February 1950
Can you publish this letter on How to Improve the Town of Almonte?
It is encouraging to see a nice new rink go up in Almonte. But here is what could be another great improvement—a Rest Room, in a convenient part of the town. When Mother, Dad and the kiddies go into town, Dad lets Mother and her little brood out of the car and he drives off to get the car repaired (which generally takes hours). When she gets her shopping done, where is she supposed to stay till his return?
She may stand around some of the stores and hold onto her parcels and keep an eye on the children in case they pick up any little thing. In some of the stores she knows the boss is relieved when he sees her move out, in case they do happen to pick up some chewing of gum. Others are O.K. But, if there was a nice Rest Room like there is in neighbouring towns, she could take her parcels’ and kiddies and sit where she is comfortable and wait till Dad is ready to go home.
No wonder there are so many orders going through to mail order houses and also to other towns. It surely must be embarrassing to strangers to come to Almonte and no sign of a Rest Room. Here is one more way it could be improved. If there was a nice sign put up in front of The Cold Storage plant to let outsiders know what is inside. They could even take it for a vault or morgue. Hope this may help to Almonte and people.
1950s Rest Rooms
Room for kiddies
The long-suffering shopper is really in for her day with the opening of this new Piggly-Wiggly supermarket — because she can come in and shop… park her kiddies in the TV and Magazine Room especially provided for that purpose… and stop to rest her own tired feet while she sits on comfortable divans and sips coffee with her friends, in the conveniently located lounge in the store’s lobby.
The building, constructed by Tidmore Construction Co., is completely air-conditioned both summer and winter, with central heating and refrigerated cooling system.
And one of the finest sound systems will provide pleasing music during shopping hours, continuously and coincidentally with the music which is provided all over the Monterey Center, both inside and out.
Marg McNeely
.
Hi Linda…..here is a pic of employees of the BNS in 1957 at Xmas party at the Lake Park Lodge.
Front row L-R…..Kathryn Downie, Noel Dagenais, Mrs. Cross, Mr. Cross (Bank Manager), Ray Eldridge, Phyllis Donnelly.
Back row L-R…..Irene Taylor, Marg (Tosh) McNeely, Wayne Symington, Ruby MacPherson, Doris Willows.
All were local people except for Noel and Ray
As a side line they installed, 486 lockers for storing perishable foods and this was a great success from the beginning. At the present time all these units are rented and it is proposed to create more of them. Mr. Milton Symington has been the manager of the plant during the years that have passed since its inception. He will be retained in that position and it is understood the new management proposes to adopt a more aggressive policy and to expand along various lines. Read–Cold Storage Plant in Almonte- Meat Locker Trivia
Unexpected Almonte
Ran into Gord Pike (owner of the Heritage Mall, bottom of Mill street, #Almonte) the other day, and heard his description of this spot (pictured), part of the mall’s stone work, parking lot side:
This was the window into the ice house. A wood chute came from the window to the ground – to load the ice blocks in (and/or?) out. There’s an iron ring, bottom right of the picture, to tie up a horse. There’s also a doorway stoned-over on this same wall face (to the left, out of this picture).
Gord said he thought of calling the mall, “Horse Stall Mall”, but didn’t think it was quite right 
Smart man – and hard-working – he’s been renovating two new store spaces to get them ready-to-go for grand openings, this month & next!
#AlmonteNeedsAPlaqueRightAboutHere#Heritage Note: the old photographs of ice-cutting on the Mississippi River in the comments
I used to pick-up a block of ice everyday from there and deliver it at the top of Mill Street to the O’Brien theatre… using my Ottawa Citizen paper route bag to carry it, slung between my mustang bike high handlebars.
I remember visiting Johnnie Erskine’s cold storage lockers as a child, before home chest freezers became more affordable.
Does anyone remember how much it cost to rent a locker?
Tales from the Almonte Cold Storage 1950
Cold Storage Plant in Almonte- Meat Locker Trivia
Owl Burgers? Lewis Carr Butcher
Found in the Floors of my Summer Kitchen — Amy Thom
Symington and Family — Odds and Ends Lanark County
Johnny Erskine at 90 — Joe Banks
Andrew Haydon–He was the author of Pioneer Sketches of The District of Bathurst (Lanark and Renfrew Counties, Ontario) (The Ryerson Press, 1925) and Mackenzie King and the Liberal Party (Allen, 1930).
lindaseccaspina 