Clipped from The Ottawa Journal, 22 Jun 1946, Sat, Page 9
The 1950s family home was very different from today. Housework was more difficult, as for example people did their washing by hand, instead of in a machine, and without fridge-freezers food had to be bought daily. It was less common for married women to work and many took on the childcare and housework, while their husbands went to work.
In the mid-1900s, individual families did not have their own freezers to store food and it was custom for rural families to take their meat to the local meat locker as there was no electricity. When they needed meat they would visit their local meat locker and take home just what they needed for a day or two. In 1946 there were only 6 freezers sold in the country and in 1959 there was a recorded 94 sold.
So were there meat lockers locally?
Shane Wm Edwards— I don’t believe this was ever written down but the story I was told was this plan for a locker plant was being developed but for some reason the plant was never built. However the interest in the project caused my father, Howard Edwards, to convince his father to allow him to install a locker plant in the back of the store on Franktown Road. He operated the locker plant at the store for just over 20 years before the advent of the home freezer made a locker unnecessary. I do remember though that Ken Anderson used to rent space in the locker plant to store his excess frozen foods from the IGA.
Norma Ford We rented a locker from your Dad, it would be back in 1964 before we had a freezer. Sure came in handy. The freezer addition was on the south side of the building.
Stephen Giles–I remember going with my Grandmother to her locker at the Edwards Red and White.
Valerie Edwards— Wish we had the freezer now. There was always a winter coat on the hook in the hall for anyone going in to use. On a hot day you could just walk in and enjoy.
Photo–Shane Wm Edwards–My father at the cash register at the store about 1973.
photo-article found by Glenda Mahoney
Linda Gallipeau-Johnston –Was the Red & White what was Edwards later?
Shane Wm Edwards– My grandfather, James Howard Edwards and his brother, George Edwards, opened their store in 1894 on Franktown Road in rented premises. That building was expanded but burned down in the 1905 fire. My grandfather then bought the adjacent lot and built the building that had his name recently repainted at the top on the side. That was the store until closed by my father about 1976.
Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.
Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and Screamin’ Mamas (USA)
lindaseccaspina 