Childhood Memories from Noranda, Quebec

The next morning, before Day 2 of our trip down Memory Lane, we had breakfast at the very delicious Chez-Oeufs. I had messaged them on Facebook to ask about a reservation and the owner quickly called me to welcome us and confirm the reservation. The next morning when we arrived, she shook hands with us and thanked us for making a reservation with them. Wow...that's service! The food was good and plentiful, and after breakfast, half of the group headed off to the smelter for a tour.

Jim, Joanne and I did some driving of our own. We headed to the smelter, where Joanne first worked in the lab as a summer student and Jim worked as a labourer. Small world, he met my father when he was working there as a student, and then both families ended up in Bathurst, NB in 1966.

The smelter celebrating over 90 years...

Look at that beautiful blue sky...we were so lucky with the weather on this weekend.

The entrance...nobody came running out of the security building when I was taking pictures. I guess they see all kinds of people.

A panoramic view...

Looking out at the railway station...

It's a huge plant...

We walked up 7th Street and down 8th Street while Joanne and Jim reminisced over what buildings used to house different businesses. I loved seeing the ads in Paul's Drug Store..."Players, Please" and Sweet Caporal cigarettes and good ol' cod liver oil.

Beautiful flowers and a sign for Murdoch Avenue, pretty much the only street I remember from growing up.

Everyone got back together for lunch and a family photo. We wore our Outcast Brewing shirts to let Patrick and Krysten know we were thinking of them and wished they were there.

This melts my heart...Jim and Dominic enjoying a laugh.

Some people headed off to the Botanic Park, while we went to visit my old home on Murdoch Avenue.

This is what it looked like in the 1960s...

And when we returned in 1999...

This is it today. It looks great! The lady coming out of the house asked if she could help us. No wonder...I'm sure we looked quite odd standing in front of her house taking pictures. When I explained in my best French why we were there and showed her a few photos I had with me, she graciously invited us in to show us the house. So kind. She has done a wonderful job with it. Her son and his family live in the other side of the duplex.

I showed her these photos of my mom and dad on the steps (everyone has commented how crabby they look!)...

My sister and I wearing cute dresses...

In the living room with my brother and sister and my dad. I was the youngest until my brother was born in 1966, the year we moved to New Brunswick.

Raggedy Ann and Linus, the cat...

The look inside the house was an unexpected bonus! I lured Damian, a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan, on the tour by telling him that Dave Keon lived three houses away from us when we were growing up. He and Jeff had their photo taken in front of his house.

These were what we called "the castles" when we were growing up. They look pretty much the same. We were always in awe of these houses thinking the people must be very rich.

And down the street to MacNiven School. It also looked pretty much the same as I remembered it.

Dominic's face says it all...what the heck? They had cute sayings on them, but he wasn't buying it.

OK...Damian already made fun of all my clothes from the old photos. Moving on! This photo, also taken in 1999, shows the house where our family lived on LaSalle Avenue. I have no memories of living here.

And this is it today. Not too inviting. I could make out the top of a window and the door, so knew it was the same house.

I stuck my phone through the small opening on the walkway. The house looks nice. I guess they just like a huge hedge.

Nathalie, from the Neighbours organization, had mentioned the mural in the underpass so I walked down to have a look at it.

I'm sure there is a story for each scene...

Beautiful!

We had passed the fountain on Lake Osisko many times and stopped to have a better look at it.

They have done a wonderful job with the lake front...

The new hospital overlooking the lake...

Yup, think I captured it from every angle...

One last look at the Youville Hospital...

We had a great dinner at a Thai restaurant, one last ice cream cone, and then we said our goodbyes to everyone. That took a while as we had "just one more story to tell..." It was a wonderful reunion, and a chance for the kids to see where their parents grew up.

We had decided to do the drive home in two days. We ran into the same construction on the return trip. It was a long wait in the hot sun. I might have dozed off a time or two...

The beautiful ski hills of the Laurentians...

Lots of greenery...

And what I believe is a canola field just outside of Edmunston, NB. It was brilliant yellow when we passed it a few days before, but was fading now.

And that's a wrap for the Noranda Reunion!

Next reunion is Bathurst, NB in 2020! Our next trip is to see Patrick and Krysten and the kids in Calgary as they celebrate opening their craft beer taproom in August!