As we drove down Kaladar Avenue toward Heron Road, I thought back to when we first moved into the neighbourhood with our young family in 1959. Heron Road was just two lanes and ended at Riverside Drive. It would later be expanded to four lanes and a bridge built to connect it with Baseline Road.

This brought to mind the many changes in the community since we moved here so long ago. At the corner of Heron Road and Kaladar Avenue was a large old white frame house with a wrap around verandah. The house was renovated from top to bottom and became a doctor’s office and is now home to Trigon Insurance Brokers.

Directly across Heron Road is O’Brien’s Pub, formerly Mason’s Confectionary, Ghady’s Food Store and Restaurant and then Galileo’s Restaurant.

Turning right off Kaladar to Heron Road and Bank Street was a much smaller Canadian Tire Store, later expanded to its present size.

On the left side of Heron at Bank is the Appletree Medical Center, formerly a Dominion Grocery Store. Going north on Bank in the Local Heroes strip was another grocery store, The A&P, as well as a Royal Burger. Dairyland was across Bank Street. Long before Blue Heron Mall was constructed, Beaver Lumber occupied the space that is now Farm Boy. For many years, a restaurant was on this site. Where the Blockbuster Video Store is now there used to be The Red Barn which was a very popular burger place. The Compuphile Systems Inc. shop at Bank and Evans Avenue was, for many years, the Sky Ranch Restaurant.

Back to Heron Road and Bank Street, a B.P. Service Station was on the site of Tim Hortons, Fendi’s Hair Salon and Extreme Pita.

The Roger’s Independent Grocer at Bank and Alta Vista was formerly Loblaws until they relocated to the South Keys Shopping Centre. At the other end of the mall, now Cora’s, McDonald’s was a landmark for many years.

One constant and never changing treasure, Heron Home Hardware at Bank and Heron has been serving the community for longer than I can remember.

I remember the wild raspberries growing along Saw Mill Creek. The ball hockey games on the road (frowned upon and too dangerous to be enjoyed now). Football games in the empty fields on Kaladar and Little League Baseball games at Kaladar Park.

There were two schools on Brookfield Road and one on Kaladar. Only Lamoureux on Kaladar remains. The other two, St. Victor’s and Heron Park (later to become Gabrielle Roy) were closed because of low enrolment. The children in the neighbourhood were growing up.

We seem to be coming full circle. As homes in the area are being offered for sale, more and more families with young children are moving into the neighbourhood. I am sure they will enjoy living here as much as we have these many years.

Bev Levasseur