More Port Arthur and Fort William, Ontario history.....with a few vintage automobiles!

Here is a load of 1926 to 1928 new cars(exact makes unknown...most are not Fords) just unloaded, likely from a lake freighter to either be sold here or shipped by rail to other Canadian destinations.  The picture is taken at the Canadian National Railway pier which today would be right smack dab in the middle of our present day Marina Park.

The picture with the automobiles above would have been taken just to the left of

this photo showing the curved track on the bottom left side.  The famous

Sleeping Giant is in the distance.  Out present day Marina Park at the base of

Red River Road was a very bustling passenger and freight shipping point.

 Near the same location as the above photos is this harbour tour boat likely taken the the 1920's and the well known Welcome ship photo to the right was taken in the 1970's.

Here is a pair of then and now photos of the Bay Street building which presently houses Ed's Pawn Shop.  In front of the Giardetti Brothers photo here is their 1935 Chevrolet Delivery Van with the very vivid sign on the side of the building showing a N.1714 phone number("N" meaning north or a "Port Arthur" number).

                                                                   

 Green's Hobby Craft and Novelty Shop at 229 Park Street in Port Arthur was "the" hobby shop in Port Arthur.  Us Fort William boys also frequented Green's but was a long ride on the bus to get there.  I bought my first string flight motorized model plane there.  The Green's were wonderful people.  The total cost of the used plane including the motor was $10.00....a large sum for a kid, but they let me pay about 50 cents a week from my part time job until it was paid off.

Click on the printed copy below to read in Craig Chisamore's email from some time ago describing who is in the picture and when it was taken.  A huge thank you to Craig for the great photo.  WOW...look at all those vintage model kits!!

To the left is a Green's Hobby ad that appeared in our local phone book in 1958.  The photo on the right is the OLG Casino parking lot on Park Street, the exact location of Green's Hobby.

Next - A little known fact!!

You are looking at the corner of what is now Red River Road and Algoma Street.  Red River Road runs left and right of this

photo.  The building on the far left is the original St. Joseph's hospital, the peaked roof building with the cross was the original St. Andrew's Church and the building on the right was a schoolhouse.

The above two photos are of the original St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church located at 294 Red River Road.  The new church of course is on the corner of Algoma Street and Red River Road.  This building in later years stood the test of time and is presently used as the Dew Drop In shown below. 

Here are 4 small surviving stained glass windows from the

original church later to become the Dew Drop In.  These are

presently in my own collection since about 1974. 

They each measure about 12"X24".

The peaked roof building was the actual original

St. Andrews Church which is shown in the B&W

photos above.  The building to the left of it is the

present church rectory building.

Another then and now is the Totem Tourist Court.

This is an old post card photo from the 1950's showing the wonderful "White

Rose" sign and the cabins that surrounded the Totem Tourist Court.  It was and

still is located on old highway 61, at the Mountain Road turn off.  Driving

out to this building you would have to drive under the old Welcome to Fort

William arch....do you remember??

This is how the building looks today, still sporting the sign under the eve.

Another old landmark which was near the Dutch Church on highway 11/17 about
half way to Kakabeka Falls was the old Wooden Shoe gift Shop....long gone now!

 One final then and now was the Oikonen's taxi stand on Lorne and Cumberland Street....great old vehicles here!

Lorne and Cumberland Street today!

Many thanks to all those who supplied photos for this post including Craig Chisamore and Scotty Fraser.  Always be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them.