Melville Avenue – no relation to the Moby Dick author – on a blustery cold Wednesday evening.
The street’s original name was Elgin; named after James Bruce Elgin, 8th Earl and Governor General of Canada from 1847-54. The street’s name was changed when the Melville Presbyterian Church was erected adjacent a former bread factory.
Today, it is a place of worship for the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The first snow of the season. Its reflection illuminated the park during the evening.
This was coupled with the sounds of people scraping ice off their cars parked on nearby streets. This is our first winter (in decades) without a car – and I don’t miss owning one!
Another (dark) early evening walk – with a brief stop at the park’s recreation centre.
Walking through Westmount Park and some of the City’s numerous lanes; opened in the 1800s, to allow home delivery of coal and ice.
The “super moon” viewed from Westmount. It was a bit of challenge to find it this evening. We had to walk adjacent to a high fence that separates Hillside Avenue from AutoRoute 720. It was a clear night, and after walking through knee-high piles of fallen leaves, we “discovered” the moon accompanied with the noise of speeding traffic.
Walking back from the park`s public library – spending time amongst their books is our favourite weekend pastime.
Walking amongst the piles of leaves at the edge of the park – their fragrance is amazing! Looking closely, one can see they are from Catalpas, Limes and several species of Maples. A group of small children were enjoying throwing handfuls of leaves at one another.
I sometimes wonder, watching the commercial leaf vacuums hard at work, at what point did fallen leaves became a “blight upon the land”.
Many city parks have Japanese Tea Gardens serving light lunches and tea. Westmount Park; however, is home to Mouton Noir that serves excellent coffee and a choice of meals seven days a week.
I recall, several years ago, at the city’s former recreation center, a mother and her daughter selling candies and other treats to children attending summer day camps. It was very popular until they were required to install a sink with hot and cold running water! Even though they were forced to close, it did set the stage that indicated what users of the facility enjoyed.
After all those years, Westmount has their unique version of a tea garden – yes, they do sell tea!
Tomorrow night is Halloween – the time of year that children dressed in costumes, with their parents in tow, ring door bells asking for “trick or treats”.
Some folks embrace the tradition; others tend to pretend they are away for the evening. As they say – “to each their own”.
Our walk this evening revealed some of the former – from modest pumpkins on door steps to quite elaborate decorations.
Our Friday evening walk through the park during what promises to be a rainy weekend.
Westmount Overlooked 