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Retro Canada

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Retro Canada

Snippets of Canada, Canadiana prior to year '99. Interesting photos & posts not necessarily seen in your history books. Find us on YouTube!

A fun collection of photo stories where you can briefly read & learn about what Canada was like in the past.

05/14/2023

At 6 p.m. on Dec. 16, 1953, Vancouver got local television.

Photo: A night shot of the neon lights along Granville Street in 1955 overlaid with CBC Vancouver's old logo.

Courtesy: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/this-week-in-history-1953-vancouvers-first-television-station-starts-broadcasting/wcm/dd528740-ab98-4b35-9f68-850101783509/amp/

05/13/2023

Toronto Toros, ice hockey team (1973-'76)

The Toronto Toros were an ice hockey team based in Toronto that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1976.

The Toros played home games at Maple Leaf Gardens and Varsity Arena.

Excerpted from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Toros

05/11/2023

Talent Caravan (ca. 1950's-early '60's) - CBC series was like an early version of American Idol, except it had weekly winners who were decided by viewers sending in postcards.

Gordon Lightfoot also appeared on CBC's Talent Caravan with his singing partner Terry Whelan.

Excerpted from: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/look-back-at-gordon-lightfoot-s-early-days-as-a-famous-country-dancer-1.4906786

05/08/2023

Music Hop (1963-1967) Canadian television series hosted by Alex Trebek and Dave Mickie.

Pop and rock music was featured in this series for youth, essentially a Canadian version of American Bandstand.

A pre-famous Gordon Lightfoot performed on Music Hop in the early '60's. Canada's first teen idol Bobby Curtola also was on the show in 1963.

Excerpted from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Hop
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/look-back-at-gordon-lightfoot-s-early-days-as-a-famous-country-dancer-1.4906786

05/07/2023

Bonimart pop made in Canada. Bonimart was a discount store in Quebec. In other provinces they operated as Towers department stores. They became defunct in 1991.

Excerpted from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towers_Department_Stores

05/06/2023

Johnny Canuck and the Vancouver Canucks

Originally a political cartoon then a super hero in the 1940's, Johnny Canuck was redesigned in the 1960's to present the Vancouver Canucks NHL team. In 1970, they discontinued the lumberjack logo, in favour of the "Stick-in-Rink" logo.

Johnny again made a comeback in 1996; designed by Harold Berndt. Berndt released his logo redesign advocating that "Johnny Canuck" would make the best new logo for the Vancouver Canucks.

Beginning in 2008–09, the Canucks introduced "Johnny Canuck" on the shoulder patch of their third jersey.

In 2006, a vintage-inspired goaltender mask worn by Canucks' goaltender Roberto Luongo featured the older style "Johnny Canuck" logo.

In July 2021, the Canucks NHL organization announced, that their "Johnny Canuck" logo, would become the logo for their new AHL farm team, the Abbotsford Canucks, in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

In October 2022, the Canucks revealed their reverse retro jersey which featured Johnny Canuck as the logo.

Excerpted from : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Canuck

05/05/2023

Canadian Airlines International Ltd. (1987-2001)

Canadian Airlines International was Canada's second largest airline after Air Canada, carrying more than 11.9 million passengers to over 160 destinations in 17 countries on five continents at its height in 1996.

Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canadian Airlines served 105 destinations in Canada, more than any other airline.

Excerpted from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Airlines_International
https://www.ruudleeuw.com/rem-canadian.htm

05/04/2023

Wayne and Shuster, Canadian comedy duo (early 1940's-late '80's)

Formed by Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster, the duo were active from the early 1940s until the late 1980s - first on radio and then on both Canadian and American television.

Wayne and Shuster were born in the same neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, and met in grade school. They both studied at the University of Toronto, where they wrote and performed as "Shuster and Wayne".

By 1954, they hosted a regular comedy show on the CBC. In 1958, they signed a one-year contract with Ed Sullivan to appear regularly on The Ed Sullivan Show for $7,500 a show.

By the mid-60's The Wayne & Shuster Hour; their very own television show was born. They also debuted Canadian musicians such as The Guess Who.

Wayne and Shuster were well known in Canada, and were Ed Sullivan's most frequently recurring guests, appearing a record 67 times on his show.

Despite repeated suggestions that they should move to the United States to further their careers, the duo chose to stay in Canada.

By the late 1970s, critics were calling their comedy irrelevant and out of date, but their Canadian TV ratings remained strong. In 1980, CBC re-packaged their material into 80 half-hour specials that were syndicated worldwide.

The pair continued to produce comedy specials until Wayne's death from cancer in 1990.

Courtesy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_and_Shuster
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/boaty-mcboatface-vancouver-s-china-syndrome-yes-it-s-a-thing-two-waynes-and-a-shuster-1.3555806/two-waynes-and-a-shuster-1.3555870

05/02/2023

Country Hoedown (1956-'65) and Gordon Lightfoot

Country Hoedown was a Canadian country music television series which aired on CBC Television from 1956 to 1965.

Before Gordon Lightfoot was known as one of Canada's greatest songwriters, he was famous for another reason — as a square-dance singer.

From 1960-62, Lightfoot appeared on the CBC show Country Hoedown as a member of the Singin' Swingin' Eight.

Members of the Singin' Swingin' Eight were four men and four women.

Excerpted from: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/look-back-at-gordon-lightfoot-s-early-days-as-a-famous-country-dancer-1.4906786
https://www.nicholasjennings.com/country-lightfoot
https://etcanada.com/photos/304674/gordon-lightfoot-a-look-back/ -304680
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_Hoedown

05/01/2023

Hy's Steak Loft (Winnipeg), 1960's menu

Courtesy: https://vintagemenumania.com/products/1960s-original-vintage-menu-hys-steak-loft-winnipeg-manitoba-canada?variant=31137380401221

04/30/2023

Ed’s Warehouse Restaurant (mid-'60's-late '90's), Toronto

Ed’s Warehouse was once located at 266 King St W (at Ed Mirvish Way on the northeast corner) in Toronto’s Entertainment District.

In the early 1960s, Ed Mirvish, the founder of Honest Ed’s, had finished his restoration of the Royal Alexandra Theatre. At the time, that stretch of King St West was lonely, so Ed purchased the neighbouring Reid Building and converted it into a restaurant to attract patrons to the theatre.

A jacket and tie were required for men, and if you came without a tie, Ed supplied it. The décor of Ed’s Warehouse was an attraction in itself. It included antiques, red brocade, massive vases, various lamps including many Tiffany ones, red tablecloths, photos of celebrities and much more.

Over the decades, Ed acquired more warehouses along the section of King Street West and opened Ed’s Seafood, Ed’s Chinese, Ed’s Italian, Old Ed’s and Ed’s Folly. Ed’s Warehouse closed in the late 1990s, while Old’s Ed’s, the last of Ed’s remaining restaurants, closed in 2000.

Excerpted from: https://www.torontojourney416.com/eds-warehouse/

04/29/2023

Jasper National Park, AB - Souvenir booklet of fold-out postcards ca. 1940

Courtesy: http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/PC/010/PC010585?locale=fr

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