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This building at the high-profile East Main and Burgar street intersection was home to the local daily newspaper for a few decades. But earlier in its history, as the photo shows, it was actually a “mini mall” in downtown Welland. (Photo courtesy Brian Garrard)
By Terry Hughes
Time can dull our senses of persons, places and things that we have encountered over the years but for some of us certain places stand out. Growing up, this intersection marked the beginning of downtown Welland.
The structure that dominated this intersection (East Main and Burgar) was Gram Bros. car dealership which sold a variety of cars. Pictured here, it stands as a Chrysler dealership and it would end as a General Motors business. It housed cars where they were repaired in a variety of situations. Cars could be stored on the roof by the use of an elevator. In 1954, it became the home of the Tribune until several years ago.
Next door was a Welland institution. It was the home of Ideal Fish and Chips. How many times did people stop in for a cone full of chips or an order of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, like after a ball game at nearby Burgar Park.
Across the street and to the right was Harry Holcomb’s Shoe Store and Hamilton and Ferguson’s Grocery. The latter became famous for their fried grasshoppers and chocolate-covered ants. Across the street on the south side stood a City Service Gasoline Station operated by the Baxter family. On the southwest corner for a long time were private homes but later, it was occupied by Welland Glass and Paint. Next door was Mason Kells that sold Hudson and later, Ford products.
But the most intriguing part of the image is in the centre of the street. Just look at that stop light! Two lenses facing each street versus that ‘Christmas tree’ of lights that adorn streets today. I can recall a similar traffic light at the intersection of Main and Duncan streets where the new provincial offences court now stands. There were no lenses for caution. As the lights changed both lights remained on for a short time and then it went to red. For those who were colour blind the words stop and go were painted in black on the lenses. Imagine……eight lenses controlling an intersection as opposed to twenty four!
I guess this tells us something about our driving habits today. Oh, and by the way, we didn’t need hooded lights to cross an intersection.
Next column: Ninety years and counting!
(Terry Hughes is a Wellander who is passionate about heritage, history and model railroading. His column, Heritage Lives, appears on the blog once or twice monthly.)
Snow is moving into the region as expected and will be heavy at times this evening before tapering off overnight. Motorists and commuters should plan for challenging road conditions for the commute this evening, and allow extra time to reach their destination.
WELLAND – The Coldest Night of the Year is a super-fun, family-friendly fundraiser for hungry, homeless, and hurting individuals and families across Canada. In Welland, the fundraiser benefits Open Arms Mission, an organization that has been serving the community of Welland for 30 years. Last year, the Coldest Night of the Year raised over $4 million for charities across Canada, including over $30,000 for hurting people in Welland. This year, we are looking to raise $45,000. We want to have 25 teams of 8-10 people who will seek to raise $200 each for a team total of $2000. Will you gather a team of friends, family, coworkers, church members or teammates to walk 2, 5 or 10km, fundraise for Open Arms Mission and feel a hint of the challenge faced by those experiencing poverty during the winter? To register your team, join a team or for more information, go to 
WELLAND – January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Dementia, a general term that refers to a variety of brain disorders, is caused by physical changes in the brain. Learn more about dementia, its impact on the brain, and how to keep your brain healthy with this information session presented by Denise Verreault, Director of Education for the Alzheimer Society of Niagara.
Lasting images of Michael Santone? Can’t forget his presence in brother Peter’s barber shop on King Street many years ago. One or the other, but mostly it was Mike, cut my hair. They were always short brush cuts in warm weather months, they were big in the 1950s.
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