We would like to share with the citizens of Transcona some of the emails that we have been receiving regarding Transcona's 100th.
Dear Mr. Martin,
Hi Neighbour!
We were fortunate to receive the link to the Transcona 100 website today and
have spent the evening looking at it. We were surprised to see my husband's
mother, Rose Kochuk, interviewed by Sam on the Street. We live in Vancouver
and our children are spread across the country. We will treasure this
interview of Grandma Kochuk and wanted to thank you for your part in it!
Both my husband and I were raised in Transcona, but have lived out of
province for over 25 years. Our roots are still firmly planted back home
and so we thoroughly enjoyed viewing your interviews with Bernie Wolf and
your dad! It made me so happy to see his smiling face! My family went to
St Joe's and we used to enjoy when he was the Deacon there! He is a
beautiful soul and so I was glad to see him well!
Once again, thank you for interviewing the elder people of Transcona. It is
important to have their memories, as a lot of them made the community what
it is.
So, even though our house is not in Transcona, our hearts are there!!
Kind regards,
Greg Kochuk & Bev Kochuk (Sokalski)
Dear Mr. Martin,
Hi Neighbour!
We were fortunate to receive the link to the Transcona 100 website today and
have spent the evening looking at it. We were surprised to see my husband's
mother, Rose Kochuk, interviewed by Sam on the Street. We live in Vancouver
and our children are spread across the country. We will treasure this
interview of Grandma Kochuk and wanted to thank you for your part in it!
Both my husband and I were raised in Transcona, but have lived out of
province for over 25 years. Our roots are still firmly planted back home
and so we thoroughly enjoyed viewing your interviews with Bernie Wolf and
your dad! It made me so happy to see his smiling face! My family went to
St Joe's and we used to enjoy when he was the Deacon there! He is a
beautiful soul and so I was glad to see him well!
Once again, thank you for interviewing the elder people of Transcona. It is
important to have their memories, as a lot of them made the community what
it is.
So, even though our house is not in Transcona, our hearts are there!!
Kind regards,
Greg Kochuk & Bev Kochuk (Sokalski)
See below what Mr. Lawrence Toet said In the House of Commons on April 23rd, 2012
| lawrence_toet_on_transcona_centennial_celebration___openparliament.ca.pdf |
June-04-12 6:37 PM
Peter:
I have read most of the Centennial booklet and I am pleased that your father was chosen as the greatest Transconian. I would have chosen him. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of that distinction. As Counselor and Mayor he has contributed much to the betterment of Transcona. He was one of the driving forces in having many of the streets paved and was instrumental in the creation of the Transcona Historical Museum. He has good reason to be proud of his hometown and Transona has good reason to be proud of him. I do not know whether he has an email address but I would be grateful if you would convey my congratulations to him for having served Transcona with distinction. It appears that his son Peter has inherited some of his dad’s genes for serving the community.
The only regret I have about the Centennial booklet is that my grandfather Angelo Sherbo was not listed with the early pioneers. He arrived in Transcona from B.C. in 1910, two years before the town was incorporated, which surely establishes him as a pioneer. He and his wife opened a grocery business at the north-west corner of Oxford and Rosseau diagonally across from Transcona Central School. Five of his children, including my mother were among the first students at the school. I mentioned him as a Transcona pioneer in the piece on Loschiavo-Sherbo in the Centennial book but it would have been appropriate and gratifying to see his name among the pioneers. He and his wife are buried in the Transcona cemetery as is one of his daughters who died as an infant in the influenza epidemic following World War I.
Congratulations to you and the Committee for a successful 100th anniversary celebration. Having organized or served on many committees during my lifetime I know and appreciate
the time and effort involved.
Sam Loschiavo, C.M.
Peter:
I have read most of the Centennial booklet and I am pleased that your father was chosen as the greatest Transconian. I would have chosen him. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of that distinction. As Counselor and Mayor he has contributed much to the betterment of Transcona. He was one of the driving forces in having many of the streets paved and was instrumental in the creation of the Transcona Historical Museum. He has good reason to be proud of his hometown and Transona has good reason to be proud of him. I do not know whether he has an email address but I would be grateful if you would convey my congratulations to him for having served Transcona with distinction. It appears that his son Peter has inherited some of his dad’s genes for serving the community.
The only regret I have about the Centennial booklet is that my grandfather Angelo Sherbo was not listed with the early pioneers. He arrived in Transcona from B.C. in 1910, two years before the town was incorporated, which surely establishes him as a pioneer. He and his wife opened a grocery business at the north-west corner of Oxford and Rosseau diagonally across from Transcona Central School. Five of his children, including my mother were among the first students at the school. I mentioned him as a Transcona pioneer in the piece on Loschiavo-Sherbo in the Centennial book but it would have been appropriate and gratifying to see his name among the pioneers. He and his wife are buried in the Transcona cemetery as is one of his daughters who died as an infant in the influenza epidemic following World War I.
Congratulations to you and the Committee for a successful 100th anniversary celebration. Having organized or served on many committees during my lifetime I know and appreciate
the time and effort involved.
Sam Loschiavo, C.M.
Transcona in the ’50s
By Germaine Gougeon
The windows of my bedroom
faced the prairies to the south
where adventure and the freedom
to explore called out to us
When coal piles in the distance
changed their coats from dark to light
we dragged our cardboard pieces there,
on frozen waves of white
Down bumpy hills of snow we sped
then felt the magic turn
the cardboard into carpet wings
as through the air we flew
The East End was our second home
we danced and skated there
our ceiling was the sky and stars
through weather fierce and fair
With lights shut down we lay upon
the ice, and oooed and ahhhed
while Aurora Borealis
waved her colours far above
Then hikes for pussy willowing
to Hobo Jungle’s woods
Pandora’s Pox on anyone
that sighed about a spook
Our playtime meant old roller skates
and bikes and baseball games
of Kick the Can and Steal the Flag and
Hide and Seek with friends
We rode the local train for fun
and walked to station North
as this took us to coaster rides
and sea and sand and sun
The CN shops gave guiding hoots
for men and mom and kids
“Wake up Germaine…the whistle blew!
get up, it’s time for school.”
At 5 o’clock it blew again
and out en mass they came,
the gates releasing all in waves
the dads, lunch pails and grins.
Our moms stayed home to clean the place
and cleaned our clocks as well
when word got back that teacher strapped
because we broke a rule
Lines to write and lines to stand in
even after school
we called on mail from A to L
then M to Z as well
The soda fountain bustled on
at Robert’s Drugs downtown
where Shirley fed the boisterous teens
with sundaes, floats and shakes
For straights like us the OG
was the place after canteen,
we filled the Grill, ch-ch, ch-ch’d
and bopped our own hand jive.
At Tony’s on the corner
stood guys all dressed in black
with bogey cuts and drapes and chains
they planned their own big stuff
Sherbo’s was the chosen place
for nips and chips of fame
Apollo was our show in town
until the Star-Lite came.
Our weekend brought more music
at the Park Pavilion place
where the Circle ever widened
with friends within the gates
In saddle shoes and bobby sox
and crinolines and suede,
the ponytails and poodle cuts
brought rock ‘n roll to stay
Transcona in the ’50s
was a pocket all our own
where hearts will ever hold a place
of warmth, good cheer and love.
By Germaine Gougeon
The windows of my bedroom
faced the prairies to the south
where adventure and the freedom
to explore called out to us
When coal piles in the distance
changed their coats from dark to light
we dragged our cardboard pieces there,
on frozen waves of white
Down bumpy hills of snow we sped
then felt the magic turn
the cardboard into carpet wings
as through the air we flew
The East End was our second home
we danced and skated there
our ceiling was the sky and stars
through weather fierce and fair
With lights shut down we lay upon
the ice, and oooed and ahhhed
while Aurora Borealis
waved her colours far above
Then hikes for pussy willowing
to Hobo Jungle’s woods
Pandora’s Pox on anyone
that sighed about a spook
Our playtime meant old roller skates
and bikes and baseball games
of Kick the Can and Steal the Flag and
Hide and Seek with friends
We rode the local train for fun
and walked to station North
as this took us to coaster rides
and sea and sand and sun
The CN shops gave guiding hoots
for men and mom and kids
“Wake up Germaine…the whistle blew!
get up, it’s time for school.”
At 5 o’clock it blew again
and out en mass they came,
the gates releasing all in waves
the dads, lunch pails and grins.
Our moms stayed home to clean the place
and cleaned our clocks as well
when word got back that teacher strapped
because we broke a rule
Lines to write and lines to stand in
even after school
we called on mail from A to L
then M to Z as well
The soda fountain bustled on
at Robert’s Drugs downtown
where Shirley fed the boisterous teens
with sundaes, floats and shakes
For straights like us the OG
was the place after canteen,
we filled the Grill, ch-ch, ch-ch’d
and bopped our own hand jive.
At Tony’s on the corner
stood guys all dressed in black
with bogey cuts and drapes and chains
they planned their own big stuff
Sherbo’s was the chosen place
for nips and chips of fame
Apollo was our show in town
until the Star-Lite came.
Our weekend brought more music
at the Park Pavilion place
where the Circle ever widened
with friends within the gates
In saddle shoes and bobby sox
and crinolines and suede,
the ponytails and poodle cuts
brought rock ‘n roll to stay
Transcona in the ’50s
was a pocket all our own
where hearts will ever hold a place
of warmth, good cheer and love.
This letter was written by K. Hastie - on how she fondly remembers Transcona
| hhastie.pdf |
