The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record
April 1, 2009
Wed. Apr. 1, 2009 – Main St. 1968
This week we are going to take another trip up Main Street in Springhill. The year is 1968- 11 years after the fire of 1957. There are very few of the store from this time period left now. How many can you remember?
We will start on the right side of Main and McFarlane Streets. The first business was the Downtown Service Centre and on the other corner was the Springhill Medical Centre which housed Dr. Prentice’s Office, Wardrope’s Drugstore #2 and the Doctor’s Offices. Next is Morris Saffron Company Ltd. Where you could buy furniture; ARK Electric was the next store followed by Springhill Auto Supply. Vogue Millinery had hats for every occasion and the Store next to Vogue was the Eaton’s order office where many people would order their clothes for the different seasons.
Next was the Town Hall (which was formally the Post Office) which had been built around 1900. Followed by Stedman’s five to $1store and Murray’s Men’s Wear was on the corner of Main and Victoria Streets with H.S. Terris Insurance, J.A. Gillis Paints, White’s Beauty Parlour, Sziron’s Jewellers and Kaylene Studio rounding out that block.
In the next block was Agnew Surpass Shoe Store followed by Jean’s Ladies Wear, Sonny Boy Pastry and the U.M.W.
In the next block there was V.R. Mills, Gib’s Snack Bar and Taxi Stand, Ryan’s Market, Maritime Telephone and Telegraph Office, Nova Scotia Liquor Commission and Weatherbee’s Plumbing. The last business on that side of the road was Graven’s Service Station.
On the left side of Main Street starting at the corner of Main and Lisgar Streets was where James Gogan had his Wholesale Store, Then there was Ralph Layton’s Tin Shop followed by Fred Fisher’s Clothing, Nova Scotia Light and Power, Frank Alick’s Confectionary, Newman Brothers Meats, Nelson’s Gift and Stationary, Simpson Sears’ Order Office and Marge’s Beauty Shop. This was followed by the Capital Theatre and John’s Smith’s Men’s Wear with Bagnell’s Launderers and Dry Cleaning as a drop off depot.
On the other corner of Elgin and Main Streets was GAC International Finance Corp. followed by Jimmy Demetre’s Confectionary. The next building held Crescent Finance Corps Ltd. on one side and the other side was Cecil Letcher’s Furniture. Next was the Springhill Record followed by the Post Office (which also had the National Employment Service) and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Then there was John Hunter’s Red and White Grocery Store and Wardrope’s Drugstore #1. Farther up Main Street were Letcher’s Garage, Jay’s Beauty Nook and Jacqueline Clark Beautician.
The last store on this side of the road was Doug Godfrey Grocery which was directly across from Princess St.
Here are some of the other’s stores, businesses, etc that were in Springhill in 1968.On Princess St. we had Hometown Construction, Jean Beaton had a grocery store on Pleasant Street. Douglas Beaton’s Grocery was on Drummond St. as well as Burden’s White Spot and G.L. Glendenning’s Garage. The Springhill Dairy was on Chapel Street. Ken’s Second Hand Shop was on Elm Street and the Carleton Hotel was on Victoria Street. On Church Street there was The Rollways, Stewart Fraser’s grocery store and Goldrich’s Beauty Parlour. Brown’s Funeral Home and H.G. Brown & Co. Public Accountant were on McFarlane Street along with Charles Sarson who had a Grocery Store on the corner of McFarlane and McGee Streets. There was also the Twin Elms Nursing Home on this street.
Archie McDonald’s Taxi was on Morris Street. On McGee Street there was A.E. Harris, Optometrist, Tabor’s Grocery and Snack Bar as well as his taxi and ambulance service, Bud’s Service Station, Arthur John’s trucking, Emmerson Killam Construction, Jack Booth’s Grocery, Harold Henwood Auto Repair, C.M. McLean and Holliday Craftsman. A little farther out Warren McDonald had his garage which is now run by his son Marvin. Al Russell sold Aluminum Products on Athol Road. Ken Smith had a bottle exchange on Cowan Street.
Herrett Road had: Hollis Garage, Jewkes Brothers Grocery, Foundation Co. of Canada, Wheaton Construction, C.D. Davison Chartered Accountant and Denleigh Clarke Grocery. Leonard Boss & Sons Dairy in Rodney is still being run today by his son Rupert.
Up on Lorne there was Mrs. Howard Jordan, Hairdresser and John Prentice Meats.
On Junction Road there was Gwen Russell’s Grocery, Knowlton’s Auto Body, Dawson’s Grocery Store, Claude W. Carter’s Garage, Legrow’s Repair Shop, Lloyd Tattrie’s Grocery, Herbert Boss Trucking, The Cabin Drive In and Restaurant and Smith’s Garage. Lawrence McKay had his taxi on Queen Street and the RCMP was also on Queen. Naz McDonald‘s grocery store was on Spruce Street.
Elgin Street had John Alick’s Grocery Store, Alick’s Hardware, Donald Ryan Building Contractor, The Halifax Herald Office and the Royal Canadian Legion. Surrette Battery Factory was and still is on Station Road.
On the Valley Road we had two garages: Dickson’s and Perrins. Joseph Allen owned a Restaurant in Springhill Junction.
