Old Memories that make Winnipeg Great!

[jimj_wpg]

Originally Posted by alittle1

Everyone has memories of their local theater that they went to as a kid, or a young teenager on a first date, etc. But, do you remember the other theaters that did our town proud?

Here's a link that I found, complete with pictures, that may jog your memories of your Saturday afternoon at the Bijou.

http://www.dancebob.com/Winnipeg_The..._Theatres.html

This photo almost looks digital, but then look again at the cars...They're all from the 1950s across the street. The Walk/Don't Walk pedestrian sign is another giveaway this was not taken recently. The Royal Alex is gone... etc. etc.

Whoever took that photo originally used a Medium format or a very good SLR.

[alittle1]

Remember when our Post Office gave a damn about our wants and needs. Now , you have to go to a major shopping center just to mail a letter. I once followed a mail pickup van to see where the mail boxes were, he made more stops at Tim's then at the mail boxes.

That's a great picture of Logan and Main.

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by alittle1

Remember when our Post Office gave a damn about our wants and needs. Now , you have to go to a major shopping center just to mail a letter. I once followed a mail pickup van to see where the mail boxes were, he made more stops at Tim's then at the mail boxes.

That's a great picture of Logan and Main.

When I first started handing out resumes (I was 15, 2008), it was all in person

A few weeks ago, strolled into Olive Garden, and even when the manager was right there (unless you know of a modern restaurant chain with a 50 year old host), I was given some stupid "Darden" card telling me to apply online, and if I can't (don't) want to, apply at a fucking library.

Apparently, if you personally show up at a business with a typed resume actually INTERESTED in the job, in front of what-was most likely the GM, you get told to return to the computer. Darden must be retarded, since the individual Olive Garden doesn't have control over that, thus why I'm not pissed at the staff themselves. BTW, they also control Red Lobster (found out 2 minutes later; Polo Park, same stupidass card) along with a bunch of American ones, also on the card, that I've never even heard about.

Its saddening...

[alittle1]

I'm over in Germany right now, I found that every time that I punch in a new address into the GPS, when the route is mapped out for you, it will take you by a McDonald's as you head out on to the Autobahn.

The even funnier part is, it will take you away from a Burger King by having you make multiple left and right turns. Isn't that moronic?

I used to know the manager over at the Lag'e location, he told me that he got the job by asking for the manager at the Portage location when he was dining there one night. He was pissed at the service that he received and after talking with the Manager there, he offered him a job. So take that as your que.

[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?

[harls]

Ok, here are my memories of Winnipeg:

- being stranded at the Travelodge during the blizzard of '86.

- driving in from the country on hwy 3 and reaching the perimeter, realizing you're almost in the 'big city', then continuing on McGillivray blvd, still in the country.

- staying at a hotel on Portage for some junior high band thing, and thinking how cool the skywalks were.

- exploring the tunnels at HSC when my grandpa was there, sick with cancer.

- living in Summerland and throwing pitchers of water from the 9th floor balcony into the atrium below.

- Monty's.. the Pemby (with drive-thru beer), Scandals, Grapes Pier 7.

- BDI ice cream

- Goldeyes baseball games

- the old Hooters near the stadium.

- Edgefest 1997, wearing sandals and getting bloody toes from being stomped on.

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by flatlander

New heating system? I thought it was just a few portable furnaces. Or are you suggesting that renos are underway?

Dunno about that, but in 2003 I was happy to see that the Met had a new roof. As long as the roof is maintained, the rest of the building will last.

I took some photos of it from the roof of the parkade a block to the west, after Eaton's was torn down and before the arena went up. I figured it was the only chance to get pictures of the Met from a distance.

[alittle1]

Originally Posted by Roger Strong

Dunno about that, but in 2003 I was happy to see that the Met had a new roof. As long as the roof is maintained, the rest of the building will last.

I took some photos of it from the roof of the parkade a block to the west, after Eaton's was torn down and before the arena went up. I figured it was the only chance to get pictures of the Met from a distance.

So, are you going to post up those pictures? and give us a chance to have a look at them? I would like to see them, Eatons was making picture-taking a little unbearable, even from the stock room on the 5th floor back in the 50's with a Brownie Hawkeye camera.