"Where do I start about growing up in Lindenlea in the
fifties and sixties? It was a magical
place and I thought everyone had such a neighbourhood. Turns out, no one did. Firstly, Lindenlea was bounded by Springfield,
Maple Lane, Acacia and Rideau Terrace, so there was no through traffic. You went around Lindenlea, not through
it. The only cars we ever saw were those
of neighbours and friends who lived there.
"Every year there was an elaborate Winter Carnival, where we
all dressed up and skated around and around.
A shack was put up every year, with a caretaker in the middle, dividing
the boys’ from the girls’ changing rooms.
A big wood stove heated it and waltz music was played on a loudspeaker
so we could skate in pairs – if we were lucky enough to have some boy ask
us. One year, Barbara Ann Scott actually
came and skated and I was amazed that she could skate around the entire rink,
one leg raised, without stopping!
"There was also a Summer Carnival, sponsored in part by Craig
Florists, which occupied the land on Rideau Terrace from Springfield to Ridgeway
and all the way down to Putman. Now it
is all houses and condominiums. We also
navigated the mysteries of the Catholic nuns who shepherded the children from
the orphanage on Springfield, which is now all housing. This was a big, mysterious place to us and we
were slightly afraid of the uniformed charges who were marched down Springfield
and back every day by severe nuns in their black and white habits to the school
at the bottom of Springfield at Beechwood.
I remember once packing a bag and trying to move in there when I was
angry at my mother. Didn’t get past
Lindenlea and Springfield before going back home!
"There was a Lindenlea Bridge Club, to which our parents and
friends belonged. The couples rotated
Saturday night bridge parties in turn and I remember well the clinking of
crystal high ball glasses with ice and the wafting of cigarette smoke as we
children lay in bed listening to their laughter below.
"My mother and her sisters lived around the corner from each
other and as a child, I had dinner wherever I happened to be at six
o’clock. My grandparents lived with one
of my aunts, so we were privileged to have them constants in our lives.
"What was indeed funny was when Robert Campeau applied to
tear down the magnificent mansions on Rideau Terrace to build the Champlain
Towers. And they were magnificent,
believe me. We used to play croquette on
those lawns with our friends. Back then,
Charlotte Whitton was mayor and she was adamant no building was to be
constructed that would have been taller than the Peace Tower. My mother, aunts and neighbours protested
vehemently at city hall and to see pictures of Miss Whiton wagging her finger
at the towering Campeau in protest was indeed funny! Campeau won, the mansions were torn down and
the Champlain Towers erected. And where
did my mother and all her fellow widows end up living? In the Champlain Towers, of course! In fact, the widows continued their “Dessert
Bridge Parties” in turn well after their husbands had died. These were women who worked hard, volunteered,
supported their husbands and children and could make a gourmet dinner out of a
potato and an onion; no one had any money after the war when they had moved to
Lindenlea.
"We also had dances every Saturday night in the Community
Centre – properly chaperoned, of course.
The boys sat on one side, the girls on the other and you just prayed
someone would ask you to dance. The
highlight was if one of the boys walked you home. All so heady and innocent! Brownies and Guides were also held there, as
were ballet classes every Saturday morning.
Is the ballet bar still there? We
were instructed by David Moroni of the National Ballet who said once, “Girls,
walk properly. When you walk down a
street, everyone will know you are a ballet dancer if you know how to walk.” Still remember and follow that advice.
"Halloween was perfect.
No parents needed because the neighbourhood was so safe. You went with cousins and friends and came
home with your loot. We all went to
Crichton Street Public, even though Rockcliffe Park Public was just up the
road. Back then, Rockcliffe was a
village and we were not allowed to go there.
So, we walked to Crichton and back four times a day. We met all our Rockcliffe friends when we all
ended up at Lisgar – one of the most illustrious collegiates in the
country. All my children went to
RPPS. Things had changed for the better.
"I moved back to Lindenlea, to 43 Rockcliffe Way, when my
children were little and they experienced the same magic as I. Growing up in Lindenlea was a magnificent
gift. I treasure it to this day."
Submitted by Nancy Marley-Clarke (Griffith), 8 Lindenlea
Road and 24 Rockcliffe Way
November 20, 2018
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