[alittle1]

I was over on Pembina Highway yesterday and after passing through Confusion Corner, I got to thinking.

First, Confusion Corner never was that confusing back in the 50's. Osborne ran North and South, just like it does now. Corydon came to an intersection at Osborne, just where the auto dealership is now. So what became so confusing? They made McMillian a one way going west to Osborne and then cut it across diagonally to join Pembina south bound. They took Pembina North bound and changed it into a right, then a left hand turn to do the same thing as before. The bus oasis in the middle seems to be the confusing part. (Maybe now that they have the Rapid Transit, they'll remove the bottle-neck.)

On the westside of Pembina around Mulvey/Fleet, was a service station that sold gas only (one of the few at the time). The unique thing at the time was the way that you paid for the gas that you used. There was a cylindrical tube that you placed your money in to, buttoned down a leather strap over the end, placed the tube with a suction washer in a vacuum tube that sucked it up to a Cashier in the control tower. Receipts or change went back the same way to the customer. The operator checked the pump with a pair of binoculars.The concept faded out in the 60's.

Eaton's had a similar vacuum-tube system that they used from a department direct to the Credit center for those 'instant approvals".

Further down at Scotland they had the RefinedOil Station that did oil changes that sucked the oil out of the crankcase without putting the car on the hoist or removing the drain plug. Most oil filters were located on top in the engine compartment area and if located underneath; a guy with a long gorilla arm would reach under, pull the old one off and install the new one. Oil changes were about $2.99 and the filter was about 50 cents extra.

There was 3 or 4 large vertical storage tanks outside where used oil was pumped to and allowed to settle out, before it was pumped into the next cleanest tank, and repeat as required. Oil never wears out, it just gets dirty.

The center island on Pembina Hwy was originally used for the Hydro lines that went from the City Hyro sub-station at Grant and Stafford to downtown Winnipeg via Donald Street South.

Garwood Grill made one of the best 20 cent hamburgers that I tasted, and coffee was a dime. Blue plate luncheon special was a buck and a quarter with beverage.

Whatever happened to the lawnmower repair place 'old garage' that had a hundred mowers out behind it every morning and they were all gone or put away by evening?

Anyone have a picture of the old Rancho Don Carlo restaurant?