Protestants. It was for the 1st communion of my neighbour who was the same age as me so he was 6.

I spent many happy hours in the old convent. The inside pictures were all of very familiar rooms. This is a place of good memories for me. Now the new convent is a familiar place for me as well.

Places

I was looking for something in my jewellery box and found a small plastic bag with some pins. You probably know the kind - you are given them for attending special events or travelling to specific places.

I have a large number of Canadian flags. Also a City of Ottawa and a Province of Ontario pin as befits someone who lives in Ottawa Ontario Canada.

CET - Canadian Equestrian Team.

Christian Festival - Ottawa 1982; Calgary 1986. I went to both.

Israel flag - I was there twice; the dates I am not so sure about but it was a long time ago.

HRDC (Human Resources Development Canada) 25 year pin. I started working at Labour Canada in 1976 so I must have got the pin in 2001.

McKinley Explorer - train with dome car. My mom and I took a Holland America tour to Alaska and northern British Columbia. Part of this was on the train with a dome car to see the wonderful scenery.

Trafalgar School for Girls.

Cochrane Ontario polar bear. A former work colleague retired there.

Crossroads Christian Communications; 100 Huntley Street; Salute to Canada. I went to be part of the 100 Huntley Street program audience. I visited them several times in Toronto but not since they moved to Burlington Ontario.

A piece of the roof from the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.

A Greyhound bus. I was on the first trip from Toronto to Ottawa when the carrier was changed from Voyageur to Greyhound. Someone got a small toy bus but it was not me. Everyone on the trip got a pin.

Order of St. Luke the Physician - healing order. I was active in the Ottawa group over 20 years ago.