When young, father build a fold-down train-track setup in bedroom. I remember doing “experiments” with the power supply. Clip to a pencil lead and it would get hot, maybe burn. Potentially could start a fire. Oops.
My mother thought I might be autistic when young. I was apparently a quiet kid. Would sit and play by myself. Probably, I’m a bit on the spectrum.
I was baby sat a lot by grandmother. My mother told a story that I spoke Ukrainian mainly when young. When I was around 3 or 4, Mother took me to park and I could not play with English or French kids because I did not speak those languages. She put her foot down and insisted on English-only at home thereafter.
We attended the nearby United church and Sunday school. Would attend the Ukranian Orthodox church for special events — weddings, funerals, and baptisms.
Attended a weekend Ukrainian school at church when pre-teen(?). Not a success. Learned some Cyrilic alphabet, but most of the other kids had more Ukrainian than I did.
Toys I remember: Mechano; “generic” Lego;
Shared bedroom with brother; Masonite walls because we fought and damaged the plaster&lath walls
Father in doorway when we acted up at night… “Do I have to get my belt?” He was a cop. Belt was heavy. I don’t remember ever being spanked with or without belt. The towering silhouette was enough to settle us.
Row house street. Lane in back. In those days, police could take motorcycle home overnight. Remember he would give rides to us (and other kids) in the sidecar in the lane.
Remember digging forts in the backyard. Snow was around 8 feet deep near the lane. Would use old staircase planks in the fort.
One chore we boys had was to shovel balconies, stairs, and path in back yard. Challenge sometimes because grandparents had a dog (Duchess, a boxer) that would poop in backyard.
Remember there being a tarpaulin-walled shed in one part of the backyard. There was a garage, but probably that was a time when there were two vehicles.
Above the garage there was a shed off the balcony. Dad had a workbench. Shed was also used for storage. Unheated, maybe no electricity either.
Cub scouts (Cub of the year). Boy Scouts. Dropped out at Rover level.
Laundry day. I remember mother would set up a wringer washer and several large tubs on low tables. Clothes would be washed, rinsed, then hung outside on a clothes line to dry. Even in winter. The wet clothes would freeze, but then would dry even on the coldest days.
Original kitchen was torn out and new cabinets and layout were put in. There was room for a more modern washer and dryer.
Grandparents’ kitchen was the original layout. Stove on one side. Sink on other. Very small counter. Stove was electric, but there was old chimney piping. Probably, the original stove was either wood burning (like at cottage) or liquid fuel. Perhaps tank was on the balcony outside.
I remember my mother would put up mason jars of peaches, cherries, pickles, etc. Had a large enamelled canning pot. Would boil the filled jars so they would keep. Jams were sealed with a layer of melted wax.
In the kitchen, there was a large walk-in pantry with a drain in the floor. Had shelves, but in earlier times, that was where the ice box was.
TV: Family got 1st TV when I was young (maybe 5 or 6?). Was set up where Dad had his desk. Couch and his reclining armchair. One channel (CBC). I remember whole family watching when second English Channel (CFCF) went on air.
Us Kid’s favourite show was Johnny Jellybean. Squawk box and his collection of hammers. Sidekick was a short French Canadian. “Me and my gang” tag line.
At some point got a second TV. Rabbit ears. We could sort of pick up American channels if you held the rabbit ears, or attached some aluminum foil just right.
Had a console radio/record player with built in speakers. Brother had some modern records. Would skip, but could scotch tape a quarter to the pickup arm to stop the skipping. (Probably ruined the record!)
When I was at McGill, TV was in living room. I would stay up late doing homework or computer stuff. Remember watch Johnny Carson late at night.