Ottawa & Gladstone – Cherniak’s – 1930

View Comments

• I wonder what it was about Ottawa street back in those days that made it an additional 'downtown' to the city of Windsor, and/or town of Walkerville.
  The city's downtown at the time was more than ample for the population. Ottawa seemed like excess? What a good time to be in business I suppose!

• During my 1940-50's shopping days in Windsor, the Ottawa St.shopping district was wonderfully diverse. Shops offered things not offered on Ouellette. I bought some crystal from Czechoslovakia at a small shop on Ottawa St., which was an inexpensive addition to my marriage trouseau. I got my silver and china from Birks large elegant store on Ouellette. Ouellette was more upscale by the culture of those days, long before the Mall, but Ottawa was popular also. In the 1940's while in HS, I worked at Jo-Anne Shoppe, a small elegant lady's wear store on Ouellette. We sold the new-fangled nylon stockings after WWII.

• Other shopping areas in Windsor back then, Droulard Rd.,Tecumseh Rd. near Hall and Moy, also Sandwitch, and finaly Riverside, lots of retail stores mostly independent. not chain stores.

• Ford City, Sandwich Town, and Riverside were their own towns though at one time, so those shopping districts are explainable.
  I am just wondering about Ottawa Street in particular because it was never a town, yet it's district is huge. I wonder what the draw was as apposed to downtown??

• As long as you don't go shopping on Sunday or Monday and don't mind the non-Mall limited business hours, Ottawa st. still has a few decent retail establishments. Freeds, L.W., Canada Salvage, Ruelland Antiques, Holland Antiques, New and Old, Juniper Books, and D&R Vacuum bring me there regularly, to a name a few.

• Do you have any info on the history of Freed's?

• Even though Windsor was a major car town, a lot of people didn't have cars in the mid 20th century. Those families that did usually had only one car. Shopping locally was a big deal. In my neighbourhood there were three mom and pop grocers in a three block area in the sixties. Plus there was a local jeweller, hardware and shoe repair between Tecumseh and Seminole on Drouillard. Because there were a lot of stay at home parents without transportation there was also a booming business in daily home delivery of milk and bread.

• Speaking of the milkman I remember in probably 1952 milk being delivered to our home on Norman rd. Silverwoods I think with a horse and wagon. Also the sheeney man going down the alley with a horn collecting scrap metals and other things I can't remember now ??? Bread was later, but as Vince said we also had 3 groceries within walking distance and mom would pack us up one walking one in a stroller to get some groceries at Seminole Provision, Dorners, & the last escapes my memory, it was on the corner of Techumseh & Pillette where Charlies (kitchen) is now.

• I can remember my aunt who lived in Riverside getting milk delivery as recently as the late 1970's. Was that possible?

• Hello Mike Wannick. I too lived on Norman road (1589) in the late 40s and 50s. I also remember Silverwoods delivering milk and Wonderbread delivering to the front door. For a weekly shop we took the Pillette bus to Wyandotte street and to the big Dominion store just east of Pillette. It was right next to the then Centre theatre. I worked there as an usher as a teenager in the mid fifties. We also shopped at Seminole provisions and a few bits and pieces at Holts variety
  at Seminile and Pillette. I don't think old Mrs Holt ever left the store although the old man did occasionally. Does any of this bring back memories??