Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Friday, September 18, 2015

Jamming in Cornwall Jail, 1990

A local band played in the exercise yard of the Cornwall Jail, 1990 - one prisoner got up to jam with them - I've blurred out the faces of the prisoners.
The guards showed me another small yard where they used to hang people - last time was in 1954. The yard hadn't been used and it was overgrown with weeds coming up through the paving.
Another view from the exercise yard

Thursday, September 17, 2015

St. James-Bond United Church

Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, is supposed to have stayed near this church when he was at Camp X, the special operations training center in Whitby, although most sources say that the name for James Bond was taken from the author of a series of books on ornithology.
Now converted into a seniors' home.

Sax Player, Queen Street, 1990s

Busking standing on a post box, near the CITY TV building, probably 1996.


Monday, September 14, 2015

Volta Electric Van, 1990

I don't have any more info about this vehicle - I'd taken the photo but didn't do any follow-up. From research it would seem to be made under the brand Volta by  Marcel Rocaboy and Georges Kirchner of France. Links: http://www.kartelec.com/f/mob/fr_historique2.htm

Specs from the site below:

Genre/Type : Utilitaire 2 places/Utility two seat
Année de fabrication/Year of Manufacture : 1988
Type de carrosserie/Carriage type : Fourgonnette/Van
Puissance nominale/Nominal power : 12  KW
Vitesse maximum/Maximum speed : 70 Km/h
Autonomie/Range : 50 à/to 70 Km
Energie consommée/Energy consumption : 15 KWh/100 Km


http://www.mobil-eco.com/joomla/historique/1-musee/detail/12-1972-rocaboy-kirchner.html?tmpl=component http://voitureselectriques.free.fr/imprimer.php?pg=art48



Used by Cornwall Electric, local power utility, with University of Ottawa
August 26, 2018 - I found my old notes - perhaps it was made in La Rochelle, France?


Sunday, September 13, 2015

Picadilly Theatre, Williamsburg, Ontario

I saw the The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao there in about 1976 as part of a festival. It had stopped showing films on a regular basis in 1959 according to Earl McRae. Interesting history - there was a 'miracle' foot doctor living there in the early part of the 20th century who drew large numbers of people to the small town of Williamsburg, Ontario. A wounded World War I vet decided to open a cinema and named it after Picadilly Circus, which was near the hospital he stayed at in London. Sadly, the sign is falling apart but the owner has declined to sell it. Keith Stata, who collects movie memorabilia at his Highlander Cinemas, told me he's tried to buy it.

About 1990:

About 1995:


NCPR did a feature on  Mahlon Locke, the foot doctor who brought thousands of patients to the small town. Photos from the Cornwall Community Museum show he would sit at the convergence of several lines of  patients outdoors, sitting in a swivel chair, turning to each new patient, and manipulating their aching feet. Amy Feiereisel: The story of Doctor Mahlon Locke, the 'toe twister'

Dr Locke with patients, Williamsburg, unknown date, Cornwall Community Museum

Friday, September 11, 2015

Mudpuppy, found in St. Lawrence River

First time I have seen a mudpuppy, Ontario's largest salamander - Glengarry Campground Park, Lancaster Ontario, Sept 11, 2015



Tuesday, September 8, 2015

The Doll Man, Boulevard Charest, 1989

The doll man of lower town. He'd push this cart that had Christmas decorations all over it all the time along Charest Boulevard in Lowertown. It had two dolls the size of children that were dressed in snow suits - sometimes he had a radio playing music on the handle bars. He didn't talk to people, but someone told me that he'd had two children who died in a fire, but that might just have been the legend that grew up around him.

Street, Old Quebec

Old Quebec, 1989

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Lowertown SIDA, Children in toy jeep

Little boys in an electric toy jeep. It was a very poor neighbourhood, with street prostitution and drug sales, so it was surprising to see little boys by themselves on an expensive toy like that. SIDA is AIDS in French, and there was AIDS there too.