Mortgage Free!

[Wilf Ferner]

Re: Mortgage Free!

Thanks Hugh!

Wilf Ferner

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Mortgage Free!

Thanks Hugh!

Wilf Ferner

Thanks to all who sent me e-mails and posted on our sites! It is a very special occasion...and as someone from a prosperous province pointed out...mortgage-free doesn't exist in them parts :) ...and I am sure many other parts of this continent these days. I thought the post by Alain Authier was extremely relevant to the reality of today.

Hugh has provided us with a great picture of the exterior of our building

(Hugh is THE resource person for the Canadian Chess Community! We should not only appreciate but also honour valuable resources such as Hugh who is a very very special fellow....and someone I consider to be my GOOD friend :).

Over the next month I will post some photos of the interior of the CMA headquarters. I will try and do some historical stuff too.

This is what I think I know :)

The building dates to the early 1900's. I believe the building originally, was 2 buildings which have since been combined. In 1959 an elevator was added (probably around the same time that it became the Ville Marie Clinic). In 1989, the medical centre moved out...I think...and the building was purchased by an entrepreneur for considerable dollars (for that time in Montreal)...the economy tanked big time (no rental income)...first he sold some of the parking spots...but eventually...he went bankrupt anyway...and the bank repossessed. In 1996 CMA picked up the property at a great price (by todays standards :) from the bank who simply wanted to recoup the outstanding mortgage. Because it was formally a medical centre, they had sinks in almost every room...I have a collection of them in my basement :).

There are many stories attached to this building...I am just beginning the journey :)

I will also be visiting "Heritage Montreal" for more info...they are an incredible resource in this city.

Larry

[Hugh Brodie]

Re: Mortgage Free!

More on the history of 3423 St. Denis from THE online source for such things - Lovell's annual Directories. Every Montreal office had a copy of the 5 or 6 inch thick volume (one of the treats offered in visiting my father's office was to browse through the Lovell's Directory - in addition to using the adding machine, and the Dictaphone). Each year starting in 1842, a telephone-book-like volume was produced which contained (amongst other things):

a) A list in alphabetical order of all streets in Montreal, and the names of the inhabitants or business at each address.
b) A list in alphabetical order, by last name (like a phone book - but this included everyone whether they had a phone or not) - showing occupation, often the company name, and whether widowed.
c) A Yellow Pages-type list - sorted by business type.

All available online at http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/lovell/index.html

Here is what I have found:

1923: the building and its neighbours were assigned the new numbers 3417, 3419 ,3423, and 3425 St. Denis. Prior to 1923, they were 473, 475, 477, and 479 St. Denis.

1910: all of the above addresses existed.

1905: all of the above addresses existed. At 475 lived "McCaskill, KP, chief, Provincial Police".

1900: all of the above addresses existed. However - McCaskill (then a "Detective") lived at 473.
1899: all of the above addresses existed. McCaskill at 473. (554 was occupied by John Phelan & Son - "horse dentists").
1898: none existed - thus dating the building construction to either late 1898 or early 1899. Our friend McCaskill ("supt. Canadian Secret Service agency") lived at 2624 St. Catherine (near Guy St. - no E or W designations then).

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Mortgage Free!

More on the history of 3423 St. Denis from THE online source for such things - Lovell's annual Directories. Every Montreal office had a copy of the 5 or 6 inch thick volume (one of the treats offered in visiting my father's office was to browse through the Lovell's Directory - in addition to using the adding machine, and the Dictaphone). Each year starting in 1842, a telephone-book-like volume was produced which contained (amongst other things):

a) A list in alphabetical order of all streets in Montreal, and the names of the inhabitants or business at each address.
b) A list in alphabetical order, by last name (like a phone book - but this included everyone whether they had a phone or not) - showing occupation, often the company name, and whether widowed.
c) A Yellow Pages-type list - sorted by business type.

All available online at http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/lovell/index.html

Here is what I have found:

1923: the building and its neighbours were assigned the new numbers 3417, 3419 ,3423, and 3425 St. Denis. Prior to 1923, they were 473, 475, 477, and 479 St. Denis.

1910: all of the above addresses existed.

1905: all of the above addresses existed. At 475 lived "McCaskill, KP, chief, Provincial Police".

1900: all of the above addresses existed. However - McCaskill (then a "Detective") lived at 473.
1899: all of the above addresses existed. McCaskill at 473. (554 was occupied by John Phelan & Son - "horse dentists").
1898: none existed - thus dating the building construction to either late 1898 or early 1899. Our friend McCaskill ("supt. Canadian Secret Service agency") lived at 2624 St. Catherine (near Guy St. - no E or W designations then).

Hi Hugh,

You are brighter than the folks who work in this field :).

I am really into the history of downtown Montreal and last night I went to the launch of a picture-info research project on St-Laurent Blvd from Sherbrooke Street to Jean-Talon. It was fascinating and well done. Somehow Parks Canada was a $10,000 contributor...Parks Canada...St. Laurent...hmmm...ohh well :).

Anyway this experience was inspiring...so I will be chatting with you about your research techniques shortly! Also...you should give these folks a hand...they are a great group and I think you would be an asset!

I also contacted Heritage Canada about our building...the fellow who called me back was more interested in finding a unique chess set LOL...he also referred me to the city...well I guess if we make a chess set sale, all is not lost :)

I will give you a call in early May...after the Chess Challenge provincials are over :)

Larry

[John Henry]

Re: Mortgage Free!

Congrats Larry!!! Now,lets get a permanent building in Toronto....

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Mortgage Free!

Congrats Larry!!! Now,lets get a permanent building in Toronto....

Hi John,

As you know, I have looked into this in the past...but I was not happy enough to move forward.

An article in "The Globe & Mail" today indicated that Canada is due for a meltdown in real estate prices...I believe this to be true.

We have received a commitment from an anonymous donor for $25,000 should we decide to move forward on this...


Mind & Eyes open :)

Larry

[John Henry]

Re: Mortgage Free!

that is a start good.Real estate is "local"-some markets are more affected than others,the Toronto market is still active-prices are up,sales may be down a bit,but a large commercial,financial,diversified centre like Toronto-I think recently Forbes put Toronto in top 10 in World financial centres-will continue to escalate in pricing over long term,but we see nothing to suggest a "meltdown" in Toronto area.

[Jordan S. Berson]

Re: Mortgage Free!

Congratulations from St. John's, Newfoundland b'y :)

[Jonathan Berry]

Re: Mortgage Free!

... Forbes put Toronto in top 10 in World financial centres-will continue to escalate in pricing over long term,but we see nothing to suggest a "meltdown" in Toronto area.

If Toronto's being a world centre is really a dominant factor, then the daily prices in Canadian dollars should vary inversely as the strength of the Canadian dollar itself. Let me guess that they don't. And that bubbles are a more significant factor. L'amour est partout.

[John Henry]

Re: Mortgage Free!

yes and no,this is no forum for an economic debate.Bubbles yes,we have had them and more will come,but LONG TERM the Toronto market will escalate in pricing-we are very inexpensive compared to other major Euro/Asian centres....