A Year in Canada
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Warmth
I think I have written nearly enough, but will just finish with a few impressions of Canada, things which have struck me in particular. Firstly, warmth of buildings on entering them. Even the railway stations; they have double doors, and on opening the inner pair a genial warmth is felt at once. Chris Quadling invited me to his rooms last night and showed me the heating system in the basement. A large tank of diesel oil is connected to a modified coke burner, and at intervals oil enters the burner and is lit, electrically. The whole apparatus is maintained by contract and it is the landlords duty to provide heating in all digs.
Henry, letter to parents, September 1957
I must say there’s a noticeable warmth on entering houses here. Rooms are kept at 70°F all the time, and it’s quite odd to wake up these autumn mornings with only enough bedclothes on for a high summer night!
Henry, letter to parents, October 1957
Have little use for pullovers. The system is, you see, that shirt-sleeve temperatures are maintained indoors, and in the really cold weather heavy overcoats are worn for normal outdoors, though for skiing, which I hope to take up later, pullovers are of use. One can’t remove a pullover every time one goes to a building!
Henry, letter to David, November 1957
The temperature yesterday never got above 15°F and it dropped to 1°F last night. But the temperatures are exactly as normal indoors.
Henry, letter to Dad, November 1957
Please find enclosed £5!! That’s to make sure you’re not economising on heating – in Ottawa I haven’t been cold since I’ve been here!
Henry, letter to parents, December 1957
Your letter came today with enclosure for which many thanks. I will certainly see that Mum is kept warm. We haven’t had any very cold weather yet, one or two days, then it turns beautiful and mild.
Dad, letter to Henry, December 1957
I should like to live in a house that was always warm.
Mum, letter to Henry, February 1958
Mum’s gloves came the other day and she is very pleased with them, they are nice and warm constructed for the climate of Canada I expect.
Dad, letter to Henry, February 1958
Board
Mum is very glad to hear that you are having your board provided as I think she is doubtful whether you pay sufficient attention to such minor details as meals.
Dad, letter to Henry, November 1957
I have a useful little bedroom to retire to and read or work, naturally always warm, and with a writing table and lamp – in some ways quite like Dave’s room at home, though twice as big. Downstairs, the (smaller) equivalents of our dining room and drawing room are made into one room, used by the whole family. It’s general in Canada to have these two rooms as one (like at 11 Deodar) and there’s often no door between these and the hall – there being no draughts to keep out.
Henry, letter to Dad, January 1958
Mrs Butterworth playing hymns on the piano just now. She’s a cheerful one. Nicer people than the B’s would be difficult to find indeed.
Henry, letter to Dad, February 1958
I posted a bottle of scent to Mum for Mother’s day (which over here is on 11th May) some time last week. Mrs B. (Paboo!) reminded me of this and suggested it – other wise I should never have been aware of the Day. Is it on 11th May in England? That was Mrs B.’s first success with me, her chief hobby (apart from telephoning one or the other of her three daughters!) being selling “Avon” products to various people in the district, she being the local Avon representative. She really enjoys doing this, and as she keeps 40% of the cost on all she sells it is quite profitable. I have steadfastly resisted buying shaving lotions, special soaps, deodorants, tooth-pastes etc., but was persuaded on this issue!
Henry, letter to Dad, May 1958
Thanks for your letter which was a bit later than usual as you explained. At the same time the postman left your present of a bottle of scent for Mum with which she was very pleased but I mustn’t mention that, because Mum thinks that it is something to write about and I mustn’t poach on her preserves!
Dad, letter to Henry, May 1958
Thank you very much for the perfume you so kindly sent me, it is very nice, and I am very pleased with it, such a dinky spray too.
Mum, letter to Henry, May 1958
Downstairs at the moment Mrs B. and grandson are playing some rock’n’roll, Mrs B. on piano and Leslie on guitar. Quite effective! John has very kindly gone after my laundry, which he forgot to collect from a multiple shop yeaterday; he had to phone the manager of the whole lot of stores and then find the address of the manageress of the particular one, and then collect the good lady by car and proceed to the shop, return her and then come back. All this he volunteered to do, and I was very glad because most of my shirts and best pair of trousers were there. Shows what a very good sort old John is.
Henry, letter to Dad, May 1958
Two of Mrs B.’s young nephews were in, young Jerry was however very naughty and eventually taken home. He said some Very Bad Words and later on telephoned his mum to say how badly he was faring and then quite broke down and cried into the telephone, which was really exceedingly funny! He’s only six. Leslie (14) is a real rock and roll fan. Listens to it all day on the radio, plays it on his guitar and also on an organ (electric chord organ) which John has on a trial week from the dealers. He was wearing a magnificent white coat with very broad lapels of black with gold thread amongst it, which he wears when he plays at night with his pals.
Henry, letter to parents, August 1958
Mum is very amused at your account of Mrs B.’s young nephews although grieved to think that one used some Very Bad Words!
Dad, letter to Henry, August 1958
St Lawrence Seaway
Yesterday I went to a place called Cornwall in the St Lawrence River to see the Ontario Hydro Power Project and the St Lawrence Seaway construction. A chap whom I met on the boat coming over has bought himself a Morris Minor, and he’d wanted to see this project, and asked if I’d like to go. It was a most interesting trip, we went first to Morrisburg on the St Lawrence, and then down the river bank to Cornwall, passing several derelict villages. These have been evacuated, because next year when the Power Dam is finished, some forty miles of the St Lawrence is going to be flooded with more water from another dam upstream to provide a large lake of water for constant power supply. The flooding will spread over several miles of land on he Canadian side, up to a new retaining dyke which is being built. The road we went along has been reconstructed the other side of the dyke, and next July the old road will be under the lake. The project is quite well publicised and free bus trips are run on to the actual dam building site from Cornwall (of which we took advantage!).
The whole scheme is being financed jointly by Canada and The U.S.A., which is on the other bank of the river, and which we could have entered if my friend had had his passport with him; and each nation will have half of the electrical power. The seaway, which is a vast canal for ships of 25,000 tons, is being built at the same time and there will be seven locks on it, five Canadian and two U.S.A. I mentioned before that some of the villages were empty. In some cases the houses themselves were actually moved, and the picture enclosed shows one such. We did meet one on the road (only a small one, but it occupied the entire road width), yesterday.
Henry, letter to Dad, November 1957
To-day, I went on a trip to the St Lawrence Seaway, partly in order to check the car on a medium ength trip before my tour of part of the U.S.A . which will begin on Monday 24th May. The car behaved very well, though is heavy on petrol!
Of the cafe wherein Pete Beckhouse and I had a snack last Autumn there was no sign. The whole of the main street of Morrisburg, in which the cafe was situated, is flat, bare, earth, which is shortly to be under the river St Lawrence. The sister town of Iroquais suffered more completely, it was levelled and rebuilt further away in modern style, with the characteristic North American shopping centre – an L shaped block of shops, and between the arms of the L one huge car park. I spent some time sitting on a bank and wandering about a lock on the present St Lawrence Canal, watching ships enter and leave the same. Does David know of the Ingrid (or was it the Irangard) Weider, a German boat from Flushing – already I’ve forgotten the names of the others, but Dave mey yet get copyright postcards of these ships! Thence up along old Highway No. 2, shortly to be flooded; along the side were layers of bricks where houses used to be, they can’t be left standing until the flood because they’d be a shipping hazard. Had a fine start, a heavy storm, and then a fine afternoon. It’s now like the English summer (!) 73° to-day though it drops to about 55° at night. Probably it’s the best time of the year to be out, as it’s the pre-mosquito season. May 24th is said to begin this.
Henry, letter to Dad, May 1958
Cars and Driving
The cars are mostly American. English cars look tiny beside them, even a Jaguar looks quite small.
Henry, letter to parents, September 1957
I have myself bought a car also, but have put it in the garage at John Butterworth’s [landlord] for the winter, as I’d like to learn to drive on roads free of ice and snow! John usually gets cars for Post-doctorate Fellows and so far all have been very well satisfied – he knows a friend who used to be in the business but had to retire owing to rheumatism. It’s a 1951 Standard Vanguard; the same make as Angus’s. This time of the year is the seasonal “low” in prices. Must say I’m looking forwar to learning to drive now, shouldn’t be difficult after motorcycling experience.
Henry, letter to Mum, December 1957
I’ll probably be learning to drive over Easter in the extensive Departmental Parking Lot – just haven’t found the time with all this week end skiing.
Henry, letter to Dad, March 1958
Skiing is almost at an end now, after the previous Saturday and Sunday’s excellent outings I decided to call it over this week-end and have some driving lessons – which I did Friday and yesterday. Bertram Griffiths, my “co-digger” took me out to the laboratory sites for instruction and practise, and yesterday I drove back to Parkdale from the practise. The motorcycling experience is proving very useful.
Henry, letter to parents, April 1958
Spent the week end driving my car, with Bert or John as “experienced drivers accompanying the learner in the front seat” as it might be put. I shall take a test soon.
Henry, letter to Dad, April 1958
I passed my driving test on Friday, it’s a good deal easier than I understand it to be in England. I was a bit surprised to get through because I stalled the motor coming to a stop on a short hill! The car is a Standard Vanguard, 1951, and rather “rattley” especially on Ottawa’s disgracefully uneven roads – I think the rear bumper is causing most of the noise and must get it dealt with. Otherwise it’s in pretty good shape.
Henry, letter to Dad, April 1958
I’m glad to hear you have passed your driving test and I’m very sorry to hear that Ottawa roads are so bad. They are always grumbling about English ones but it s nice to hear that there are worse.
Dad, letter to Henry, April 1958
Incidentally, the car’s running very well, must get a photo of myself with this impressive vehicle as evidence in later years that I once owned one!
Henry, letter to Dad, April 1958
I went to the Division the other morning in my car, just to do it once, though I much prefer the 15 minute walk. Compared with those I parked it near it does look a bit scruffy, much worse from behind than before. This is chiefly due to the rim of the boot having gone rusty; I think I shall have to put a rim of paint round this! Or, better, park it in a line of cars with the front end facing outward!
Henry, letter to Dad, May 1958
Which reminds me! I must take the Vanguard along to “minute Car-Wash” before I leave, and get them to put it on its Sunday best!
Henry, letter to Dad, May 1958
So Bob is having his test on 12th June. It’s much quicker over here. My test was conducted by a garage owner (officially appointed of course) who does the test in the evening. A few days is maximum one has to wait.
Henry, letter to Dad, May 1958
I’ve spent two evenings this week painting my car in preparation for selling it. I suppose I ought to have got round to painting it for my own use – especially now I see it nearly finished – a beautiful two-tone dark blue and light grey! Shall now be sorry to part with it, especially now it’s repaired in most essential parts – I bought it for 200 dollars in November, have had 250 dollars worth of repairs (including new differential, clutch, brakes, 2 tires, silencer, oil seals) and am hoping to get 300 or 350 dollars for it next month. If I were staying here I think I would buy a second hand American car, they are certainly more ruggedly built. But I’ve had a lot of pleasure out of this one.
Henry, letter to parents, July 1958
The photo showing the motorcar and its proud owner is very good. It is a nice car isn’t it, and I shouldn’t think it wouldn’t be much trouble to sell. I thought you had bought one, something like an Austin 7. Mum thought it was a very good photo of you, and she said “My little Timmie hasn’t altered a bit”! I told her that perhaps you had taken the opportunity to grow a beard but she was very pleased that you hadn’t! David was very impressed with the neat crease in your trousers!!!
Dad, letter to Henry, August 1958