William Mewes and his dog Cindy on Red Deer, 1964
I love historical photos of the neighbourhood and recently had the good fortune to e-meet William Mewes, who has been uploading old photos of Birch Cliff to the Facebook page Vintage Toronto.
William recently posted a wonderful comment on the site about what Birch Cliff was like in the 1960s. He’s given permission for me to turn it into a story using his old photographs.
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I love this site!
You inspired me to take a walk along Kingston Road yesterday.
The first time I have done so since the 1960s.
Things looked the same yet different.
William and his sister on Kingston Road, 1964
Most of the stores and restaurants I remember from my youth have gone.
Many of the buildings are still there but vacant.
Birch Cliff Public School looked the same but smaller. Mr. Wideman, the principal would go out in the school yard at lunch time and hit baseballs. If you caught one you got a dime.
I used to think the wooded area (of the school) near Kingston Road was a forest.
There had been a couple of apple trees there where you could still get edible fruit in the 1960s. There were also some pear trees when I was a kid but you had to be careful because wasps could be inside the pears.
St. Nicholas Church hadn’t changed at all.
Birchcliff Theatre
The Cinema where I saw “Moon-Spinners” in 1964 and fell in love with “Hayley Mills” is now an Ambulance Station.
The TD Bank where I opened my first ever account at the age of 10 is still there.
The Loblaws is vacant and the Dry Cleaners where my sister had her first ever part-time job is an Art Gallery however it was nice to see the Dry Cleaners name and telephone number is still visible on the awning.
Does the awning stay up all of the time now or is it ever lowered?
I don’t think I noticed any lowered awnings?
When I was a child most stores pulled out the awnings during business hours.
William and his sister outside their home on Red Deer Avenue
Hunts Bakery is gone but still recognizable by the colour of tile.
My Dentist “Dr Freeman” had been at 1478 Kingston Road.
I used to get my hair cut every Saturday at “Nick’s Barber Shop” up the laneway on the right at 1468.
I took a walk up but it looks like all of the retail units have been converted to residential ( I even had $2.00 with me in case his prices hadn’t changed )
“Beckers” was still in the same place but smaller I think it previously included the area where “Wimpys Dinner” is now.
Seeing “Beckers” brought back memories of riding my bike home to “Red Deer Avenue” with a one gallon milk bottle hanging off each handle.
His family also lived at 1711 Kingston Road. This shot of Harding Blvd was taken from their apartment.
Seeing 1711 Kingston Road brought me memories of our fist Christmas back in Canada after living in Australia for five years.
“Birch Cliff United Church” looked the same only the name had changed.
When I was a Cub Scout we met there Friday nights.
The Synagogue at 250 Warden Avenue is now a Tamil Bible Chapel.
And Taylor Library no longer has a Moose Head on the front porch.
William Mewes, dressed for Cubs
I absolutely loved this story. Thanks William for taking me on a walk down memory lane. I lived on Kalmar Ave between Freeman and Hollis for 11 years before moving to London Ontario. I remember all the stores that you talked about plus the Stedmans 5 to $1 where I had my first job. I got my hair cut at Duckworths I think it was called also in the laneway. There was the laundromat that I think was called Morleys and a lovely store where I bought some really nice figurines and wall hangings back in the 60’s that I still have a few of that I think was called Clancy’s. My Mom worked at the Loblaws store and then at the TD bank. I went to girl guides at St. Nicholas Church and got married at Birch Cliff United Church. Enjoyed many a Saturday afternoon at the BirchCliff Theatre and Dr. Freeman was also my dentist. Wasn’t he on the corner of Birchcliff and Kingston Rd above a store? Mr Wideman was the principal when I went to Birchcliff Public School and I remember him hitting the fly balls out for the boys to catch. My brother Frank Chisholm was among them.
I too have taken a walk along that stretch of Kingston Rd within the last few years and as you, found that even though it looks the same, it has changed so much. Thanks for sharing your story….. Marilyn
I had forgoten about “Clancy’s” they were at 1460 where “Cove Creek Vintage” is now. My first ever transistor radio was purchased at “Clancy’s”
I also purchased a lot of kits for building model boats and air planes at “Clancy’s”
“Stedmans” sold a bit of everything we went there for school supplies and clothing.
I wasn’t allowed to buy the loose candy at Stedmans though because my Mom had seen Kids take stuff and change there minds then put it back.
Sometimes after tasting it ‹(•¿•)›
Doctor Freeman was above the store where the “Kingston Road Coin Laundry” now is.
I wonder if his family had any connection to “Freeman Avenue” ?
Possibly they were among the early settlers.
Dr Freeman was not just our dentist but our next door neighbour as well, nice man & a great family
I was speaking with some friends today who really enjoyed your post William and they were wondering the same thing! I’ll try and do some research to find out if there’s some connection between Dr. Freeman and Freeman Street.
Interesting read and photos. Marilyn and I have been corresponding for a number of years after meeting via Classmates. I didn’t know her, but her brother Frank was an acquaintance and she and I were able to share many common recollections of life in the neighbourhood.
Dr. Freeman (John) was also my dentist, but he was in practice with his brother (can’t recall his first name). John had been an Army dentist during the War. The story about Lorne Wideman hitting out balls is very familiar to me and I recall being one of the (hopeful) boys gathered often at lunch or recess, but never realizing the benefit of catching a fly. It was 25 cents for a fly as I recall it. Interestingly, former Maple Leaf Bobby Baun, in his autobiography “Lowering the Boom” wrote of Wideman doing the same when he was a Phys Ed teacher in the late 40s and early 50s. I too recall the Stedman’s store (wooden-floored) and the open cand counter with glass dividers between the types of candy. I had the same reaction to Hayley Mills when I saw her in “Parent Trap” at the Birchcliff Theatre; many memories of Saturday afternoons there. It was a Twentieth Century Theatre versus Famous Players or Odeon at the time. Believe it or not, a few friends and I seriously considered renting the place after it closed and showing classic films; I recall we were going to call it the “New Venue Theatre”. Never got the idea off the ground (money and differing ideas being the impediments), but it would’ve been nice to save the old place, which at the time–1950s, wasn<t that old a facility.
Thanks for the memories…
I liked the double feature matinees they had on Saturday afternoons.
Between the two features they would draw a ticket number and some one would get a prize usualy but not always a Silver Dollar.
I also grew up in this area, but in the 70’s and there is a lot of what you have said that brings back memories for me.
I lived in the back unit of 1678 Kingston Rd for almost 15 years and my most prominent memory is Jimmy Young and Young’s Royal Market
The one and only time I stole money from my parents I spent it all at Jimmy’s store, or at least I thought I spent it all.
It turned out I stole a $50 bill and when I tried to spend it Jimmy sold me about $2.00 worth the goods and charged me $50. He let me go my on my way and my friends and I had a nice little party in the locker room of 1711 Kingston Rd that my best friends parents (the Grants) use to manage.
Once that little party was over I headed home thinking nobody would notice what I did.
Boy was I wrong
It turned out after I left the store Jimmy went to my house, returned the money and told my parents what I was up to. Not only did I get it for stealing and lying. I also got to work a month for free cleaning Jimmy’s garage and basement to cover the $2 in goods he let me leave with.
What a great story!
I can’t help but think what happened that day played such a big part in who I am today.
Thanks to all.
Count me among those 1960’s kids at the Birchcliffe watching and loving all those Disney movies. Little square cakes at Hunts, plastic model kits and buying cheap perfume and Old Spice for Mum and Dad for Christmas at Stedman’s, hockey cards and matchbox cars at Clancy’s Gifts, filling in sticker books at Loblaws, Esatwood variety on the way to Birchcliffe school (candy, what else?).Bicycle and hockey stuff at Canadian tire. Skating at Scarborough arena always with the latest 45s blasting away. We really did have it all didn’t we?
I lived at 1711 Kingston road in apt 24 across the hall from the Wistaff’s (Ricky and Randy) I remember every Saturday the beer truck stopping and yelling to up to them for how many cases. Lol we then moved to Harding Blvd and lived there from 64 to 71.Went to Birchcliff from 1960 to 1969, then off to high school Birchmount Collegiate.Best times in any lifetime!