Avonmore Avenue, June 2023

 

The renaming of Avonmore Avenue (it was previously called Milan Street) occurred on 7 May 1912:

La résolution du Conseil municipal de Montréal, à l'effet de changer le nom de la rue Milan en celui d'avenue Avonmore, donne l'origine de ce nom: «mot de la langue celtique qui signifie grande rivière». Toutefois, cette voie est très éloignée d'une grande rivière… 

                                                (from City of Montreal website) 

Previously, I've posted some photographs of the streetcar tracks still visible at the bottom of Avonmore Avenue, now where the tracks are is a lane and some of it is blocked off as people have extended their backyards. Avonmore is perpendicular to both Clanranald and Earnscliffe; Clanranald Avenue is on the west side and Earnscliffe Avenue is on the east side of Avonmore. My mother had many memories, one day she mentioned that when she lived on Avonmore a man followed her home, she phoned her father who was the captain at fire Station/Caserne 46 on Somerled Avenue, and he told her to stay in her apartment and lock the door, then he phoned the police. Another memory was of a woman who was killed by a streetcar that ran passed the Avonmore apartment building. Again, she phoned her father; we didn't see a lot of her father but he was often referred to by her. Finding these streetcar tracks was like being an archaeologist, it was to find a remnant of the past that was part of one's family history; you find the tracks and you say, "Aha! this is what she was talking about!" The tracks are still there, I doubt anyone will ever bother to remove them.

I always thought my parents lived at 5514 Avonmore Avenue but today, looking up addresses on Lovell's Montreal Street Directory, I see that they lived next door at 5515 Avonmore Avenue, apartment # 4. 

I also see that my cousin, Bob Morrissey, and his wife lived at 5485 Avonmore Avenue, apartment # 15, in 1967-68; Bob is the son of my Uncle Herb and Auntie Dorothy who lived next door to us on Oxford Avenue in the mid-1950s.

The old streetcar tracks are here; BTW, that's my brother and his wife in the centre
of the photograph, inspecting the old streetcar tracks and talking with someone who lives nearby.

1950s tram no.1932, line 50 on Girouard Avenue

Between Clanranald Avenue and Earnscliffe Avenue. The Northbound would turn right
on Queen Mary Road and head east. Sections of the track visible from Avonmore.

Avonmore Avenue, afternoon, 06 January 2015, facing where
Avonmore meets Clanranald Avenue

Avonmore Avenue, afternoon, 06 January 2015, facing where the old tracks are located



 

"Intruder" by Glen Sorestad

 

2013

The red fox lolled on the manicured green
of our back condo lawn like any domestic dog –

warm autumn afternoon, newly mown grass
tickling its nose, a fox-nap imminent,

but only if those loud villains looming above
in the shaggy blue spruce would spare their vitriol.

An unruly mob of crows, freshly summoned,
hurled dark invective at the unwanted visitor.

The black gang deemed this their territory,
now under egregious trespass from the sleek sneak,

the protesters alerting all within hearing of their
unmistakable umbrage with the bushy-tailed rogue.

As the clamor reached its acme, the fox rose,
languidly stretched its length, and strolled off

and away in apparent unconcern, from the dark
rancor, now lapsed into sudden, satisfied silence.

Christmas Day 2023

 Plus 5C, like a fall day, priceless!

"the measure of a man . . ."

 

the measure of a man

are in his acts

of generosity, kindness,

and compassion--no other

measure exists, not accolades,

not wealth, not achievements;

only in what kindness

a man or woman

shows fellow humans,

animals, and the natural

world do we measure 

the value and meaning

of a person's life.

Christmas at St. Ignatius Church

Christmas at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church on West Broadway Avenue.

 

After the snowfall

Photographs taken on 06 December 2023.

First big snowfall of December

Today, heavy wet snow that sticks to the snow shovel, it takes some of us two shifts to get rid of this snow; begin at 7:30, take a rest, finish later this morning; but milder weather is forecast for later this week. It’s a monochromatic world out there, gone the flowers of summer, gone the garden of 2023.

Photographs taken on 4 December 2023. 

Yesterday's snow storm

The weather forecast kept changing before the first real snow storm of 2023 occurred. I was outside shoveling snow--it's all exercise, it's all a way to be outside in the fresh air--. A neighbour called over, "Be careful", she was referring to having a heart attack while shoveling snow; I know of two people who died of heart attacks while shoveling snow; it's heavy wet snow, so don't overdo it, be careful. In fact, be doubly careful because the hospitals are full of people and several people have died in ER rooms waiting to see a doctor, and others were sent home where they died a few hours later. They say our hospitals are collapsing, what they mean is that our hospitals can't deal with all of the unwell people needing care. The message is just don't get sick. That's Canada in 2023. It will get worse but I am not optimistic; the present government has done so much damage that I doubt we will recover for decades.