Mary B.
AUDIO INTERVIEW
SUMMARY
September 3, 2015
00:17 PERSONAL INFORMATION: She moved into the neighbourhood in 1972.
00:45 NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET LIFE / DEMOGRAPHICS: There have been changes on her street.
01:50 PROFESSIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC: She talks about the jobs people in her neighbourhood held.
02:16 NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET LIFE: Mary talks about requiring a high income to buy a house now - that the neighbourhood has lost some of the mix.
02:37 Renters: She observes that there used to be more renters, extended families, shared houses, and older people renting part of house out for income.
03:10 DEMOGRAPHICS: She talks about a wave every 30-40 years from older to younger families. She has observed that the area has gone upscale, including the shops on St. Clair.
03:45 SHOPS: She talks about the stores along St. Clair including the fruit and vegetable stands and shoe stores.
04:12 CHILDREN: Da Maria corner Convenience was at the NE corner of Rushton Rd and St. Clair. Maria knew the kids so they could pick up milk and pay the next day.
04:54 NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET LIFE: Mary considers this still a very welcoming neighbourhood and she finds the shopkeepers go out of their way for customers.
05:04 SHOPS: She remarks on the recent proliferation of coffee shops and the change it has brought to the neighbourhood.
05:20 Dominion Stores: There were once two of them: one where McDonald’s is and another where No Frills now stands.
06:18 ENTERTAINMENT / RECREATION: She remembers a theatre and the Bowling Alley.
07:32 LIBRARIES: Mary has been a frequent user of the Wychwood Library. She describes her library experience and the home library service, with its little truck that delivered books to her.
08:54 NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET LIFE: Half of the driveways used to be empty. Nowadays many people own two cars.
09:25 PARKS: When they moved in there was a lack of green space nearby.
09:50 PARKS / ACTIVISM: Mary describes the effort and the grassroots activism it took to create Humewood Park. This involved having plans for condos overturned. Nine houses on Humewood Dr. and Pinewood Ave. were demolished.
11:10 Mary explains her involvement in updating Humewood Park.
13:15 POLITICIANS/ WORK: She worked at City Hall so she knew the councillors personally. She names a few of the politicians that were active in her time at City Hall: Ben Nobleman, David Rottenberg, Mike Colle and David Crombie
13:50 ACTIVISM: She believes it takes many people working together to create change: “That’s what keeps and makes a community.”
14:18 SCHOOLS: She talks about Humewood School and the 1972 construction of its new building.
15:22 She offers her thoughts on the Open Concept plan - that not all children function well in it.
15:44 They moved their son to Forest Hill Public School and carpooled.
18:00 RAVINE: She speaks a little about the ravine. The steep entrance of Cedarvale Ravine made access difficult with young kids. She went there more often once she became a dog owner.
18:35 PARKS: She found Humewood Park to be a more accessible location for her than the ravine.
19:18 NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET LIFE: Currently there are more dogs and kids on the street than before. It is an open friendly neighbourhood with well maintained homes.
20:20 NEIGHBOURHOOD / DOMESTIC LIFE: 60 - 70% of women stayed at home in earlier times. It was a very friendly street -- she could borrow an onion to make dinner. They shared coffee on porches. She considers it to be just as friendly today.
22:25 SHOPS / NEIGHBOURHOOD / STREET LIFE: When she was injured, shopkeepers and neighbours offered to bring her groceries.
23:05 She remarks on the feeling of her neighbourhood: “it’s like a little village” - she can’t imagine living elsewhere.
23:40 She comments on change in the neighbourhood - she sees nothing negative in it.
24:48 POLITICIANS / CIVIC GOVERNMENT: She laments the change in the way politicians interact with their constituents. They used to take a more hands-on approach. They always cared if somebody pushed the buttons -- that hasn’t changed. There didn’t used to be a Community Office: it was City Hall 2nd floor. She mentions Joe Piccinnini making popcorn. She misses the smaller hands-on system of the 60s, 70s and 80s.
27:16 WYCHWOOD BARNS: When Mary moved to the area streetcars were being repaired at the Wychwood Barns. She would like to see it now as more of a community hub, especially for Seniors. She sees a lack of services for seniors in this area.