Circa 1956 – The 11th annual Children’s Christmas Fund concert at CCVS auditorium, carried live on CJSS Radio, raised $2,000. It ran from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a program packed with local talent, everything from clowns to jugglers, accordian players and singers. One of the ‘featured’ acts was the ‘City Slickers’ choir composed of city aldermen. Masters of ceremony were CJSS staffers John Larocque, Carl Fisher and George Heath. The fund distributed 600 baskets filled with $10 worth of groceries, to needy families.
* The Bell Telephone office on Pitt Street was bracing for its second busiest day of the year, Christmas Day, when it expected to handle at least 3,400 operator assisted long distance calls. Management at the local office said 80 telephone operators would cover the day in two shifts.
* To accommodate the Christmas rush, the post office hired 35 extra people – including students – to help sort and deliver the mail. Beginning two weeks before Christmas, city homes received twice-a-day delivery, Saturdays included. The bulk of the mail was Christmas cards.
* Jade Garden Restaurant and New York Cafe were having full course Chinese Christmas Day dinners. Benoit’s Restaurant, 610 Montreal Rd., noted that it never closes and would be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
* City garbage contractor Labelle and Clement reminded residents that there would be no garbage collection Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
* Cornwall dairies would not have Christmas Day home delivery and customers were urged to stock up. The dairies were Phillips, Eastside, Canadian, Daisy, Maple Crest, Rivermead and Cameron’s.
* The annual Children’s Christmas Party sponsored by Canadian Cottons and Local 806 of the Textile Workers Union of America was held at Nativity Hall. The annual Howard Smith Paper Mill party was at Cornwall Armoury.
* W. J. Banks of Surgenor Avenue had an early Christmas gift when he won the Royal Canadian Legion $5,000 bond draw.
* Most grocery stores had turkeys for 45 cents a pound.
* Among local businesses sending out Christmas greetings in The Standard-Freeholder were Sharpley The Mover, 26 Ninth St. E.; Sleeman’s Sports, 312 Pitt St.; Western Auto, 55 Pitt St.; Anderson Motors, 1200 Second St. W.; E. J. Villeneuve Market, 526 Augustus St. and Paragon Motel and Restaurant, Second Street West.
* The SPCA said all pets at its Cornwall Centre Road kennel had found homes for Christmas.
* Cornwall Lions Club carollers – in traditional French-Canadian Les Guignolers garb -made the rounds with the ancient search of alms for the poor.
* Christmas Day programming on CJSS Radio included the Queen’s message, Lawrence Welk, Dicken’s Christmas Carol, the Bob Eadie Show, and morning service from St. Paul’s United Church, and a message from the president of Howard Smith Paper Mills.
* Last-minute gift ideas included Zippo lighters, tobacco pouches and ashtrays for dad, Scheaffer Fountain pens and Smith-Corona typewriter (world’s fastest typewriter). Medical Arts Pharmacy had a large supply of film and flashbulbs, while Whittaker Bros. Florists (with two locations) offered Christmas flower arrangements.
* Cornwall Street Railway had Christmas Day bus service (Sunday schedule – 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) with special runs to city industries open on the 25th.
* Members of the Cornwall Barbers International Union Local 758 were open until 6 p. m. Christmas Eve but closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
* Long lines outside the Pitt Street liquor store on Dec. 24. The lines stretched out the store and down the street. This was when customers had to fill out a slip, hand it to the clerk who disappeared into the back room, returned with the bottle which was stuffed in a brown paper bag.
* All three movie houses – Roxy, Palace and Capitol – opened at 3 p. m. Christmas Day.
CHRISTMAS TRUCE: On a bitterly cold Christmas Eve in the trenches along the Western Front of World War One, men of the British Expeditionary Force heard German troops singing carols, and saw lanterns and small fir trees decorating their trenches. The British soldiers responded by singing carols of their own before soldiers on both sides braved ‘No Man’s Land’ to greet one another. They shared cigarettes,whisky and even had an impromptu game of football (soccer) before returning to their trenches and resuming the business of trying to kill each other.
YULETIDE THOUGHTS: Remember the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money. This was before credit cards. …Nothing like a traditional North American Christmas: an artificial tree made in Thailand, ornaments from China and lights from Japan. … You start getting clothes for Christmas when you stop believing in Santa.
YULE TIDBITS: Born on Christmas Day: The cranky W. C. Fields (1880), who had a strong dislike for kids and animals; hotel owner Conrad Hilton (1887); actor Humphrey Bogart (1899); singer Jimmy Buffet (1946); and PM Justin Trudeau (1971). … The first commercial Christmas card was produced in 1846.
Some favourite Christmas/Holiday season quotes:
“Christmas is the time when kids tell Santa what they want and adults pay for it. Deficits are when adults tell the government what they want and their kids pay for it.” – Richard Lamm
“My mother-in-law has come round to our house at Christmas seven years running. This year we’re having a change. We’re going to let her in.” – Leslie Dawson Jr.
“Once again, we come to the holiday season, a deeply religious time, that many of us observe, in our own way, by going to the mall of our choice.” – Dave Barry
“What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is having to look for a job the next day.” – Phyllis Diller
“You know you’re getting old when Santa starts looking younger.” – Bart Simpson
TRIVIA: What was the first company to use Santa Claus in its advertisements?
TRIVIA ANSWER: Ralphie wanted a Red Ryder BB gun.
