Did you know The Falcon on Highway 7 had a Curly Cone Bar? It was also opened 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Did you know that the Grand Hotel is listed in the top 100th list of “Most Haunted in Canada”?
Did you know the International Cairn on Bell Street comprises of rocks from over 2 dozen countries in the world?
Did you know the shops on Bell, Mill and Bridge Street were once open from 6 am to 10 pm and the average work day for laborers was 11 hours?
Did you know that the Findlays had no idea they owned the piece of land on High Street where the first Findlay blacksmith shop existed and now the Finldaly Cairn is located there dedicated to the Findlay family and Findlay plant?
Next to where the Roy Brown Statue is being built (200 Bridge Street) was the tailor shop owned by Colin Sinclair. At one time, they made the police uniforms for the entire town.
At one time Bridge Street had parking on both sides of the street. If you could make it down the street word was you could drive anywhere.
In the back of As Good as New which was once Schwerdtfeger’s Tobacco Shop at 33 Bridge Street the back room once held a large round table and several chairs. Card games took place there regularly, and many an argument could be heard out on the streets coming from the old cronies that congregated there.
Acquisti Life at 19 Bridge Street used to be Joie Bond’s store. At one time kids would go in to buy firecrackers and Joey would make them sign for them. She had a book or ledger and the names in it were hilarious. The kids would sign Dick Tracy, Robin Hood , you name it !
Brown & Macfarlane at 21 Bridge Street was once Bowland and Sutherland Grocery store — Mr. Sutherland had dark hair and his partner Rube Bowland was the one that carried on most of the business. He was well liked and was most noted by the townsfolk for wearing a wig which he seemed to wear in all directions and lose sometimes.
At one time the walls of the Mississippi Hotel ( Grand Hotel) and the Queen’s Hotel had murals painted on the first floor walls. Theodore Jensen did them all and he painted 12 murals alone in the halls and staircases of the Queen’s Hotel. In the parlors of the Mississippi Hotel he painted Canadian Nature scenes.
The fire of 1910 had been discovered at the rear of the building at the corner of Bridge and Albert Streets in the heart of the town. This building was occupied by Cameron Brothers and W. Singleton & Son and there is considerable doubt as to which side of the premises the fire originated. However, it is generally believed that the fire started from a box stove at the back of the meat shop.
The right side where Apple Cheeks is now located was once the Nickel Theatre and after the movie some of the kids went to the other side of the building to Ed Keyes Ice Cream Parlor. A large scoop ice cream cone cost 5 cents or a sundae with peanuts and maple syrup costs 15 cents.
Ferguson & Smythe moved to the downstairs of 73 Bridge Street in the early years of this building. The Leather and Harness Shop of Ferguson and Smythe sold suitcases and valises, as well as harness and horse collars. One of the partners was supposed to have pointed a revolver at one of the daily visitors to the business. Magistrate McNeely would not consider the laying of a charge regarding the alleged incident.
Fred West and later Ned Root had a shoe repair shop at 92 Bridge Street where you could get lifts for your shoes for 15 cents or half soles for a $1.00. Later on this location was a candy shop called the Ideal Candy Store run by Sandy Robertson and his wife Thelma.
Major W.H. Hooper was appointed Post Master in 1920 and served as Post Master until his retirement in 1950. During Hooper’s time in office many changes occurred.He had control of the clerk for the position of Telegraph operator until the telegraph service moved to its own building. The Central School children popped in daily to get warm on cold days and enjoy the steam heat.
The original Bank of Nova Scotia building was torn down in the 1970s and the current structure replaced it. The longest living branch in Carleton Place; it was first the Bank of Ottawa established in 1883. When the bank opened February 1, 1883, it was one of the earliest branches to be open outside the city of Ottawa.
101 Bridge Street, the former Olympia restaurant, with its booths, curved counter and red leather stools, was a local institution and operated by Louis and James Laskaris as the Olympic Candy Store in 1920. Jim was the manager and principal owner and Louis was the candy maker. There was once great displays of Turkish Delight fudge and butter cups displayed in their windows.
106 Bridge Street was the home of one of the most prominent persons in town during his lifetime. Dr. Richard F. Preston served the community not only as a Physician but as a Reeve of the village, the first Mayor of The town, a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1895 and a Member of Parliament in the 1920s. The building once had a very wide staircase from the centre of the lawn that led to the 2nd floor.
110 Bridge Street was originally the office of John (Johnny) A. McGregor, who was the county sheriff, commonly called doctor, but certainly was not a doctor of any kind. Carleton Place was ‘dry’ in his days but there still was a good number of bootleggers. Johnny was short in stature and wore a long fur coat in the winter that dragged through the snow like a western rustler.
Did you know whenever a liquour raid was to be carried out in Carleton Place Johnny A. McGregor the county sheriff had to be present so he would be transported to the scene of the crime by Kidd Bryce Taxi. Word on the street was there were never too many successful raids.
In 1950 Mr. Dowdall purchased the brick building at Bridge and Emily and moved his business. Walter Stanzel later lived here and operated his taxi business. It was well known all around town that Mr. Stanzel had a pet skunk and and a pet raccoon as well. No word if they came for rides in his taxi!
Argue’s Grocer first ran their business in the 1950’s and 60’s selling everything from produce and eggs to canned goods and cleaning supplies now the Granary location..
In 1923, J.H. Dack moved into what is now Burn’s Jewellers and Dack Jewellers. The family continued to operate at 115 Bridge Street until March of 2017.
McCann’s pool room was located at 91 Bridge Street for a time. Cecil T. McCann and James Porter came from Westport and purchased the local pool room and word was there was ‘No Girls Allowed!”
Terry McLeod and Bill Cheffins owned Downtown Office Supplies during the 80s and 90s before St. James Gate opened in the same location and Terry and Bill restored their storefront to resemble the one of the 1890s.
Misses Sallie and Sarah Hickson once operated their variety store on the corner block store where the Toonie shop is now after moving across from the opposite side of the street. In 1883 on Bridge Street, Hickson’s Fair was offering “cambric underskirts for 69 cents” and the natives from McArthur Island used to come every Friday night and perform in front of their store.
Bob Flint’s store was the first to sell televisions in Carleton Place and Bruce Sadler put up all the aerials in Carleton Place. Bob Flint’s son continued the business under the same name and years later they moved to the other side of Bridge Street closer to the Town Hall.
The Sam Dunfield building on Bridge Street had two recessed entrances as well as another door leading to the upstairs living quarters. Mr. Dunfield ran a bottling works and manufactured them after buying the business from A.R. G. Peden. These were put into stone bottles with a spring cap and the most popular ones were Cream Soda and Ginger Ale.
Hughes Rexall Drug store was located at 125 Bridge Street and there was a dark room at the rear of the store where Mr. Hughes tested your eyes for glasses. You could also buy a roll of film #116 for a Brownie Box camera for 25 cents and for $1.25 he would send it away to be developed.
In 1944 Harvey Asselstine returned to Carleton Place and bought the drugstore at the corner of Bridge and Franklin, from W.J. Hughes who operated it for 38 years. Betty Findlay and Mary Cook both worked at Assestine’s Pharmacy.
The doorway to upstairs at 137 Bridge Street led up to Taber Business College on the third floor under the supervision of Charles J. Taber. Besides having students from Carleton Place there were many that arrived daily shortly after 9 am on the CPR local from the Ashton and Stittsville area.
In 1889, Dr. McEwen had his drug store called the People’s Drug Store on Bridge Street. Dr.McIntosh took over Dr. McEwen’s drug store and J.P. McLaren bought the pharmacy from Dr. McIntosh in 1935. If you had a rash or open sore when you came to school the teacher sent immediately to People’s Drug Store to have a look at it in case it was from a contagious disease. If he found a child with a temperature or a rash they were most likely sent home and quarantined.
When you bought something at Taylor’s Hardware Store (Bloomex) you handed the clerk on the floor the purchase money and they made out a sales slip and put the money in a metal container fastened to a long wire. This ran along the wire to the office girls and they made the change and returned the container to the clerk who handed you the money.
Did you know William Irwin had bowling alleys on the second floor of the Bloomex building before moving to 49 Bridge Street?
Did you know that the Taylor Block was once home to Eaton’s and the original Eaton’s safe is still in the basement?
Rob Probert began his candle making at a young age, possibly around 12, at his home at the corner of McCrostie and Joseph Streets. When his small cottage industry took off, he moved downtown to the former Patterson Furniture Store at the bridge.
The corner lot of Bell and Bridge was the Supertest Service Station run by John Dezell and his son Forest. Later Chas. Black was the proprietor. When it was the Super Test garage Bernie Costello played the piano for the Saturday afternoon crowd.
In the winter time Bennett’s Butchery ( Hing Wah) closed in the afternoon, because they had to haul ice from the Mississippi River. The shop had an ice box, and two ice houses held the year’s supply. Each day, ice had to be hauled into the shop to fill the ice box. The Bennett’s didn’t have that problem in the winter. The butcher shop was so cold the meat froze overnight, and stayed frozen all day.
Breathtaking Bargains and Jukebox Favourites at The Falcon on Highway 7
Jim’s Restaurant Fire 1969
Rolling Down Highway 15
Weekend Driving- Smiths Falls Franktown and Carleton Place 1925
“If Wayne Robertson Jumped Off the Highway 7 Bridge Does that Mean You Do it?”
Something Really Spells Funny on Highway 7
The Lost Highway
Breathtaking Bargains and Jukebox Favourites at The Falcon on Highway 7
Sentimental Journey Through Carleton Place — Did You Know About Sigma 7?
Twin Oaks Motel Opens -1959 — Highway 7 Landmarks
An Explosive Highway 7 Tale
The Falcon Carleton Place Memories
Approximately 50 years ago, my older Sister Beatrice Gibson, my younger sister, Carol (Gibson) Brownlee, and I worked for Shirley and Warner at the Falcon Restaurant near Carleton Place. If was first time summer jobs for Carol and I, and we really appreciated the generosity of Shirley and Warner. Quite often, they would drive us home to Lammermoor, after a full day of work on Saturday – not many employers do that. Shirley reconnected with Beatrice a few years ago, and Carol and I had a chance to visit her on one of those occasions. It was so nice to see her after so many years, and she was still her jolly self with lots of interesting conversation. Shirley was an amazing woman and will certainly be missed.s Posted by Norma Norma Ennis | 24-Sep-2017
Shirley Wood
WOOD, Shirley (nee Martin) Peacefully, Saturday, September 16, 2017, at the age of 86. Predeceased by her husband Warner and son David. Survived by her brothers William (Brenda) and Jerry (Lynda)
Martin. Shirley was an active member of the East Gate Alliance Church. Funeral arrangements in the care of Capital Funeral Home & Cemetery 3700 Prince of Wales Drive 613-692-121
07-Jul-1931 – 16-Sep-2017
lindaseccaspina 