Some new, old business signs for my collection !

As regular readers know, I am always on the lookout for old signs. My favourite finds are ones that have been hidden away for decades. If I see a building undergoing any sort of exterior renovation I will always check it out for anything that might peek through.

Here are my latest finds, (and check out my flickr album for a couple of hundred more !)

At 340 Donald at Ellice, the Discreet Boutique signage is down and on the Ellice Avenue side we find Arcade Barber Shop.

The proprietor was Bennie Fratkin, a Russian Jew who came to Winnipeg in 1912. He fought in World War I and upon his return opened Stag Barber Shop on Donald near Portage, (where the Donalda Building once stood.) Stag was an entertainment complex featuring a 45-table pool hall, seven bowling lanes and on the main floor housed a cafe and barbershop with a shoe shine.

In 1933 Bennie moved a block north and opened Arcade Barber Shop. Arcade appears to have been a smaller version of the Stag enterprise. Its neighbours included Arcade Kosher Foods and Arcade Bowling Lanes.

When Bennie retired in 1969, the shop closed. He died on June 29, 1975.

This sign was was uncovered at 1757 Main Street at Hartford while the awning was being changed for a new business. (Thanks to Bryan Scott for the tip-off !)

Hartford Drugs, with a soda fountain of course, opened here in 1956 but around 1990 moved to 2110 Main where it still operates today. The long time proprietor / pharmacist was Harold Charlat, a die-hard Blue Jays fan.

I saw this sign inside Winnipeg's last trolley bus. Adult bus fare 25 cents or 5 for a dollar ? Sweet ! That fare is likely from 1970 as that is the last year she ran.

A scan back at 1970 transit news: fares were held steady that year but council was seeking more provincial funding for the system; U of M students presented a petition demanding that they ride for the high school student fare of 10 cents.