Truro, Nova Scotia

In the 1970s we lived in Truro, Nova Scotia. Here are some images of the house, as it looks now. (Or, as it did in a recent winter.)

An image of the vicinity of this house on College Road -- a sunnier version! -- can be found through Google Maps by clicking here.

For historical information on Truro, the "hub" of Nova Scotia, you can visit the Colchester County Archives, here.  You can also visit the Town of Truro's home page.

Scot Trucks

Here are three photos of Scot trucks, taken from 1973-1975. Bill was the general manager of the Scot Trucks manufacturing plant in Debert, Nova Scotia.

These photos are taken from T. Brad Dunkin's website.

Toronto Sick Kids Hospital

Lorraine studied and worked as a nurse at Toronto's famous Hospital for Sick Children.  Click here to view some images of the hospital in the 1950s. Click here for a more complete history of the hospital.

Driving in Ontario in the late 50s and early 60s

Cameron Bevers has created a web site detailing the History of Ontario's King's Highways.  Full of over 6,300 historical and current photos, as well as route maps, signs, and more this site is a treasure trove for anyone who drove in Ontario, as Bill most definitely did!

International Harvester in Action

Here is a picture from the University of Guelph archives of an "unidentified man" riding an International Harvester tractor, somewhere in Ontario in April, 1961. In 1961, Bill worked for International Harvester in Chatham, Ontario. Information on the photo, which may have come from IH marketing and promotional material, can be found on the source website.

Books in 1961

There were lots of great books published during the year 1961, many of which are still read today.
This list from wikipedia is a good place to start looking at books published in 1961. Some of the better known books from that year include Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel, Ian Fleming's Thunderball, Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Joseph Heller's Catch 22, Madeline l'Engel's A Wrinkle in Time, Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach, John Wyndham's The Chrysalids, and J.D. Salinger's Franny & Zooey. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child is a culinary classic.
The Pulitizer Prize for fiction went to Harper Lee for To Kill a Mockingbird, which had been published the previous year.
The Nobel Prize for Literature went to a Yugoslav (Bosnian) writer named Ivo Andric.
Significant non-fiction works that year included John Howard Griffin's Black Like Me and Memos from Purgatory by science fiction cult author (and soon-to-be Star Trek script-writer) Harlan Ellison.
Information on the (American) National Book Awards can be found here, while Canadian literary awards for 1961 can be viewed here.

Three classic television shows debuted in 1961

During 1961, three classic and highly influential television shows debuted:

•  The Avengers, in the United Kingdom (ITV).  Click here for an overview and clips from BFI's screenonline, a great source for British film and television history.
•  The Dick Van Dyke Show in the United States (CBS).  Click here  to view stills and footage from the original, pilot episode.
•  Reach for the Top in Canada (CBC).  Click here for some clips from CBC's digital archives.

More nostalgic treats can be found when you click here for a quick list of summaries and clips of North American shows broadcast during the 1961 fall season.