Would have been 90 today.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Friday, January 09, 2009
Dad and Smallwood's books
One of the great Smallwood projects was the Books of Newfoundland. Starting in the Great Depression, Smallwood edited six huge volumes of all kinds of information on the province. I have often gone to them to get information that you just can't find in an easy form anywhere else. I'm sure they are riddled with idiosyncratic errors but my cursory looks haven't found them.
Smallwood made money off them (when he did make money) through books sales and advertising in the back of the volumes. Dad's company was one of those companies Smallwood touched for an ad. Dad told me that he saw those ads as more than just ads; they were the opportunity to tell his story in the great history books of the province. So he took out ads in Smallwood's publications when the occasion arose.
This is a scan of the ad from Volume 5 of the Book of Newfoundland (click to read larger image).
Smallwood made money off them (when he did make money) through books sales and advertising in the back of the volumes. Dad's company was one of those companies Smallwood touched for an ad. Dad told me that he saw those ads as more than just ads; they were the opportunity to tell his story in the great history books of the province. So he took out ads in Smallwood's publications when the occasion arose.
This is a scan of the ad from Volume 5 of the Book of Newfoundland (click to read larger image).
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Goodbye mom
LONO, Yolande Quesnel: Passed peacefully away at Chancellor Park long term nursing facility on December 29, 2007 in her 82nd year.
She is predeceased by her beloved husband of more than half a century, Simon Joseph Lono (d. March 8th, 2001) and her brothers Gaston and Bernard. She leaves with fond memories, and with much thanksgiving for her long and active life, her sons and their families: Norman Y. (Sarah) New Jersey, Gordon (Pat), Simon N. (Deirdre) and Marc (Nickie) St. John's; five grandchildren Bianca, Vance, Simon, Diana & Anthony; brother Yves; and a wide circle of other family and friends.
She was devoted to her family as a dedicated wife and mother. She was a warm and calming presence in all our lives. We miss her already.
Born in Trois Rivieres and raised in Montreal, she came to St. John’s in the early 50s with her husband with two small boys and she had two more boys here in the years that followed. She spoke little English on arrival but that proved no barrier to her charm, energy and determination. She was a lady of style, grace, charm, gentle humour, culture and talent, and a true mistress of the domestic arts. A gracious hostess, she set a table that was second to none, especially at Christmas. In addition to singing, drawing and painting, she also knitted, crocheted and sewed like a professional.
Outside the home she was active in the community as a founding and executive member of the Association Francophone de St. Jean, an executive member for the Association Francophone de Terre-neuve et du Labrador, and as a long-time supporter of the St. John's Multi-cultural Association. She worked to bring people together. She was formally recognised by the province when she was awarded the Newfoundland and Labrador Volunteer Medal in November 2001.
She will be resting at Carnell's Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Road with visitation on Saturday January 5, 2008 from 7-9p.m. & Sunday January 6, 2008 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral service to take place on Monday January 7, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Pius X Church. Interment to follow at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Chancellor Park for their kindness and loving care during her stay. A donation in lieu of flowers can be made in memory to a charity of your choosing. To send a message of condolence or to sign the memorial guest book, you may visit www.carnells.com.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Gone fishing. . . for votes
As of noon Friday, I am the Liberal candidate for the provincial district of St. John's North.I have no illusions that this will be an easy campaign - I read numbers too. But the "best time to run" is only obvious in hindsight. At some point one has to put their name, time and energy where their mouth is so you can look at yourself in the mirror in the morning.
As in my municipal campaign 2 years ago, I have some personal goals: raise some issues, don't go into debt, keep my integrity and win. If I can do 3 of those 4 things I will be pretty happy with that.
I'll be happier with 4 of 4 but that's in the hands of the people of St. John's North. And the people are never wrong.
My campaign will discuss issues which face this province now and in the future. This will include a focus on matters like the economy; elder care and other social issues; and effective local representation. Too many critical issue have been pushed off the public agenda; it's time for someone to bring them forward.
Finally, I never intended to use this blog as a political soapbox and I don't intend to now. Simon Lono - Here and There is an outlet for family information and random personal observations and I want to keep it that way. So until October 9, I will not be adding any more posts here.
A link to my campaign site will be added when it goes live.
Take care and see you October 10.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Damn those tags
(Thanx, Nottawa. I guess I'm not as fast as I used to be. . . . )
Tag Rules:
1. All right, here are the rules. 2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. 3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 4. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. 5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
- I used to be a hardcore reader of hard science fiction but now I find it hard to read any kind of fiction.
- If I could live in any time/place, it would be early imperial Rome as detailed in I, Claudius.
- I collect Prime Ministerial handshakes (6 of the last 8 so far) and visits to legislatures in Canada (11 of 14 so far).
- I live in NL because I want, not because I have to (but I'd retire to Kyoto if I could).
- I love eating in odd little exotic restaurants;I love that my son loves to too (is that two facts?)
- I hate lobster.
- I spend too much money on suits.
- I will always watch Mythbusters and I think it's the best TV show in years.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Georgestown Neighbourhood - A diamond in the rough
It's nice to see your neighbourhood profiled in a leading European newspaper like the Financial Times.
-------------------------------
A diamond in the rough By Daina Lawrence
Published: April 5 2007 18:21
Climbing the steep San Francisco- style hills north-east of St John’s, out of the seaside city’s bustling downtown core, you’ll pass a graffitied street sign that reads: “this way to hell”.
Your destination is Georgestown, a neighbourhood roughly the size of three city blocks, that has long occupied an uneasy position between the centre of this Newfoundland city and its suburbs and that clearly still has its detractors.
Yet an increasing number of homebuyers and developers now views the area as a diamond in the rough – conveniently located, with a variety of relatively inexpensive housing options and a distinct maritime charm.
Over the past five years, Georgestown house prices have showed steady increases, rising to C$55,000 (£24,000)-C$333,500 (£140,000) from C$51,000-C$156,000 in 2002, according to local estate agent Harry Stone. But the area is still considerably cheaper than elsewhere around St John’s. Just a few blocks down the street, for example, prices are almost double, with the smallest houses starting at about C$100,000.
“It’s a great secret that you can live in a house worth hundreds of thousands that costs a fraction of that,” Stone says.
Newcomers to Georgestown are looking for more than just bargain property, however. Most say they also like the neighbouhood’s diverse and close-knit feel, which is due in part to some concentrated rebuilding after a catastrophic fire in 1892. “With the fire, 5,000 people were left homeless overnight, so, when they rebuilt the area, wherever there was empty space there were houses being put up,” explains Sheila Coates, who recently moved to the area and is now an active member of Georgestown’s neighbourhood association.
The proximity of the residences creates a sense of community not only physically but also socially, she adds. There are annual flea markets and barbecues and neighbours get together more regularly at venues such as the Georgetown pub with its Monday night karaoke, “You can rarely walk the streets without chatting with someone you know, especially when you visit somewhere like the bakery.”
In fact, the Georgestown bakery was Coates’s introduction to the neighbourhood. Its trademark chocolate-and- cranberry bread is a favourite throughout St John’s and both locals and outsiders queue up for it on weekend mornings. “I only moved to this area last May and never really ventured into it except for the Saturday foray to the bakery but now I am settling in and am happily making it my home,” Coates says.
Another point of Georgestown pride is its tradition of houses being painted in an array of vibrant colours, from turquoise with pink trim to yellow with deep purple accents. “My theory is that, back in the day, the way you painted your boat is the way you painted your house,” says Andrew Draskoy, a local resident. Draskoy paid C$90,000 for his four-bedroom, three-storey house in 1994 and invested another C$23,000 in renovations. “What I was looking for was the location. I wanted a nice old house that I could fix up and I also wanted a garden. Living downtown, that is pushing your wishes a bit,” he says.
Georgestown was perfect because it was historic and inexpensive but still only about five blocks away from some of St John’s amenities – important for Draskoy, since he does not own a car. These coffee shops, clothing boutiques and restaurants are less accessible in winter, when the city is hit with regular snowstorms and 5ft drifts are not uncommon. But even this can be a bonding experience for Georgestown residents; instead of complaining about the lack of snowploughs, they just grab their shovels.
Part of the reason for the recent growth in the neighbourhood’s population is a booming oil industry that has attracted many young professionals to Newfoundland and to St John’s. “It’s rather interesting because the oil people coming from Alberta with their young families tend to want to live in the suburbs,” Stone says, “but the workers coming in from Europe seem to like the older homes.”
Incoming buyers tend to be quite different from those who have been there for years and even generations. But locals say that the mix is working so far. Kingsley Lofts, a new development from Signature Homes, is a fine example of Georgestown’s fusion of old and new. Completed 18 months ago, it uses the shell of an old warehouse to house five heritage-style lofts with high-tech amenities. “We saw a lot more merit leaving the building in its environment,” says Andrew Ryan of Signature Homes. “But we did put a modern spin on it, while embracing what’s here in the neighbourhood.”
The lofts, which feature large windows, high ceilings, exposed industrial-looking wood beams, art deco concrete exteriors, parking and private entrances, were priced from C$240,000 for the smallest to C$395,000 for an upper unit with a roof-top deck and 360° views of St John’s and its harbour. Four of five have already sold. “The development worked well because this is one of the last areas that has the charm and the [proximity] to downtown that we wanted and there is an eclectic mix of characters in the neighbourhood,” says Ryan, who purchased and moved into one of the residences himself. “I have lived in and around this area for most of my life and it’s all about the location and the mixture.”
Other buyers have been “professionals but not really young professionals, more like couples in their 30s and 40s”, he adds. “It’s not necessarily families because it’s not really a family building.”
Not all of Georgestown’s conversion and development projects are successful, however. Another row of just-built houses on Catharine Street sits virtually empty. Some locals say it is too “cookie cutter” others think it is too highly priced.
More generally, the spectre of gentrification brings a mixed reaction. Some say the influx of new, wealthier residents is causing Georgestown to lose its gritty, eccentric character. Stone disagrees, arguing that St John’s neighbourhoods have always been mixed. “Historically the worker lived on one corner and the boss on the other,” he says.
Rising property taxes are another point of contention. “Houses sometimes deteriorate because [the owners] do not want to put money into renovations because they don’t want their taxes to go up,” says Elizabeth-Anne Malischewski, secretary of the Georgestown neighbourhood association. As a result, it’s easy to find a property in a state of abject disrepair next to one that is loved and cared-for and worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Malischewski thinks that is part of Georgestown’s charm. There are no clear dividers between prosperity and poverty. Of course, with house prices continuing to rise, she and other residents acknowledge that the neighbourhood might not stay that way for long.
-------------------------------
A diamond in the rough By Daina Lawrence
Published: April 5 2007 18:21
Climbing the steep San Francisco- style hills north-east of St John’s, out of the seaside city’s bustling downtown core, you’ll pass a graffitied street sign that reads: “this way to hell”.
Your destination is Georgestown, a neighbourhood roughly the size of three city blocks, that has long occupied an uneasy position between the centre of this Newfoundland city and its suburbs and that clearly still has its detractors.
Yet an increasing number of homebuyers and developers now views the area as a diamond in the rough – conveniently located, with a variety of relatively inexpensive housing options and a distinct maritime charm.
Over the past five years, Georgestown house prices have showed steady increases, rising to C$55,000 (£24,000)-C$333,500 (£140,000) from C$51,000-C$156,000 in 2002, according to local estate agent Harry Stone. But the area is still considerably cheaper than elsewhere around St John’s. Just a few blocks down the street, for example, prices are almost double, with the smallest houses starting at about C$100,000.
“It’s a great secret that you can live in a house worth hundreds of thousands that costs a fraction of that,” Stone says.
Newcomers to Georgestown are looking for more than just bargain property, however. Most say they also like the neighbouhood’s diverse and close-knit feel, which is due in part to some concentrated rebuilding after a catastrophic fire in 1892. “With the fire, 5,000 people were left homeless overnight, so, when they rebuilt the area, wherever there was empty space there were houses being put up,” explains Sheila Coates, who recently moved to the area and is now an active member of Georgestown’s neighbourhood association.
The proximity of the residences creates a sense of community not only physically but also socially, she adds. There are annual flea markets and barbecues and neighbours get together more regularly at venues such as the Georgetown pub with its Monday night karaoke, “You can rarely walk the streets without chatting with someone you know, especially when you visit somewhere like the bakery.”
In fact, the Georgestown bakery was Coates’s introduction to the neighbourhood. Its trademark chocolate-and- cranberry bread is a favourite throughout St John’s and both locals and outsiders queue up for it on weekend mornings. “I only moved to this area last May and never really ventured into it except for the Saturday foray to the bakery but now I am settling in and am happily making it my home,” Coates says.
Another point of Georgestown pride is its tradition of houses being painted in an array of vibrant colours, from turquoise with pink trim to yellow with deep purple accents. “My theory is that, back in the day, the way you painted your boat is the way you painted your house,” says Andrew Draskoy, a local resident. Draskoy paid C$90,000 for his four-bedroom, three-storey house in 1994 and invested another C$23,000 in renovations. “What I was looking for was the location. I wanted a nice old house that I could fix up and I also wanted a garden. Living downtown, that is pushing your wishes a bit,” he says.
Georgestown was perfect because it was historic and inexpensive but still only about five blocks away from some of St John’s amenities – important for Draskoy, since he does not own a car. These coffee shops, clothing boutiques and restaurants are less accessible in winter, when the city is hit with regular snowstorms and 5ft drifts are not uncommon. But even this can be a bonding experience for Georgestown residents; instead of complaining about the lack of snowploughs, they just grab their shovels.
Part of the reason for the recent growth in the neighbourhood’s population is a booming oil industry that has attracted many young professionals to Newfoundland and to St John’s. “It’s rather interesting because the oil people coming from Alberta with their young families tend to want to live in the suburbs,” Stone says, “but the workers coming in from Europe seem to like the older homes.”
Incoming buyers tend to be quite different from those who have been there for years and even generations. But locals say that the mix is working so far. Kingsley Lofts, a new development from Signature Homes, is a fine example of Georgestown’s fusion of old and new. Completed 18 months ago, it uses the shell of an old warehouse to house five heritage-style lofts with high-tech amenities. “We saw a lot more merit leaving the building in its environment,” says Andrew Ryan of Signature Homes. “But we did put a modern spin on it, while embracing what’s here in the neighbourhood.”
The lofts, which feature large windows, high ceilings, exposed industrial-looking wood beams, art deco concrete exteriors, parking and private entrances, were priced from C$240,000 for the smallest to C$395,000 for an upper unit with a roof-top deck and 360° views of St John’s and its harbour. Four of five have already sold. “The development worked well because this is one of the last areas that has the charm and the [proximity] to downtown that we wanted and there is an eclectic mix of characters in the neighbourhood,” says Ryan, who purchased and moved into one of the residences himself. “I have lived in and around this area for most of my life and it’s all about the location and the mixture.”
Other buyers have been “professionals but not really young professionals, more like couples in their 30s and 40s”, he adds. “It’s not necessarily families because it’s not really a family building.”
Not all of Georgestown’s conversion and development projects are successful, however. Another row of just-built houses on Catharine Street sits virtually empty. Some locals say it is too “cookie cutter” others think it is too highly priced.
More generally, the spectre of gentrification brings a mixed reaction. Some say the influx of new, wealthier residents is causing Georgestown to lose its gritty, eccentric character. Stone disagrees, arguing that St John’s neighbourhoods have always been mixed. “Historically the worker lived on one corner and the boss on the other,” he says.
Rising property taxes are another point of contention. “Houses sometimes deteriorate because [the owners] do not want to put money into renovations because they don’t want their taxes to go up,” says Elizabeth-Anne Malischewski, secretary of the Georgestown neighbourhood association. As a result, it’s easy to find a property in a state of abject disrepair next to one that is loved and cared-for and worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Malischewski thinks that is part of Georgestown’s charm. There are no clear dividers between prosperity and poverty. Of course, with house prices continuing to rise, she and other residents acknowledge that the neighbourhood might not stay that way for long.
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