London Back in the Day

[Simpseatles]

What were things like in London 20, 30, 40 years ago? What things have changed, what have stayed the same? What are some memories of life in the forest city over the years?

I'm just interested to hear any anecdotes about the city's past from anyone who has lived in London over the years, or has heard anything neat from someone.

If you've got any, please post 'em here!

[K85]

Came to Canada in 88', and growing up here, I truly feel it was safer to be outside as a kid than it is now... I used to stay out late, and was allowed to ride the bus at a fairly young age alone (made mistakes, but learned from them). Nowadays, it seems parents, rightfully so, hold their kids back from these types of experiances.

Story Book Gardens before the remodel, the Ice House, the old McDonalds near the 401 with the awesome play place... good times

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Simpseatles

What were things like in London 20, 30, 40 years ago? What things have changed, what have stayed the same? What are some memories of life in the forest city over the years?

I'm just interested to hear any anecdotes about the city's past from anyone who has lived in London over the years, or has heard anything neat from someone.

If you've got any, please post 'em here!

I'd like to see photos, personally.

I'll describe London as I know it existed in 1985.

The city was geographically much smaller - London Airport was outside the city, Highway 401 barely entered the city and Highway 402 didn't enter it at all. Lambeth was south of the city, in Westminster Township.

There was a Fanshawe College, but it was much smaller and there were no residences. There were seven buildings, A through G. Western was not much different from today.

The Horton Street extension westward across the Thames River opened in December of 1985. Wonderland Road still had a level railway crossing south of Sarnia Road, which itself was unpaved west of Wonderland. Highbury Avenue was discontinuous between Wilton Grove and Green Valley Roads, and Wonderland Road was discontinuous between Exeter Road and Hamlyn Street. In the Masonville area there was no development on the north side of Fanshawe Park Road, and to the west there was no development.

The video below shows a few shots from around London and area in 1985, including City Hall.

• Video Link

[go_leafs_go02]

Moved to London when I was 12 in 2000.

Definitely was a big city feel, and it was a place up and coming. I moved from Chatham.

Seen one Knights game at the old barn before they moved. Remember Oakridge Mall like it was yesterday, and yeah....

Now I go back, and London's seems like it's turning slowly into a Windsor or Sarnia. It used to be such a hopping, exciting place in 2004-2007. Then the recession hit, and London seems to have lost all innovation. Especially when you compare it to Kitchener/Waterloo.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by K85

Story Book Gardens before the remodel, the Ice House, the old McDonalds near the 401 with the awesome play place... good times

Remember D-Z (the Discovery Zone) which was between Micky-Dees and the Ice House? That was the best place to celebrate birthdays in London. Too bad we don't have a Chuckie Cheese.

Story Book was also a great place to visit when I was a kid.

[Simpseatles]

Originally Posted by go_leafs_go02

Now I go back, and London's seems like it's turning slowly into a Windsor or Sarnia. It used to be such a hopping, exciting place in 2004-2007. Then the recession hit, and London seems to have lost all innovation. Especially when you compare it to Kitchener/Waterloo.

^That's sad to here. I always figured that our lack of innovation, small town attitude and such was something we've always had, but I guess there was more optimism around that time. Interesting!


On the topic of fun hangouts as a kid, I remember the Wally World Waterpark being a pretty awesome place. It had a wave pool and a lazy river on top of all the waterslides, if I remember correctly (although I was quite young when they "moved" to East Park). Storeybook Gardens was also fun, and it was kind of stupid how they redesigned it, and tried to make it more "hip" and "cool" for kids of today. It shouldn't have tried to be something it isn't.

[bolognium]

I agree with manny, more pictures! I'm really terrible for saving photos to my harddrive and having no source afterwards so apologies ahead of time.



Covent Garden Market's parking lot with the Talbot Block in the background. Was too young to really appreciate the Talbot Block while it was around and now it's gone



The Market again. Kind of difficult to orient yourself in this photo, but I believe this is Talbot St. looking East towards Richmond. Fairly certain that almost all the buildings in this picture no longer exist.



Here's a fun one from the archived London Maps I posted a few months back. Try spotting the buildings that still exist. JLC's at the top right where the Talbot Block once stood. Bell building and the Brutehouse take up the centre block where Carling and Dundas streetwall used to extend. Click to enlarge:

[manny_santos]

I have very fond memories of Wally World! That place was freaking awesome, was sorry to see it close. I celebrated one of my birthdays at D-Z (where I can run, jump, something something all on my own!).

I went to the Children's Museum in 1989 and again in 1990. That place was pretty cool.

[MolsonExport]

Only arrived in 2005 (from Montreal). Then, Westmount Mall was still 90%+ occupied, including the second level. We actually lived in one of the Apt towers across the street from the Mall, so we could be close to shopping/transit (this was when we were in-between cars). Saw movies twice per week.

My firstborn came along in 2006 (January) and soon thereafter, we moved into our new home in Hyde Park. Daughter came in 2008, so the house is full.

London has grown appreciably in those years. Parts of downtown have come back strong (mainly King Street); other parts have stagnated (Richmond/Dundas). Most of the Southdale/Wonderland Dumbcentre was yet to be built (Loblaws just opened). Hyde Park Dumbcentre only had a smaller version of Walfart, and across the street, Sam's Club. There was nothing else. Most of Gainsborough between Aldersbrook and Hyde Park was farmland. Ditto for Southdale West of Wonderland.

[flar]

Here's what was left of the Talbot Block when I lived in London:



(the Home Hardware on Dundas was on fire)



The old Covent Garden Market






JLC under construction

[Whisper09]

I might have some aerial photos somewhere in my house. But the only aerials I have digitally are from 2007.

[K85]

that was the shit!!! just thinking as well, Port Stanley was a great place to visit for the boats as well.. now, it just sucks. Wally World, Children's Museum, all the 3-3 basketball tourney stuff they used to have downtown, the air shows... I miss the 90's

Originally Posted by haljackey

Remember D-Z (the Discovery Zone) which was between Micky-Dees and the Ice House? That was the best place to celebrate birthdays in London. Too bad we don't have a Chuckie Cheese.

Story Book was also a great place to visit when I was a kid.

[Snark]

I can think of a few things about the past...

- The McDonald's on Oxford & Wonderland Road (then Hutton Road) was the first in Canada

- Used to go downtown with a buddy during summer vacation at 11 and 12 years old. Would eat lunch at Woolworths and catch an afternoon matinee. I remember watching "Young Frankenstein" and some of the Pink Panther films. Good times as a kid.

- It's true, the land across Fanshawe Park Road from Masonville Mall used to be an Agriculture Canada research station.

- I went to High School at Westminster. Back then, there were two black guys and everyone else was a WASP suburbanite. I understand now that that majority of the student body are Asian. Talk about changing demographics.

- Fanshawe was a fraction of the size it is now. Now it's a behemoth.

- Saw Gretzky play at the old Gardens when he was in Jr."A". he played for Sudbury.

- Saw lots of concerts at the Gardens as well. In those days, bands would often play in London the night before playing Toronto. Saw Van Halen, Nugent, Rush, AC/DC, Zappa, Cheap Trick, and many others. For a town and arena of its size, London saw a lot of big names play there in the late 70's / early 80's.

- Wonderland Road out by Wharncliffe used to be called Airport Road up into the 70's, as that was the location of the original airport prior to the WW 2. The funny thing was that there was no airport for most of the time that the road had that name.

- Speaking of Wharncliffe, it used to be the main western entrance into the city (when Hwy #2 was still a very relevant road), with urbanization starting just south of Comissioners Road. being on a hill, it was called "Winery Hill", because the London Winery used to be on the southeast corner.

- There used to be a bar where the Central Library now is. Was called Fryfogal's. Always had great bands. Beside it was a great head shop called The Fig Leaf.

- I can remember sitting in mayor Jane Bigelow's chair in council chambers as a kid during a school trip. The fact that a woman was the mayor was thought unusual even to kids my age at the time.

- The Horton Street extension was a torturous ordeal to get done. Where the street is now between Wharncliffe and the river was once a residential neighbourhood. There was a huge fight against the road project and all of the houses on the north side of Beaconsfield Drive had to be expropriated for the new road, and Beaconsfield relocated to it's current location.

- The CP marshaling yards west of Quebec Street used to have a big roundhouse.

- South of the 401 on Wilton Grove Road was an enormous Nortel factory. Back then it was called Northern Electric and just about every telephone in Canada was made there.

-There was a legendary restaurant called "Friar's Cellar" on Richmond south of the tracks. It "burnt down" as all restaurants do once they outlive themselves.

-The old Farmer's market used to be in the first floor of a parking garage. The interior had a very distinctive smell of an old time market: musty.

- Where One London Place now stands used to be the YMCA. It burnt down on one of the coldest nights of the year and the next morning the location was an ice palace.

- And to end things off, tonight will be London's first blizzard since January 1977. Prior to that was the great blizzard of January 1971. That storm shut everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) down for over a week. People lived where ever they were trapped: schools, places of work, churches, truck stops, where ever. The army was called in, and the APC's were the only things that could get around doing things like ferrying folks to the hospital and such. There hasn't been a storm since.

[MolsonExport]

^cool nostalgia trip. sounds rather like my childhood in Montreal (perhaps you are a decade older).

Incidentally, I work with ex-Mayor Bigelow's daughter.

[bolognium]

Originally Posted by Snark

- There used to be a bar where the Central Library now is. Was called Fryfogal's. Always had great bands. Beside it was a great head shop called The Fig Leaf.

Funny, my mom mentioned Fryfogel's to me a few months ago. She said she saw Simple Minds there during the '80s. Apparently the place was a pretty small venue so seeing such a big band there must've been a lot of fun. The bar was next to the old TD/now London Tourism building, right?



Here's a picture of the Loew's theatre on Dundas which became the Century theatre at some point. I know the actual auditorium was demolished, but I'm pretty sure the original ticket hall and chandeliers remain. Moon Over Marin was the last tenant, but I believe that is now closed. Pretty sure there is some youth group setting up shop in there now.



http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/englis...ondon_ext.aspx

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Snark

- I went to High School at Westminster. Back then, there were two black guys and everyone else was a WASP suburbanite. I understand now that that majority of the student body are Asian. Talk about changing demographics.

When I started at St. Thomas Aquinas in 2000, that school was the same - virtually all white, although some Italian, Polish, and Portuguese in the mix, plus a couple Mexicans and one black. Mostly Dutch and British, and everyone spoke fluent English. That all changed when the Colombian influx started in 2002; some were refugees who spoke little or no English when they arrived. By the time I graduated the demographics were far more multicultural, with a sizable Colombian population and a growing Asian population. Today that school offers "native" Spanish courses.

I vaguely remember visiting the old market. I recall when it was demolished some of the vendors temporarily located into nearby storefronts along Dundas and King Streets, which had a lot of vacancies at the time (1998-99).

My father recalls in the early 80s when Southdale was all rural from the west end to Wharncliffe, and there was development only on the north side from there to almost Ernest Ave in White Oaks. There used to be Cornell's Farm on Southdale near Colonel Talbot which had you-pick strawberries, pumpkins, apples, and other fruits. The market burned down around 1998. There are houses now where the strawberries and pumpkins used to be.

[Simpseatles]

Nice picture bolognium! That reminds me of a painting I saw once of Dundas during the 60's or 70's and it was all lit up at night, with plenty of cars, and people. I had a good laugh over how it was actually a happening place back then!

One thing about London's history that always amazes me, is that in 1881 a steamship called "Victoria" capsized on the Thames in Springbank Park. It killed 182 people! In this Thames River!

[bolognium]

Yeah, crazy to imagine an actual steamship navigating the Thames. Especially when you can basically walk across the river since the water's now so shallow.

Who remembers the old CN building on York? I was lucky enough to see this from my mom's friend's office in the then Canada Trust towers. There are a couple different videos showing the implosion from different angles on Youtube.

• Video Link

[K85]

Yep, ditto on when they blew down the old smoke stack at Parkwood. Can't wait for them to do that to the three apartment towers downtown, and then build up something NON-soviet!

[flar]

I watched the CN Tower implosion from my apartment and took some really crappy photos:








Anyone remember the Ox Box?