Thursday, 23 April 2015
On the train in the....snow!
Yes, there are snowflakes in the air as I look out the window as we slowly leave downtown Montreal. It's April 23 and looks more like November 23 outside! In the gritty industrial area just west of the downtown, the grey of the Canada Maltage elevator or the landmark Five Roses Flour mill almost match the colour of the sky. I'm enjoying a good look at the railway yard as we're in some odd shuffling pattern as we leave it. After two nights of bad sleep on a bad mattress, I'm looking forward to being back at "my home" as my five year old nephew would call it.
Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Bakeries and the budget
It was a busy day for me here in Montreal. I spent most of it at two different archives. Fortunately, things went much faster than I had scheduled for and so I will be returning home a full day earlier. I hope my next visit to Montreal is for more entertaining purposes. It was a hectic day, so there really is no great restaurant review to make, although I highly recommend any location of Mamie Calfoutis bakery. I grabbed a croissant sandwich at the rue St-Denis location and it was excellent, as was the tarte au sucre.
I have not had a chance to share my reaction to the federal budget. I decided to think about it for a short while and let it digest before saying anything. Trust me, this was not easy. I have great difficulty digesting just about anything that comes from the Harper government. They have given much of the country a long, miserable case of heartburn. Forget the oil pipelines, what we really need is a pipeline to supply us all with a liquid antacid.
If you are rich, like the rich, and really like war, this is a great budget for you. It provides more of the same usual tax cuts and credits for those at the top, and continues the tradition of bribing people with their own money by telling them they'll get some of it back as along as they pay it first. There's a few million in there for an unjust and immoral conflict Canada has no part in. The Conservatives will argue though that these radicals in the Middle East have declared war on Canada. The truth is, they've declared war on just about everyone who isn't like them. Violent and threatening, yes. Worth being concerned about, absolutely, but going to war over? No. The government should be looking after the problems here at home, not somewhere else. We have enough social, political, and economic problems of our own to look after. I'd like to know why in the city where I'm spending the night as I type this, there are people living in mansions in some neighbourhoods, but people sleeping on doorsteps in others? Why is there no inquiry into all of those aboriginal women who have gone missing or were mysteriously murdered?
Mr. Oliver, the Finance Minister says he balanced the budget. At what expense did he do this though? He robbed the government's contingency fund of $2 billion, two-thirds of its balance. That fund is there for when there are real emergencies that the government needs to pay for. A major natural disaster or apprehended civil unrest is an emergency, balancing the budget to make your corrupt party look good in an election year is not. Some funding announced in the budget does not take effect for four or five years either. This is nothing but a selfish, partisan trick. The Conservatives are dangling a rotten carrot on a stick in front of you. Vote for us, we may do something nice in a couple of years...if we feel like it...but we could change our minds.
It's nearly time for tea and then time for bed.
I have not had a chance to share my reaction to the federal budget. I decided to think about it for a short while and let it digest before saying anything. Trust me, this was not easy. I have great difficulty digesting just about anything that comes from the Harper government. They have given much of the country a long, miserable case of heartburn. Forget the oil pipelines, what we really need is a pipeline to supply us all with a liquid antacid.
If you are rich, like the rich, and really like war, this is a great budget for you. It provides more of the same usual tax cuts and credits for those at the top, and continues the tradition of bribing people with their own money by telling them they'll get some of it back as along as they pay it first. There's a few million in there for an unjust and immoral conflict Canada has no part in. The Conservatives will argue though that these radicals in the Middle East have declared war on Canada. The truth is, they've declared war on just about everyone who isn't like them. Violent and threatening, yes. Worth being concerned about, absolutely, but going to war over? No. The government should be looking after the problems here at home, not somewhere else. We have enough social, political, and economic problems of our own to look after. I'd like to know why in the city where I'm spending the night as I type this, there are people living in mansions in some neighbourhoods, but people sleeping on doorsteps in others? Why is there no inquiry into all of those aboriginal women who have gone missing or were mysteriously murdered?
Mr. Oliver, the Finance Minister says he balanced the budget. At what expense did he do this though? He robbed the government's contingency fund of $2 billion, two-thirds of its balance. That fund is there for when there are real emergencies that the government needs to pay for. A major natural disaster or apprehended civil unrest is an emergency, balancing the budget to make your corrupt party look good in an election year is not. Some funding announced in the budget does not take effect for four or five years either. This is nothing but a selfish, partisan trick. The Conservatives are dangling a rotten carrot on a stick in front of you. Vote for us, we may do something nice in a couple of years...if we feel like it...but we could change our minds.
It's nearly time for tea and then time for bed.
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
La Binerie et l'anniversaire de la Reine
Personne ne pouvait m’accuser d'être un dîner de discrimination. Et ce
cliché urbaine « foodie » n'a jamais été utilisé pour décrire mon souci
sur la cuisine, ne est pas sur mon propre vocabulaire.
Je passe quelques jours à Montréal pour la recherche et je suis bien sûr de manger dans les restaurants beaucoup plus souvent que je fais à Gatineau et à Ottawa. Mon budget est limité et est donc mon penchant pour les offres culinaires aventureux.
Un livret dans la salle au petit hôtel où je reste sur la rue St-Denis énumère plusieurs options de restauration. Sous la section «Cuisine locale« Je ai remarqué Restaurant La Binerie Mont-Royal, situé sur l'avenue Mont-Royal. J’ai regardé leur site Web et les commentaires en ligne et a décidé de lui donner un essai. Comme son nom l'indique, fèves au lard sont leur spécialité. Ils ont été les servir depuis 1938. Cependant, je ne suis pas un fan de fèves au lard alors je ai décidé d'essayer les nombreuses autres options. Ce restaurant se targue de plaine, une cuisine home stylé de Québécois. L'intérieur de cette reflète complètement l'intention. La largeur du restaurant est probablement seulement environ 20 pieds. La plupart des sièges est au comptoir, même si j’ai un tableau sur le mur opposé qui était seulement environ deux pieds de large. Les sièges comme se ils avaient été faites comme un projet samedi par un membre de la famille du propriétaire en utilisant des matériaux achetés dans un magasin de matériel régulière. Derrière le comptoir, il y avait murales vieilles plaques murales comme une grand-mère aurait accroché au long de sa maison. Il y avait même un crucifix accroché au-dessus de la porte à l'arrière-cuisine. On s'y sent vraiment comme chez quelqu'un. Il ne avait pas été pour le moniteur de l'ordinateur et la machine de débit par l'argent, l'endroit ressemble c’est 1956, Maurice "Le Chef" Duplessis est encore Premier ministre (ils utilisent le titre complet ici) du Québec, «La famille Plouffe» est le la plus populaire émission à la télévision, et tout le monde va à la messe au moins une fois par semaine. Il y a même un cadran rotatif téléphone noir derrière le comptoir. J’ai demandé à la serveuse si elle fonctionne et elle a dit oui. J’ai encore une utilisation à mon appartement à Gatineau aussi. Le mur opposé était couvert de lithographies de la vie en Nouvelle-France.
J’ai décidé sur les boulettes de viande et de la sauce avec pommes de terre et les légumes en purée. Je suis allé pour le repas complet qui était une grande valeur, à venir à un peu moins de $ 14,00 après la taxe de vente. La soupe aux pois qui sont venus avant c’était le meilleur que je n’aie jamais eu. Il n'a pas le goût que la pâte de papier peint Habitant soupe aux pois d'un peut manger Je me souviens comme un gosse. Elle n'a pas non goût de ce que salé, opaque soupe aux pois vert Je ai également eu. Le plat principal vraiment regardé et goûté comme quelque chose qui aurait pu être servi dans toute la maison. Après une journée qui était parfois stressant, nourriture de confort est en effet réconfortant. Trois grandes boulettes de viande qui a effectivement montré des preuves qu'il y avait de la vraie viande en eux. Sauce brune qui était de toute évidence maison. Deux boules de pommes de terre en purée réels. Je pourrais dire qu'ils étaient réels parce qu'il y avait effectivement des morceaux de pomme de terre non-purée en eux. Les légumes ont été coupées en cubes de carottes et le navet. C'était bien. Je sais que les «foodies» et hipsters se moquer de cette dérision, mais c’était fantastique. Le dessert était fait maison de pouding chomeur, ce doux pudding gâteau moelleux dans une sauce de l'érable à sucre brun. Café ou thé a été inclus. J’ai choisi le thé. Je me attendais à Red Rose ou Salada (il est fait à Montréal), mais ce était ironiquement Twinings Earl Grey, mélangé et emballé à Londres en Angleterre, et aussi "rendez-vous à Sa Majesté la Reine." Il semblait tout à fait approprié, je suppose puisque c’est aujourd'hui son 89 e anniversaire réel. Je suis un monarchiste prudent. Je respecte l'institution et ce que cela signifie, mais la générosité et l'élitisme sein ne m’impressionne pas beaucoup du tout. J’aime Elizabeth II cependant, en raison de sa longévité, la foi et la persévérance.
Donc, je ai terminé ma tasse de thé ironique et payé la dame type derrière le comptoir et je ai marché par à l'hôtel. C’était un petit morceau de l'authentique Québec et authentique Montréal. La Binerie Mont-Royal a enduré des décennies de changement dans la société québécoise et les préférences des restaurants convives. C’est tellement réconfortant de trouver un endroit qui fournit de la nourriture de confort d'une manière réconfortante.
Je passe quelques jours à Montréal pour la recherche et je suis bien sûr de manger dans les restaurants beaucoup plus souvent que je fais à Gatineau et à Ottawa. Mon budget est limité et est donc mon penchant pour les offres culinaires aventureux.
Un livret dans la salle au petit hôtel où je reste sur la rue St-Denis énumère plusieurs options de restauration. Sous la section «Cuisine locale« Je ai remarqué Restaurant La Binerie Mont-Royal, situé sur l'avenue Mont-Royal. J’ai regardé leur site Web et les commentaires en ligne et a décidé de lui donner un essai. Comme son nom l'indique, fèves au lard sont leur spécialité. Ils ont été les servir depuis 1938. Cependant, je ne suis pas un fan de fèves au lard alors je ai décidé d'essayer les nombreuses autres options. Ce restaurant se targue de plaine, une cuisine home stylé de Québécois. L'intérieur de cette reflète complètement l'intention. La largeur du restaurant est probablement seulement environ 20 pieds. La plupart des sièges est au comptoir, même si j’ai un tableau sur le mur opposé qui était seulement environ deux pieds de large. Les sièges comme se ils avaient été faites comme un projet samedi par un membre de la famille du propriétaire en utilisant des matériaux achetés dans un magasin de matériel régulière. Derrière le comptoir, il y avait murales vieilles plaques murales comme une grand-mère aurait accroché au long de sa maison. Il y avait même un crucifix accroché au-dessus de la porte à l'arrière-cuisine. On s'y sent vraiment comme chez quelqu'un. Il ne avait pas été pour le moniteur de l'ordinateur et la machine de débit par l'argent, l'endroit ressemble c’est 1956, Maurice "Le Chef" Duplessis est encore Premier ministre (ils utilisent le titre complet ici) du Québec, «La famille Plouffe» est le la plus populaire émission à la télévision, et tout le monde va à la messe au moins une fois par semaine. Il y a même un cadran rotatif téléphone noir derrière le comptoir. J’ai demandé à la serveuse si elle fonctionne et elle a dit oui. J’ai encore une utilisation à mon appartement à Gatineau aussi. Le mur opposé était couvert de lithographies de la vie en Nouvelle-France.
J’ai décidé sur les boulettes de viande et de la sauce avec pommes de terre et les légumes en purée. Je suis allé pour le repas complet qui était une grande valeur, à venir à un peu moins de $ 14,00 après la taxe de vente. La soupe aux pois qui sont venus avant c’était le meilleur que je n’aie jamais eu. Il n'a pas le goût que la pâte de papier peint Habitant soupe aux pois d'un peut manger Je me souviens comme un gosse. Elle n'a pas non goût de ce que salé, opaque soupe aux pois vert Je ai également eu. Le plat principal vraiment regardé et goûté comme quelque chose qui aurait pu être servi dans toute la maison. Après une journée qui était parfois stressant, nourriture de confort est en effet réconfortant. Trois grandes boulettes de viande qui a effectivement montré des preuves qu'il y avait de la vraie viande en eux. Sauce brune qui était de toute évidence maison. Deux boules de pommes de terre en purée réels. Je pourrais dire qu'ils étaient réels parce qu'il y avait effectivement des morceaux de pomme de terre non-purée en eux. Les légumes ont été coupées en cubes de carottes et le navet. C'était bien. Je sais que les «foodies» et hipsters se moquer de cette dérision, mais c’était fantastique. Le dessert était fait maison de pouding chomeur, ce doux pudding gâteau moelleux dans une sauce de l'érable à sucre brun. Café ou thé a été inclus. J’ai choisi le thé. Je me attendais à Red Rose ou Salada (il est fait à Montréal), mais ce était ironiquement Twinings Earl Grey, mélangé et emballé à Londres en Angleterre, et aussi "rendez-vous à Sa Majesté la Reine." Il semblait tout à fait approprié, je suppose puisque c’est aujourd'hui son 89 e anniversaire réel. Je suis un monarchiste prudent. Je respecte l'institution et ce que cela signifie, mais la générosité et l'élitisme sein ne m’impressionne pas beaucoup du tout. J’aime Elizabeth II cependant, en raison de sa longévité, la foi et la persévérance.
Donc, je ai terminé ma tasse de thé ironique et payé la dame type derrière le comptoir et je ai marché par à l'hôtel. C’était un petit morceau de l'authentique Québec et authentique Montréal. La Binerie Mont-Royal a enduré des décennies de changement dans la société québécoise et les préférences des restaurants convives. C’est tellement réconfortant de trouver un endroit qui fournit de la nourriture de confort d'une manière réconfortante.
La Binerie and The Queen's Birthday
No one could accuse me of being a discriminating diner. And that urban cliché "foodie" has never been used to describe my keenness on cuisine, nor is it in my own vocabulary.
I'm spending a few days in Montreal for research and am of course eating in restaurants much more often than I do in Gatineau and Ottawa. My budget is limited and so is my penchant for adventurous culinary offerings.
A booklet in the room at the small hotel where I am staying on rue St-Denis lists several restaurant options. Under the "Local Cuisine" section I noticed Restaurant La Binerie Mont-Royal, located on Ave. Mont-Royal. I looked at their website and online reviews and decided to give it a try. As it's name suggests, baked beans are their speciality. They have been serving them since 1938. However, I am not a fan of baked beans so I decided to try the many other options. This restaurant prides itself on plain, homestyle Quebecois cuisine. The interior of this completely reflects the intention. The width of the restaurant is probably only about 20 feet. Most of the seating is at the counter, although I took a table on the opposite wall that was only about two feet wide. The seats looked like they had been made as a Saturday project by a member of the owner's family using materials purchased at a regular hardware store. Behind the counter there were wall old wall plaques like a grandmother would have hanging throughout her house. There was even a crucifix hanging above the door to the back kitchen. It really felt like someone's home. Had it not been for the computer monitor and debit machine by the cash, the place looks like it's 1956, Maurice "Le Chef" Duplessis is still Prime Minister (they use the full title here) of Quebec, "La famille Plouffe" is the most popular program on television, and everyone goes to Mass at least once a week. There's even a black rotary dial telephone behind the counter. I asked the waitress if it works and she said yes. I still have one in use at my apartment in Gatineau too. The opposite wall was covered in lithographs of life in New France.
I decided upon the meatballs and gravy with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I went for the complete meal which was a great value, coming to just under $14.00 after the sales tax. The pea soup that came before it was the best I'd ever had. It did not taste like that wallpaper paste Habitant pea soup from a can I remember eating as a kid. Nor did it taste like that salty, opaque green pea soup I have also had. The main course really looked and tasted like something that could have been served in any home. After a day that was at times stressful, comfort food is indeed comforting. Three large meatballs that actually showed evidence that there was real meat in them. Brown gravy that was obviously homemade. Two scoops of real mashed potatoes. I could tell they were real because there were actually chunks of un-mashed potato in them. The vegetables were cubed carrots and turnip. It was great. I know that the "foodies" and hipsters would scoff at this derisively, but it was fantastic. Dessert was homemade pouding chomeur, that sweet soft cake pudding in a maple-brown sugar sauce. Coffee or tea was included. I chose tea. I expected Red Rose or Salada (it's made in Montreal), but it was ironically Twinings Earl Grey, blended and packaged in London England, and also "By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen." It seemed quite fitting I suppose since today is her actual 89th birthday. I am a cautious monarchist. I respect the institution and what it means, but the largesse and elitism within it does not impress me very much at all. I do like Elizabeth II however because of her longevity, faith, and perseverance.
So I finished my ironic cup of tea and paid the kind lady behind the counter and walked by to the hotel. It was a small piece of authentic Quebec and authentic Montreal. La Binerie Mont-Royal has endured through decades of change in Quebec society and the preferences of restaurant diners. It's so comforting to find a place that provides comfort food in a comforting way.
I'm spending a few days in Montreal for research and am of course eating in restaurants much more often than I do in Gatineau and Ottawa. My budget is limited and so is my penchant for adventurous culinary offerings.
A booklet in the room at the small hotel where I am staying on rue St-Denis lists several restaurant options. Under the "Local Cuisine" section I noticed Restaurant La Binerie Mont-Royal, located on Ave. Mont-Royal. I looked at their website and online reviews and decided to give it a try. As it's name suggests, baked beans are their speciality. They have been serving them since 1938. However, I am not a fan of baked beans so I decided to try the many other options. This restaurant prides itself on plain, homestyle Quebecois cuisine. The interior of this completely reflects the intention. The width of the restaurant is probably only about 20 feet. Most of the seating is at the counter, although I took a table on the opposite wall that was only about two feet wide. The seats looked like they had been made as a Saturday project by a member of the owner's family using materials purchased at a regular hardware store. Behind the counter there were wall old wall plaques like a grandmother would have hanging throughout her house. There was even a crucifix hanging above the door to the back kitchen. It really felt like someone's home. Had it not been for the computer monitor and debit machine by the cash, the place looks like it's 1956, Maurice "Le Chef" Duplessis is still Prime Minister (they use the full title here) of Quebec, "La famille Plouffe" is the most popular program on television, and everyone goes to Mass at least once a week. There's even a black rotary dial telephone behind the counter. I asked the waitress if it works and she said yes. I still have one in use at my apartment in Gatineau too. The opposite wall was covered in lithographs of life in New France.
I decided upon the meatballs and gravy with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I went for the complete meal which was a great value, coming to just under $14.00 after the sales tax. The pea soup that came before it was the best I'd ever had. It did not taste like that wallpaper paste Habitant pea soup from a can I remember eating as a kid. Nor did it taste like that salty, opaque green pea soup I have also had. The main course really looked and tasted like something that could have been served in any home. After a day that was at times stressful, comfort food is indeed comforting. Three large meatballs that actually showed evidence that there was real meat in them. Brown gravy that was obviously homemade. Two scoops of real mashed potatoes. I could tell they were real because there were actually chunks of un-mashed potato in them. The vegetables were cubed carrots and turnip. It was great. I know that the "foodies" and hipsters would scoff at this derisively, but it was fantastic. Dessert was homemade pouding chomeur, that sweet soft cake pudding in a maple-brown sugar sauce. Coffee or tea was included. I chose tea. I expected Red Rose or Salada (it's made in Montreal), but it was ironically Twinings Earl Grey, blended and packaged in London England, and also "By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen." It seemed quite fitting I suppose since today is her actual 89th birthday. I am a cautious monarchist. I respect the institution and what it means, but the largesse and elitism within it does not impress me very much at all. I do like Elizabeth II however because of her longevity, faith, and perseverance.
So I finished my ironic cup of tea and paid the kind lady behind the counter and walked by to the hotel. It was a small piece of authentic Quebec and authentic Montreal. La Binerie Mont-Royal has endured through decades of change in Quebec society and the preferences of restaurant diners. It's so comforting to find a place that provides comfort food in a comforting way.
The land where boundaries are blurred
The flat land just west of Montreal near the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers is one of my favourite places. Looking across the fields and one could easily think he was in Perth County in southwestern Ontario. There are lots of big barns and dairy farms. The only difference is that the fields are narrow remnants of the old seigneuries that formed the basis of contemporary Quebec's municipal and property boundaries back in the French colonial days. I like this area because I can look out of one window and see to my right the Adirondack Mountains off in the distance in New York State. To the east I can see the Monteregian hills which lead into the Green Mountains of Vermont. To the north are the Laurentians. Straight ahead is where two rivers that served as Canada's early highways of trade meet. And of course there's Montreal, the colourful, cosmopolitan, and often quirky or corrupt metropolis with a big personality. This area is more than a confluence of waterways, mountains, and fertile fields. It's where explorers traveled, it's where colonists colonized. It's where those rivers were harnessed at Carillon, Cedars, and Beauharnois for electricity. It's the nexus of the St. Lawrence Seaway too. There's a sense of connectivity and commonality in this corner of the country. The boundaries are there, but they seem blurred. Provinces run together, countries are differentiated, but only out of official necessity. History and economy seem to transcend them.
On the train
I'm on the train to Montreal for a few days of research. Half of the car is occupied by a well-behaved group of middle schoolers from Edmonton. They're on a grade 8 trip. One of their chaperones joked to me "we're the rowdy bunch." I've hardly heard a word from any of them since we left the station eight minutes ago. The funniest comments I heard are; "Our parents cheaped-out. If they had just paid a little extra we could have gone first class." " I hear that in first class, you get a free bag of chips."
I love traveling by train. The scenery seems different, more natural than it does by car. We're moving along through forest and swamp at the back of Eastern Ontario farms. Ploughed fields are still muddy, rivers and brooks still running high with rain and runoff. Enough of the romanticism though. Why is this form of transport so under-appreciated and under-funded in Canada? I'm going to Montreal. I'm staying and working downtown while I am there. The last thing I want to do is deal with the traffic and construction on the highways and city streets. The price of parking is ridiculous too. This is the way to go.
On a more serious note, I want to thank so many of my facebook contacts for their support yesterday after the controversy over my grading-related posts. Your support and sincerity as friends, family and colleagues was encouraging and affirming.
I love traveling by train. The scenery seems different, more natural than it does by car. We're moving along through forest and swamp at the back of Eastern Ontario farms. Ploughed fields are still muddy, rivers and brooks still running high with rain and runoff. Enough of the romanticism though. Why is this form of transport so under-appreciated and under-funded in Canada? I'm going to Montreal. I'm staying and working downtown while I am there. The last thing I want to do is deal with the traffic and construction on the highways and city streets. The price of parking is ridiculous too. This is the way to go.
On a more serious note, I want to thank so many of my facebook contacts for their support yesterday after the controversy over my grading-related posts. Your support and sincerity as friends, family and colleagues was encouraging and affirming.
Sunday, 19 April 2015
The road map to beer
Change, and only in that cautious bureaucratic way that is typical of Ontario, is on the way for how beer is sold in that province. Soon, it will be possible to buy a case of beer at over 400 grocery stores across Ontario. If you are hoping that you'll soon be able to grab a can or bottle of your favourite brew at the variety store or gas station on the corner, forget it. That will not be happening. The tax Ontario beer drinkers pay will be going up too. The many retailers in Quebec or states who make a small fortune from selling cheap beer to Ontario residents are not likely in any jeopardy. This got me thinking though about a peculiar document I have in my collection of old road maps. During the late 1960's and early 1970's, Brewer's Retail (the official name of "The Beer Store") published road maps so travelers knew where they could buy beer wherever they were in Ontario.
The attitude towards drinking and driving was a lot different back then. In fact, most people did it to some extent. Warnings about drinking and driving do not appear anywhere on the map, but store hours and locations are all listed for customer convenience, along with brands available and price lists. The only warnings on the map are against littering and tell beer drinkers to take their empties back instead of tossing them into the forests and lakes (of course people were tossing them into ditches from their car windows too!)
There was not as great of a selection in 1972 as there is now. It was limited to the big corporate breweries, but there were more of them. Molson and Labatt's were still Canadian companies. Sleeman was still in its post-prohibition dormancy, only to be revived again in the early 1990's. There was Carling, O'Keefe, Dow, Formosa, and Doran's. All of these would disappear through merger's, takeovers, or simply just went out of business. Some of the names survive in brands produced by Labatt's or Molson. It was these consolidations that made The Beer Store far less competitive and responsive to customer preferences. This is what led to Brewer's Retail becoming completely anachronistic. That, and it was a relic from another time when the anti-alcohol lobby was much stronger and there was great skepticism about making it so easily available, even though there's no real proof that alcohol-related crime and social problems are any worse in places where the ability to purchase is easier.
The 1972 Brewer's Retail road map shows towns and cities with a Beer Store location highlighted in orange. Communities with a Liquor Control Board of Ontario store that sold beer are named inside an orange box. It was bad social policy but good marketing. A source once told me he remembered seeing these maps opened on the hoods of cars at baseball games and Junior Farmer's events so the thirsty could find the nearest place to buy beer. The drinking age had also been lowered to 18 in Ontario that year. There was a whole young demographic with cars who suddenly could buy beer legally.
This isn't the only promotional road map I have. Maps issued by oil companies always highlighted the locations of their gas stations. I even have a map of Ontario from the early 1980's that shows the location of every Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in the province. Even after over 30 years, it is still somewhat accurate. The same goes for the 1972 Ontario Road Map and Brewer's Retail Store Directory. Several photos of it follow.
The attitude towards drinking and driving was a lot different back then. In fact, most people did it to some extent. Warnings about drinking and driving do not appear anywhere on the map, but store hours and locations are all listed for customer convenience, along with brands available and price lists. The only warnings on the map are against littering and tell beer drinkers to take their empties back instead of tossing them into the forests and lakes (of course people were tossing them into ditches from their car windows too!)
There was not as great of a selection in 1972 as there is now. It was limited to the big corporate breweries, but there were more of them. Molson and Labatt's were still Canadian companies. Sleeman was still in its post-prohibition dormancy, only to be revived again in the early 1990's. There was Carling, O'Keefe, Dow, Formosa, and Doran's. All of these would disappear through merger's, takeovers, or simply just went out of business. Some of the names survive in brands produced by Labatt's or Molson. It was these consolidations that made The Beer Store far less competitive and responsive to customer preferences. This is what led to Brewer's Retail becoming completely anachronistic. That, and it was a relic from another time when the anti-alcohol lobby was much stronger and there was great skepticism about making it so easily available, even though there's no real proof that alcohol-related crime and social problems are any worse in places where the ability to purchase is easier.
The 1972 Brewer's Retail road map shows towns and cities with a Beer Store location highlighted in orange. Communities with a Liquor Control Board of Ontario store that sold beer are named inside an orange box. It was bad social policy but good marketing. A source once told me he remembered seeing these maps opened on the hoods of cars at baseball games and Junior Farmer's events so the thirsty could find the nearest place to buy beer. The drinking age had also been lowered to 18 in Ontario that year. There was a whole young demographic with cars who suddenly could buy beer legally.
This isn't the only promotional road map I have. Maps issued by oil companies always highlighted the locations of their gas stations. I even have a map of Ontario from the early 1980's that shows the location of every Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in the province. Even after over 30 years, it is still somewhat accurate. The same goes for the 1972 Ontario Road Map and Brewer's Retail Store Directory. Several photos of it follow.
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