by George Doi
During World War II, George Doi and his parents and siblings were imprisoned in an internment camp at Bay Farm in Slocan. After they were released, father and sons went into the logging business in the Slocan Valley. The family also ran Mae’s Snack Bar in Nelson. In 1961 Doi joined the BC Forest Service, serving in various locations in the Kootenays. Promotions eventually led him to management positions in Vancouver. He lives in Langley. — Editor
When I visited Nelson this past summer, I was amazed to see how much your city had changed since the 1950s. While driving back to the coast I thought back what those days were like, musing nostalgically. (I will purposely name names so that they too can reminisce with me.)
I remember Baker Street on weekends was always crowded. The shoppers were mainly from the outskirts and the Slocan Valley. Restaurants like Diamond Grill, Standard Café and even Shamrock Grill on Vernon Street were continuously full and customers would come in then walk out not being able to find an empty table. Fred Wah, the Diamond Grill owner, was forever on the go, helping to serve customers and manning the till. His charismatic disposition attracted many even to just come in for coffee so they could talk to him.
It seemed to me that everybody was walking briskly and with a purpose – to shop, to eat, to take in a matinee or go to the Queens.
While I was talking with a friend across from Queens Hotel, we saw big Alec coming out of the bar. My friend said, “You know that guy just finished drinking 100 glasses of beer on a bet, all at one sitting.” I couldn’t believe it! I have a hard time drinking 2 glasses… We watched Alec and he wasn’t staggering, but he did look uncomfortable walking with a distended stomach.
My business in town was usually to go to Mac’s Welding & Equipment on Railway Street to buy power chain saw parts and chat for few minutes with Fritz and Alex then rush to shop at Hipperson’s or Wood Vallance hardware store.
Sometimes I would drop in at Peebles Motors and Sinnerud Truck and Tractor to see their latest displays before heading home to Slocan City, as I had to go back to camp the next day.
On Saturdays, we would see Earle driving up and down Baker Street in his soft-top convertible, honking his horn and waving at us. He was always cheerful and spoke with a bubbly voice. And you would see Ben McCreight, the pole broker, at the corner of Ward and Baker, looking to make a business deal.
As a matter of fact, he bought two carloads of hardwood pilings from me at that corner. He was an expert at handling a peavey.
The local chiropractor, Bill Murphy, was spearheading a group to build a ski hill and he mentioned to me about needing help from someone with a power saw to cut down the brush on the slope. My brother, Larry, and I volunteered and I believe we spent a couple of weekends cutting, piling and burning the piles. I think there was a mine up above and the ski hill was named after it. We were not skiers.
Besides the summer bonspiel, big name entertainers like The Grand Ole Opry with Kitty Wells and the wrestling team starring Andre the Giant drew huge crowds. Our Mae’s Snack Bar, located next to the theatre was always packed. Of course when the Penticton Vees came to town the traffic and the streets were clogged and everybody seemed excited and serious discussions would start many days before the game.
The three Warwick brothers drew the fans and having won the 1955 World Hockey Tournament the crowd got even bigger. I recently heard that Ivan McLelland the Vees’ goalie is still as popular as ever, in Penticton.
Whenever I had the time, I would go to the Civic Centre gymnasium and practice judo. Michael Price from the Calgary Judo Club would be there and we had a great time perfecting our timing and balance. Gerhart Renke, a European Champion, later started the Nelson Judo Club. He was aggressive and lightning fast. I really enjoyed those moments.
In the open court in one end of the gym Blondie Johnson, a Greyhound bus driver and Sandy Fraser, a RCMP constable, would be lifting weights and they would ask me to join them. Of course what they wanted was a spotter at the end of the bar because they were lifting hundreds of pounds. Like every Greyhound driver in those days, Blondie had a very pleasant personality and Sandy was the same. Two other bus drivers, Pat Patterson and Jerry Altman, drove the Slocan run and they too were exceptionally courteous.
I used to talk to Joe Johnson a lot in the 1950s. He was the recreation director at the Civic Centre. He was a professional soccer player, having played in England and on the California team. One weekend we drove across the line with a soccer ball and after our fill of chasing the ball, we decided to go into a tavern to buy some pop.
We left little Danny in the car and Joe had already gone in. I opened the door to enter the bar and I saw the bartender talking to Joe. I couldn’t hear what was said but Joe was leaving. He was livid, shaking his head and muttering, “I can’t understand some people,” and briskly walked out. I asked him, “why, what did he say?” “He said that he’ll serve me but not you.” There was a moment of silence then Joe with clenched fists chortled, “At least we didn’t give him our business!”
He went on to become the recreation director at Marpole in Vancouver and later was the UBC soccer coach.
Ernie Gare, the ex Nelson Maple Leaf player, took over Joe Johnson’s job. I had several interesting chats with Ernie and he talked about growing up with friends that played in the NHL.
Having had the opportunity to work in Nelson for short periods of time, like in 1957 for Williscroft Construction who got the contract to enlarge the curling rink, Tearoe Construction of North Vancouver to build the Safeway store in Fairview, to work in the Woods Research Department for Kootenay Forest Products and in 1957 for Dutton-Williams that laid the natural gas pipeline from Nelson to Rossland (and beyond), I got to know many interesting people and I often wondered how they were all doing.
Now with the major employers gone, like the Canadian Pacific Railway, Kootenay Forest Products, the Greyhound Bus Depot and Passmore Lumber Co., it seems the whole West Kootenay had changed drastically. I know this has happened as well in many other communities throughout British Columbia.
Whenever I drove by Passmore on early Saturday mornings headed for Nelson, I would see white smoke lazily rising from the chimneys of houses along the highway. I would say to myself, “Well, the Passmore families – Obaras, Yonemuras, Nishimuras and Machidas – are getting ready to head for the big city”, and for sure by 10 a.m. I would see them feeding the parking meters as the hustling and bustling of cars and people start filling up Baker Street.