Business is Slow

Last year hubby and Brandon started a lawn mowing and yard cleaning business. Over the summer they made quite a bit of money, so this year they decided to try it again. Brandon is learning a lot by taking part in all aspects of the business. He helps give free estimates, helps do the work and the cleanup. He is also learning that things don't always go the way you'd like them too.

These photos are of Brandon earlier this year mowing our lawn. He does a great job and has come a long way since he started last year. At that time he'd never mowed a lawn.

This year hasn't been as good as last year. In the photos, you'll notice how green the lawn was earlier in the year. Now it is brown and almost burned out. There is a ban on watering because we haven't had more than a few drops of rain since mid June and water levels are low. He hasn't mowed our lawn in a month and if it's cooler next week he may have to do it.

Jobs are very scarce this year. Though we have regular customers, no one is having their yard mowed because the grass just isn't growing. In April and May, the guys were run off their feet with yard cleaning and grass mowing and it was difficult to fit it all in because there was so much rain.

Brandon is learning the ups and downs of a job where you depend on the weather. If it's too wet, they can't fit the jobs in. If it's too dry, there is nothing to do. A good lesson to teach him that in business you need to save your hard earned dollars for the hard times. In fact, it's a good life lesson.

The Mohawk Chapel

A couple of weeks ago, Carole from Pea's Corner and her friend, Steve, came to our part of Ontario on their way to Niagara Falls. The first day we took them to Port Dover for lunch and a stroll around the beach. Then we visited the Mohawk Chapel before going out to dinner. It was a great day and Pea has it all recorded on her blog.

This photo wasn't taken on the day that we visited, but it is a nice photo of the Chapel, which was the first Protestant church in Upper Canada and the oldest surviving church in the entire province of Ontario. It was originally named St. Paul's and is the only Royal Chapel in North America.

During the American Revolution, Joseph Brant and members of the Mohawk tribe sided with the British. The Chapel was given to the Mohawks for their loyalty when it was built in 1795. This was to help compensate for the lost land in New York that came about because of their loyalty to Britain. They were also given 760,000 acres along the Grand River from the source to the mouth.

The Chapel is a very interesting place to visit. The pews are hewn from wood and the beautiful stained glass windows are breath taking. They tell the story of Joseph Brant bringing his people from the US to Upper Canada. No photos are allowed inside the Chapel so unfortunately I can't show you the beauty of the entire place.

If you are in the area of Brantford, Ontario. Be sure to stop and visit the Mohawk Chapel. Joseph Brant and his son are buried here and there is an early Native cemetery surrounding the church.

Do You Remember Woolworth's

Do you remember Woolworth's? I certainly do.

In my last post I told you a bit about the Farmer's Market that was located in a square in the center of our town. Right across the street was Woolworth's. We often went there when I was young. As a child, one of the things I loved to do was ride the escalator. Other stores in town had elevators, but the escalator was so much more fun.

Woolworth's was what they called a five and dime and there were bargains galore to be had every time we came to town. It was a very popular store and always busy.
As a teenager, I used to love to stop by the soda fountain and restaurant on a Saturday morning. Fountain Coca Cola was the best. Ice cold on a hot summer day, it went down smooth and I always found it refreshing. We seldom got soda pop of any kind, so having a few cents to buy a Coke, as we called it, at Woolworth's was a lot of fun and a real treat. The odd time we had enough to get a grilled cheese or another treat off the menu, but that didn't happen often.

I grew up and got married and it was still fun to shop at Woolworth's and stop by the soda fountain for a Coke. For years it was a regular stop, though I seldom had the money to buy much. It was still fun to ride the escalator and stop by for a Coke.

When my current husband and I were newly married, Woolworth's was still there, but shortly after the store became Woolco. After a couple of years it closed when it was taken over by Walmart. Today, I seldom go to Walmart. It just isn't the same and the clerks are rude, as is the manager. When it opened, it ended an era of great customer service and soda fountain Cokes. Sad in a way, but I will always have the memories.

What are your memories of Woolworth's? Please post in the comment area. I would love to hear what made this five and dime special to you.

The Market Square Curse

When I was young, we used to go to town on Saturday's. The Farmer's Market was the place to go to find bargains and to congregate and socialize with friends and neighbors, as well as meet new friends.

The above picture is of the City Hall section of the Market Square as I remember it as a child.
This is a much earlier photo of the Farmer's Market which was located on the south side of the Square.
The above photo is a very early one of the Market Square. This was situated on Native Land and was a meeting place for whites and Natives to meet and trade or sell goods.

During the early 1960s, the City of Brantford decided that this place was no longer a good fit and closed the Farmer's Market. At that time the land should have reverted back to the Native Peoples of the area, as that had been the agreement. Instead, the City paved the land and made it into a parking lot and installed parking meters.

The Native Band Council went after the monies that were collected from the parking lot and eventually won that battle, but the City wasn't about to give back the land. Instead, a mall was built on the property and the T. Eaton Company leased space there, as did several other retailers.

Before Eatons and the other retailers even moved into the mall, Mrs. Green, from the Six Nations Reservation, put a curse on the land. Eatons survived only a few years and then moved out of the mall. Many other businesses failed as well. Business carried out in the mall has never been successful. There is only two stores that I have knowledge of having prospered. One is a dollar store and the other is a gift and clothing shop.
This is the mall as it appears today, except the movie marquee is no longer there. Twice movie theaters have tried to do business at the mall and have offered minimal fees to attend. Even at $3 a ticket the theaters couldn't survive.

Is this white elephant in the center of the city a disaster because of lack of business from the people who frequent the downtown, or is it Mrs. Green's curse that causes business after business to fail? I would love to hear your opinion.