My favorite store was “The Joke Shop” on main street in North Bay , Ontario.
Why? You could buy itching powder and little fire crackers to put in cigarettes. The itching powder was sprinkled down my sisters back . The little fire crackers were pushed into the end of a cigarette . When somebody bummed a smoke you would give him the one with a fire cracker in it. When you lit the smoke for him it would blow up. The smoke ended up looking like a peeled banana.
The store had many neat things in it.
(Originally written by Wayne for Storyworth in 2023. His memory is from around 1960. The Joke Shop was on the corner of Main Street and Wyld Street, just a few doors down from Loblaws.)
Since I only know of one person who reads my blogs, I’m feeling quick free to speak my mind, especially today.
I went to a memorial for a 14-year-old girl, granddaughter of a friend of mine. How odd to attend one of these where not only were there adult goodies for visitors to snack on, but pizza and containers of gummy bears, Skittles, jubes, M&M mini-chocolates, etc. The place was packed, arranged by the local police who are actively looking into this case of bullying.
Sadie died in early January 2024 after ingesting over 100 anti-depressants, prescribed to her. I am very light on details of Sadie’s history. She suffered bullying at her school, was in therapy, moved to a new school, then after an “incident” with a group of four other girls with a “leader”, that caused enough fear about “something” going up on Facebook, Sadie went home and over the night took all the pills.
After three days on a respirator and life support, she was declared brain dead and was taken off the machines.
She was the ONLY child of her parents. Needless to say, the parents were beside themselves and my friend was in tears 90% of the time. Seeing Sadie’s beautiful rock collection displayed on a table reminded me of Meghan’s rock collection and, for a brief moment, I allowed the thought that this would be part of Meghan’s memorial, but I quickly moved my mind along.
I could not move my mind away from this thought though: Who is to blame for this, because someone is!
THE DOCTOR: What doctor in their right mind would prescribe that many anti-depressants to be put into one bottle and given to a depressed teenager under his/her care? Did the doctor warn the parents to keep the pills under lock and key and only give Sadie the prescribed dosage?
THE BULLY: The police found the bully to issued the fatal blow. The bully called Sadie parents to apologize, but the reports are that the apology was insincere. The mother of the bully called Sadie’s parents as well. Sadie’s mother reportedly told the bully’s mother to never call again. The case is being investigated.
THE PARENTS: Who handed over the bottle of pills to a 14-year-old depressed girl with the misguided oblivious notion that there was not chance Sadie would down the whole bottle? Were they in denial, truly believing their daughter was too smart to do something so stupid. When I was 14 I did lots of stupid things and I truly believe my parents NEVER thought I was smart enough not to do them. My parents were absolutely right about me – I was a naive, blob of play-doh, just waiting for others to help me form my life. They feared for my safety. And even though I went ahead and did whatever I wanted to, I always was keenly aware of their fear and I believe that kept me from falling off the edge of the cliff. However, I did not live in a social media world.
FACEBOOK: Why is it that things that go up on Facebook are so devasting? Isn’t that what BLOCK, SPAM, REPORT is for? Facebook (along with TikTok and others) are currently being sued by 4 school boards in the Greater Toronto Area for knowingly creating and executing a way of rewiring vulnerable brains, leaving the teachers to clean up the mess. Facebook has claimed that their parental-permission check box is their leading edge way curtail this, but they are missing the point. Because parents are smart enough to know that social media giants are actually REWIRING brains to believe that life is Facebook, TikToc, Instagram, X, etc. Social media was just coming out when my daughter was a teen. There were a few times, late into the evening when Meghan was on the computer, and she would read something on My Space perhaps, and she’d go charging out the door into the night to comfort a friend and face off with someone. I discovered quickly how to set the router to cut the internet to her computer by a certain time. But that only made her walk out the door.
There’s a few things to point out in this picture. Dad had a push-lawnmower that he obviously hadn’t used in awhile. The tub was our “swimming pool”. My memories of it were very exciting. As you can see by my face I was totally happy. The “playhouse” is behind us. I’m told, it used to be the chicken coop and it was in a different location. But Dad moved it here for us to use as a playhouse. It also was very exciting. And then there’s Buster!! Our fantastic, great dog. Half collie, half husky. The best dog ever.
Again, about in the same area as above, but looks like Dad cut the lawn. The store-bought swimming pool was a luxury. Wayne is a little shy of hair on his head from his surgery. Looking behind us is the garage, that I don’t think had a door and I don’t remember a vehicle ever being in it. To the top right, is about the spot where Wayne faced the bull, nose to nose. AND there’s Buster – best dog ever, with his collie-white mane and curled up husky tail and short-round snout.
Thanks Wayne for finding these pictures and sending them to me.
March 27, 2024: Email response regarding an query I made for information from the E-J Tanner and Shoemake Archive:
Thank you for contacting the Syracuse University Libraries. I’m copying our Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) on this message, as this department maintains the papers of members of the Johnson family.
The SCRC appreciates your interest in our collections and your inquiry has been added to our reference queue. We receive a large number of reference questions and answer all inquiries in the order in which they were received. Please note that we prioritize inquiries from current Syracuse University affiliates (faculty, students, and staff).
Thank you for your patience. You’re welcome to contact us directly at scrc@syr.edu at any time if you have a question about the status of your inquiry.
Sincerely,
Abby
Abby Kasowitz-Scheer (she, her, hers) Head, Department of Learning and Academic Engagement Syracuse University Libraries
Upon closer examination, I now believe of the pictures below, I believe these were taken in Florida in 1927/28. Uncle Phill looks about 2, Mom about 3 and Aunt Jean about 5. The truck looks dull and old.
Below the pictures seem to be of a different truck – shiny and new. Mom seems to be wearing Aunt Jean’s dress from the above picture. Aunt Jean’s hair is a few month’s longer, although Mom’s looks freshly cut.
Same session, not colourized.
Same sesson, same clothes. Very shiny truck. New York commercial license plates dates these to be 1928/29 Endicott, NY.
Is it possible that the porches on the back of 200 North Street (below) could be the place where the picture above was taken? And why is Mom so unhappy in these pictures? Was Gramma deteriorating?
This is the building where I believe the Gallsons lived in 1928/29 in Endicott, NY. Its address is 200 North Street. An early memory of Joan, was going up a flight of stairs to get to their home and at Christmas there was a Christmas tree at the end of the hall.
The Endicott City Directory of 1928 is below. John Gallson is a tanner.
The Gallsons are also in the 1929 Endicott City Directory, although he is a shoe maker then.
While looking in Google at early 20th century maps of Endicott, trying to find exactly where the house may have been, I came across this, also on North Street. the Endicott-Johnson & Co. Tanneries & Shoe Factories.
Below is a Google aerial view with the Tannery/Shoe Factory boxed on the right (currently BAE Aerospace Systems) and 200 North Street boxed on the left.
From what I’ve read about this company, even though being a tanner was a very difficult and gruesome job, they treated their employees very well. The Gallsons would have benefited from “the Square Deal”, which included health care right at the factory. And they also made employees shareholders. There’s a lot of information about the company in 1928 and 1929. It looks like in 1929, there was a downturn in shoe sales, so Grampa may have been laid off because he hadn’t been there very long. And since Grampa doesn’t seem to have ever completed his Naturalization, he left Endicott.
Below is a excerpt from Wikipedia…
George F. and the Square Deal
The E-J story is dominated by George F. Johnson (1857–1948), or George F as he was popularly called, who rose through the shoe factory ranks to become the half-owner of E-J, and its highest executive until his death in 1948.
George F’s reign was dominated by his Square Deal version of welfare capitalism that, like progressive movements of the early twentieth century, advocated providing parades and churches and libraries to “uplift” workers. George F’s Square Deal consisted of worker benefits even in harsh economic times that were generous and innovative for their time, but also meant to engender worker loyalty and discourage unionizing. The company had a chess and checkers club.
For workers, the Square Deal consisted of a chance to buy E-J built and E-J financed homes, a profit sharing program, health care from factory-funded medical facilities and later (built in 1949) two worker recreational facilities. But the Square Deal was more than an employee benefit program. E-J and the Johnson family also provided or helped to finance two libraries, theaters, a golf course, swimming pools, carousels, parks and food markets, many of which were available to the community without charge. Reminders of the source of that generosity were inescapable:
Endicott was a community planned by E-J and incorporated in 1906. It was named after Henry B. Endicott (one of the grade schools was named Henry B,) who owned the business that became E-J. Lestershire was renamed Johnson City, New York in honor of George F. All of the tanneries and the vast majority of the shoe factories were located in Endicott with a few satellite locations in Johnson City and Binghamton. The Johnsons lived in Endicott and George F’s mansion was donated to the Village after his death and became the public library. Most of the jobs were classified as “piece work.” Racks of shoes moved through the factories with “coupons” attached to each rack. When the worker completed his/her operation on the rack of shoes, he or she removed the appropriate coupon which was worth a few pennies. At the end of the week the worker turned in his coupons from which the payroll department calculated pay. The work was hard and the pay was low, but the extensive benefits were offsets. The windows in the factories were painted so workers wouldn’t be distracted by the outside. The company needed a large labor pool and initiated a recruitment program aimed at southern Italy and the Slavic countries and so Endicott became a small town with a rich ethnic mix. Many of the sons and daughters of these immigrants graduated from Union-Endicott High School and went on to become teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and successful business people. Very few went to work in the factories.
There’s also a large document that is VERY interesting about the company and there’s alot in it about what was going on with the company in 1928 & 1929. www.ejhistory.org In particular, Chapter 2 “The Rise of the ‘Square Deal’ ” (starts page 37, and page 48 in particular), Chapter 3 “Workers and the Work” (starts page 63, particularly pages 77/78) and interesting pictures starting page 99.
Below are pictures from the document of men working in the tannery in 1930, the year after Grampa would have left.
😀There is also a vast amount of information about the tannery on the historical site for Endicott.
🤨After reading up on the Endicott-Johnson Tanners and Shoe Makers and watching this video, it begs the question: Why did the Gallsons leave on July 31, 1929 to head to Ontario. .🤞🤞On March 23, 2024, I emailed “Marlene” at the historical site to see if there’s any chance that there’s an employee record archive. UPDATE: Marlene isn’t associated with this anymore, but she did pass along an email address of a contact from a Facebook page. See UPDATE at the top of the page.
Wayne was born December 3, 1954 in North Bay, Ontario, the son of Lloyd George Smith and Joan Vera Gallson. He’s my older brother. And you can hear some things about him in the posting A Song For Wayne and in the many Stories I’ve posted.
Wayne recently discovered that he is a carrier of a genetic mutation of the COL11A1 gene that causes Type 2 Sticklers syndrome. Features of this syndrome are eye abnormalities (high degree of myopia), hearing problems (in about 40% of individuals), arthritis, short stature, spinal abnormalities.
Wayne is an Electrical Engineer and a graduate of the University of Waterloo. He’s married to Rita Seguin. They met and married in Porcupine, Ontario, and have moved and lived in many places. Currently they are in Saskatoon, moving to Vancouver Island in August 2024.
They have 3 children: Darren, Joseph and Amy-Lynn. Joseph and Amy are both married with children of their own.
(from Wayne’s Storyworth memories) These events happened a lot on our farm in the 60’s. Mom was terrified of them. She would get us all… Read more: Thunderstorms and Lightning
(Wayne’s Storyworth) Before the government decided that only their supporters could sell milk , farmers had a way of making a few dollars by selling… Read more: Making Butter
Answering the question “Have you ver feared for your life?” Dads tractor had no brakes among other broken stuff . Learning to drive this way… Read more: Flying Emmett (Wayne’s Storyworth)
Lets see. Getting my Electric Train. Getting my Mold Master. Using Wendy’s Easy Bake Oven. Getting my Red Tractor when I was two(That I still… Read more: Favourite Childhood Memories
I finally have the death registration of Philip James Peters, Grandma Gallson’s brother and Edith’s twin. It say Philip died March 9, 1907, age 4, of acute capillary bronchitis, pulmonary congestion. Place of Philip’s death is the same address as Grandma’s birth.
Mom remembers being split up in homes. I tried to find documentation from the Children’s Aid Society in North Bay, but I could find nothing. At some point, Grampa managed to get the children back together again by hiring a young, pregnant, unwed mother – Mary Margaret Morrison. Mary was born in 1910, so in 1930, she would have been only 20 years old.
Another hint in the timeline comes from the death of Mary’s son, Donald, who was killed in a car accident in June 1950. His obituary states that he was 22 and that he’d “lived with his family in Mattawa for the past 20 years.” If this is true, then the Gallson’s were in Mattawa since 1930 meaning that after Gramma was committed to the hospital Grampa quickly gave up the Widdifield farm to go to Mattawa. This also indicates that Donald was 2 when he came with Mary to live with the Gallsons within months of Gramma leaving the home.
Jackie must have been born sometime between summer 1930 and January 1931, as Jimmy was conceived in February 1931 and born in November.
I want to think the best of Grampa Gallson and I will never know the true circumstances surrounding their lives and Gramma’s mental well-being, but he took little time in determining that she was not coming back. There’s no way he could ever have her back into a home where he’d been sleeping with Mary. Therefore, without anyone advocating for Gramma’s well-being on the outside, she would have been left in the mental asylum to live out her days.
UPDATE!!
Below is the 1931 Widdifield Township census. Its very interesting.
Mary Morrison is with the family in Widdifield, with Donald and John (Jackie). Mary was likely pregnant with Jimmy when this census was taken, yet she’s not assumed the surname of Gallson and she still is recorded as a housekeeper. Its very evident that her salary of $240 annually is being paid by someone else, as Grampa only claims he’s making $75 annually which would have been his pension. Who was paying Mary? Also interesting is that the house is only worth $300 and only had 3 rooms, although on other pages of the census, there were homes worth a lot less. It’s hard to imagine how Grandma felt moving from an apartment in Endicott, NY into this house.
Suzan was the daughter of Brenda Canning and the granddaughter of Phyllis Vera Peters.
Suzan Birdsall Obituary, Death – January 21, 2024 – London, England – Suzan Birdsall, who was affectionately known as Sue, passed away, and it is with profound grief and heavy hearts that we share this news with you. Earlier today, at 16:46, she left this world while surrounded by her devoted family, bringing an end to her time on earth. Her departure occurred in the embrace of her family. We are acutely aware that many of you had a great connection with Sue, and while we are conveying this sad news through this medium, we are also grateful for your support. We like to express our deepest condolences to her family and friends on the demise of this beloved member of our family.
Sue was a treasured friend, a confidante, and a source of delight for those who had the luxury of knowing her. She was more than just a coworker; she was a source of joy. There was a big turning point in the lives of individuals who worked with Sue because her presence at the workplace lasted for more than a decade. Beyond the domain of professional endeavours, our connections became stronger, and they eventually developed into a friendship that endured the ups and downs of life. We were able to lean on each other in times of need and celebrate the basic joys that life had to offer, which was frequently accompanied by laughing and the occasional drink that was shared.
We have been overcome with grief, and the vacuum that it has left in our hearts is unimaginable. All of you who knew and loved Sue are experiencing a profound sense of disbelief and shock as a result of this tragic loss. A heartbreaking reminder of the camaraderie that characterised our friendship was provided by the opportunity to see her in the hospital during her final hours. This opened the door for the interchange of memories that we both shared.
Sue was more than simply a friend or a colleague; she was a lovely spirit who left an unforgettable effect on our lives. Her legacy will live on forever. As we say our goodbyes, we will carry in our memories the warmth, the generosity, and the innumerable moments that we enjoyed together that characterised our time spent together. The melancholy departure of our wonderful friend will constantly be tempered with the experience of having Christmas tea with Santa, which was an event in which she participated as a joyful participant.
As we go through this period of grieving, let us come together to pay tribute to Sue’s memory. It is my hope that the joy and companionship that we experienced together will be the enduring legacy that will outweigh the sorrow that we feel over her absence. Dear Sue, may you rest in peace knowing that your memory will live on in the hearts of those who had the privilege of being able to include you in their circle of friends.
Suzan is survived by her husband Mark Birdsall, brother Paul Canning and sister Shelly Canning. She has 5 children.
When I first connected with Suzan in November 2021, she let me know that her Mom, Brenda Thorpe was adopted. Phyllis (who had married Bernard Bramwell Thorpe) had a son, Phillip, who only lived a few days, and after adopted Brenda. I was a little disappointed but Suzan also told me that her “Gran” (Phyllis) was very dear to her and she had great memories of her. Brenda died a couple of years ago (around 2020ish).
Suzan also had very fond memories of Aunt Edie and then revealed the open family secret: Brenda was actually the daughter of Aunt Edie and when Aunt Edie was dying she told Brenda that she was real family – not an outsider. Edie was born in 1903 and Brenda was born in 1943. The story is likely true. Phyllis would have known that when SHE was born, her mother Hannah adopted her to save the fallout of the scandal and the reputations of Florence or Ellen. So Phyllis likely didn’t think twice to adopt Aunt Edie’s baby as her own, her only son having died as an infant.
Suzan was born Canning and married Jonathan Dove (not the composer). They had 3 children and then Jonathan died. Suzan entered into a relationship with Giovanni Lisi and had 2 more children. She is now with Mark Birdsall and goes by Suzan Birdsall.
Shortly after this, Shelley Canning, Suzan’s younger sister, reached out to me on Facebook. Shelley has Aunt Edie’s scrapbook which is where the drawing of Gramma Gallson came from. I hope to get more insight into this scrapbook.
Updates
The memorabilia collection that Suzan had was passed onto her brother, Paul, in the fall of 2023. Now I’m waiting for Paul to get through the photos. So far, Paul has sent me an additional picture of Florence standing beside a chair and a picture of Edie, Ellen and Phyllis sitting on a park bench dressed in their Sunday best.
On February 2, 2024: Suzan’s husband Mark Birdsall committed suicide. This information is from Paul Canning, Suzan’s brother. He also sent me a picture of Suzan’s three oldest children. Note Samantha’s red hair. Paul also said in his message that Auntie Edie had “really red hair.”
Tommy, Andrea & Samantha Dove
March 17, 2024: I convinced and offered to pay for an Ancestry DNA kit for Shelly Canning, Suzan’s sister. I’m hoping this will answer the question: Was Brenda Canning (nee Thorpe) adopted or was she actually Edith Peter’s daughter?
I finally decided to make an application to the Archives of Ontario, under the Freedom of Information Act, to get any documentation existing on my grandmother, Florence Peters. It was surprizingly easy.
I filled out a very simple form, giving very brief information about GG (Gramma Gallson), why I wanted the documents and who I was, submitted and waited.
What I received was no surprize, as it confirmed what the Archives of Ontario supplied to me decades ago, but with the actual documents they used to get the information: the population change on the day GG died – proof that GG, in the end, was just an administrative entry and a statistic.
The Archivist explained that:
It is unfortunate that I could not locate a casefile. I did do some extra research into the administration of the records. It appears that Lakeshore did not regularly send their case files to the Archives of Ontario and ultimately a large amount of case files were destroyed. I did search the remaining casefiles, but they are mostly from the early 1900s. As for St. Thomas, case files from 1945 to 1976 were destroyed.
Astoria Felix Information & Privacy Analyst Archives of Ontario | Archives Division November 2023 Email
I then sent the Archivist the letters that Carol received from St. Thomas Hospital in 1976 and 1980. This is her response:
Since this letter is from 1976/1980, it would make sense that they still had some information in the file at that time. The destruction of St. Thomas’s case files was done in 2001, in the same year that it was divested to St. Joseph’s Health Care in London. The records that were sent to the Archives of Ontario was the St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital index and the St. Thomas Patient Registers. The rest of our records are administrative and unfortunately doesn’t include patient health records.
You may try to contact a current hospital to see if they hold historical records, but I will say that it may be unlikely. As mentioned above, St. Thomas was divested to St. Joseph’s Health Care in London in 2001. Upon its divestment, the Hospital was renamed Regional Mental Health Care, St. Thomas, which appears to be permanently closed now. Since the hospital (and the divested hospital) closed down, I’m not sure what the correct institution is to contact. I did find St. Joseph’s Health Care London, which is a St. Joseph’s hospital that appears to treat St. Thomas patients, the link on how to request records is here: Health Records | St. Joseph’s Health Care London
As for Lakeshore, unfortunately the hospital permanently closed in 1979.
Ibid
She included a link where I could communicate directly with them about any surviving records. I emailed them and we’ll see if I get a response.
I also asked the Archivist if, by chance, she could find out if the Archives has any records of warrants, as GG was admitted “under warrant”.
What now haunts me is the: “The destruction of St. Thomas’s case files was done in 2001…” I was researching before then!! Why didn’t I apply for the documents before 2001 under the Freedom of Information Act? UG!!
So, as per the archivist’s suggestion, I emailed , and just received this response:
Good Morning,
We have received your request for a medical record of your grandmother dated November 23, 2023.
After reviewing your request, we are informing you that the medical record pertaining to Flora Gallson, D.O.B., November 12 (or 21), 1897, is no longer available as per the hospital Record Retention and Destruction Policy.
Should you have any questions or concerns about the above, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience this may have caused.
Thank you for your understanding, and we appreciate the opportunity to assist you with your inquiry.
Wishing You a Wonderful Day 😊
Kind Regards,
Email, December 11, 2023
I guess I should admit to myself, that the records are gone.
Now what I’m holding out hope for is a positive response from the reference library, also suggested by the Ontario Archives Archivist, about the warrant that I’m very much hoping is NOT part of the medical records that were destroyed. Two people (a lawyer/prosecutor and a child of mother who was committed) said that Gramma must have done something “really bad” for there to be a warrant.
UPDATE: Today (January 23, 2024) I applied for more information from Ontario under the FOI (Freedom of Information Act) regarding Gramma Gallson.
UPDATE: February 15, 2024, I received an email from Ontario and again only received information that I had already. They included these documents:
The warrant number and the year of commitment.
I think I’m definitely at the end of the rope here. The only extra information I have now is the warrant number: 10948, and I’m not sure what good that will do me. It’s not a police warrant or a criminal warrant. I believe the Ontario Department of Health had their own warrant system.
I’m nothing but tenacious and in saying that, I’ve filled out yet another FOI form for any documents from Children and Social Services from 1929 to 1943 for Widdifield Township and Papineau Township. There must be a file on the Gallson family. Mom remembered the teacher at school calling social services who came and checked out the Gallson children. She remembered Grampa Gallson telling Mary to ease up on beating the children or they’d be taken away.
February 16, 2024 – Ministry of Social Services call me this morning to say they wouldn’t have anything on this, that it would be the local Children’s Aid Society, and that I need to connect with them. Many moons ago, when Mom was still living on Main St. W. in North Bay, Mom took a letter to the Nipissing Children’s Aid Society asking for information. Many months later, they said that all these records would be stored off-site and next to impossible to go through. We never heard from them again. The CAS is private, not a government body, so I think the FOI wouldn’t apply to them. Sigh! I’ll call them.
March 17, 2024 – My battle continues. I received a call from a woman who said that the Children’s Aid Society is a private organization so I would be unable to access documents through the Freedom of Information Act. In the meantime, I received an email from the IPC (Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario) saying to fill out the form to receive information. Now I’m confused, so a filed a “complaint” with the IPC to get a correct answer on how I can access the Children’s Aid Society data and/or the Foster Children’s data and/or Social Services of Nipissing District.
Florence Maud Peters. Very striking how much she looks like my sister, Donna and my cousin, Sandra.Florence Maud Peters. Signed: Your’s Loving Daughter. Original picture that was cropped for her passport and was the source for the drawing.
