Tepperman’s – 1949

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• Good post John about Veteran Plumbing.

  Too bad the Tepperman's building on Ottawa has been transformed to such an ugly 21st century stucco building. At least it is still occupied.

• One of the first businessmen on Ottawa Street was Harry Gray who opened Gray’s Department Store around 1925, followed shortly by Sam Freed and Nate Tepperman. In 1962 two sons faced off in the federal election: Herb Gray for the Liberals and Bill Tepperman for the NDP. Gray won and a long political career that included being deputy prime minister of Canada was launched.

• My good friend John Earl Murphy carried on the family business J.E. Murphy Heating and Air Conditioning to about its 85th year! Started by his Grandpa in 1921 and taken over by Volmer I think it was 2006 - Eighty five years in one family! Not bad eh? When I worked there, a customer boasted he had Murphy's fixing his furnace for 75 years! Moirs are good friends of the Murphy family too! They've been around forever!

• Ha! I should say Murphy's "maintained" the guy's heating system for 75 years. I made it sound like it was messed up for 75 years! I used to be manager there and the customers were loyal as anything - as they should be - it was a great company. John Earl's late dad Jim Murphy was a great guy too! It's a shame that small business - family business - face so many challenges. Almost a thing of the past in our city. My dad Michael Nosanchuk owned/operated Prince Road Market from 1948 to 1971. Corner of Prince and Montcalm.

• I refer to the blog from rws. Just a bit of of history concerning Bill Tempperman. About 1957 he was the campaign manager for the late Bert Weeks who at that time was running as an NDP candidate in the federal general election. Although I was too young to vote at that time, it gave me great pleasure to assist them in any way I could. Unfortunately Bert was not elected.
  If Noah reads this I would be interested to know what relation he is to Bill

• Paul, click on Noah's name and it will take you to the Tepperman site . Noah is Bill and Rochelle's youngest son.

• I would love to have been around when Ottawa Street was so vibrant.

• Mr. Blackmore, I don't believe Bert could have run for the NDP in 1957, since it hadn't been formed at that point. It might have been the "New Party", which was a predecessor of sorts.

  Anyway, bless that man for what he did along the waterfront.

• Yes, Brotherhood was across from Freeds. It's now a Medical Clinic. My father, Jim McKenzie, owned a grocery store on Ottawa Street for many years (Superior Market... then EMA Foods... and then named McKenzie Food Market) up until the early 90's. I would always go to Brotherhood with him, as well as get my hair cut at Alfredo's next door. I also miss the cafeteria that they used to have at Woolworth's. I remember when Woolworth's closed up, one of the cafeteria ladies (Meryle) purchased all the restaurant equipment, and opened up a little place across the street, on the corner of Ottawa and Moy. She has sold it since, but I believe an Asian couple purchased it and still run it.

• To Paul Blackmore,

  I lived next door to you at 1583 Norman Road. I stumbled across this website and saw your name. How can we get in touch?
  Regards,
  Paul