The OSCAR l May 2021 Page 1 THE OSCAR www.BankDentistry.com 613.241.1010 The Ottawa South Community Association Review l The Community Voice Year 49, No. 5 May 2021 Remembering the Strand Bingo Hall The Strand Bingo Hall at 1265 Bank Street in March 1973. The Strand Theatre, in what was then called Ottawa South, opened in 1949 and closed in 1954. Under new ownership in 1955 the theatre re-launched as the Strand Hall with live music and dancing. It also hosted regularly scheduled antique auctions in the daytime for ten years. It was home to a retail store briefly before returning to live stage shows with rock and roll music and dancing in 1963. At the same time bingo was added and that lasted from 1956 to the 1990’s. In 2002, after being vacant for a period, the hall was demolished to make way for the Tim Horton’s coffee shop that is on the site today. For more on the Strand see the story by Christine Bradley on page 3. PHOTO BY ROBERT WILLIAMS Page 2 The OSCAR l May 2021 BUSINESS BEAT Bits and bites By Erik van der Torre window display of the space previously occupied by Christine’s Pet Parlour Some months it seems hard to figure had changed and that the space is now out what to write about, but then other the brick-and-mortar location of the months there are so many little bits of Ottawa Veterinary Behaviour Services news that it’s hard to know where to Mobile. According to their Facebook start and what to cover. This is one of page, Dr. Michelle Nicholson is a vet those months. with a special interest in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine. She has been Infinitec offering mobile consults to help owners While one half of the space formerly with pet behaviours, and has now occupied by The Planet of Sound was set up a permanent location. During filled a few months ago by Beit Jady the several levels of lockdown, Dr. - the hookah supply store - the other Nicholson offers virtual and phone half has been sitting empty for some consults and, depending on the level time. Then, early April, there was a lot of the lockdown, is also able to offer The Bradshaw on Bank office in the the former Roy Barber’s garage. of activity inside and within a week or distanced, in-person consults. so Infinitec opened its doors. Infinitec Group, Ben reports that the owners the concept does intrigue me. And is a mobile accessories and repair Bradshaw on Bank are doing some renovations inside and knowing that the pizzas themselves store. With the renewed lockdown, I It looks like 1050-1060 Bank Street will reopen soon with an “American are made in the Senate kitchen, before haven’t had a chance to go inside, but will be called “The Bradshaw on Chinese” concept. I for one would being put inside the Pizza Forno’s I think the name and store description Bank” as they have opened up a small be sad if they did not bring back the refrigerator, suggests that the pizzas are pretty self-explanatory. The office next to Boomerang Kids inside ramen, but I am hopeful that whatever should be fresh and interesting, so I am the former Roy Barber’s space. It’s ends up (re)opening adds some hopeful we get to try one soon. interesting choices for local residents. Jerk on Wheels Pizza Forno Another interesting new food Another new development that set development I was alerted to just several Facebook groups and local before this month’s deadline (thanks media abuzz, is the installation of a Harvey!) was that Jerk on Wheels is pizza vending machine outside The setting up a food trailer on the Jiffy Senate. When I initially received Lube lot. A quick search suggests some texts and emails asking whether that this is Jerk on Wheels’ second I had seen the new “pizza machine” location, as they have been running a on the Senate patio, I have to admit I similar trailer on Merivale for some assumed they had purchased a few of time, and the online reviews seem very the now popular mini pizza ovens so favourable. I am pretty excited about they could make pizza to order on their the addition of a Jerk food trailer and patio. So, imagine my surprise when I can’t wait to try some of their offerings, realised that it is actually a large, fully which include Jerk chicken, Jerk self-contained pizza vending machine, poutine, Jerk tacos, and more! called the Pizza Forno. The Pizza Forno is a fully automated Bustling Bank Street follow-up pizza baking machine, that allows I had hoped to be able to provide customers to choose from about 7 some positive news after last month’s Infinitec, a new mobile accessories and repair store at 1192 Bank Street. different pizzas. You can buy the pizzas write-up, but unfortunately things either cold to cook them at home, or are not looking great for some of the you can order it hot, in which case it plans that were discussed in the first items currently displayed close to the unclear at the moment whether this comes sliding out of the machine fully meeting I reported on. In a second window are a clear sign-of-the-times: will be a construction office or a sales cooked in about 3 minutes! the lamps on display are not only or rental centre, but either way, it’s Unfortunately, I have not yet had Continued on pg. 3 essential for making the perfect Tik another clear sign that construction will a chance to try out the pizza, but Tok video, they are also quite handy if get underway soon. you’re stuck in many virtual meetings. Shibayan Ottawa Veterinary Behaviour Apparently I jumped the gun a little Services Mobile bit on Shibayan closing. In a comment About a month ago I noticed that the on the Old Ottawa South Facebook The Pizza Forno vending machine outside The Senate at Bank and Belmont. PHOTOS BY BRENDAN MCCOY The OSCAR l May 2021 Page 3 OSCAR ARCHIVES average night could bring in up to away on Google: Strand Hall BINGO! $500 (now $1,800) if you won big, or Louis Wolfe opened the Strand you might go home empty-handed. Theatre in Ottawa South in 1949. It had in the late 1980’s, there was an old, Of all the money taken in, 75% went 533 seats and showed films with Red non-descript building called the Strand towards the prize money and the rest Skelton, Roy Rogers and John Wayne at 1265 Bank Street right beside where went to the provincial government to name just a few stars of the era. Cedars is located now. Some residents for the operating license, to the owner Two other earlier theatres in Ottawa may remember that it was demolished of the hall as rent and finally to the had already been named the Strand, in 2002 to make way for a Tim Ottawa Arthritic Association. On a the first one in 1914 on Wellington Horton’s coffee shop. Now I wondered typical night in 1978, $1,450 (now Street, and a second one in 1918 at about the history of this address that I $5,690) would be given away as prize 126 Sparks Street. The local Strand found out had housed a thriving bingo money. As the article stated, it’s easy Theatre closed in 1954, but under culture 43 years ago. to see why people kept coming back as new ownership in 1955 the theatre According to the story by Cindy the chance to win money was serious re-launched as the Strand Hall with Green in the April, 1978 OSCAR, on business! By this point my curiosity live music and dancing. It also hosted a typical Wednesday night one could was tweaked to find out more about regularly scheduled antique auctions find up to 250 people at the Strand the history of the Strand Hall in our in the daytime for ten years. It was Hall, starting at 7:30 pm. The Ottawa community. home to a retail store briefly before Arthritic Association boasted about Here is what I found out just a click returning to live stage shows with rock running the “best bingo in town” run and roll music and dancing in 1963. by a manager named Jerry Leduc who At the same time the bingo hall was did the job for many years. Most of the added and that lasted from 1956 to the people attending were elderly women 1990’s. In 2002, after being vacant for who while waiting for the game to start a lengthy period, Tim Horton’s bought would socialize, knit or play cards. the property and the facility was A few women would be getting their demolished to make way for another cards ready, placing tiny glass animals coffee shop. or wishbones at the head of their cards Page 11 of the April 1978 OSCAR. for good luck. After about ten minutes Christine Bradley was a longtime of each person playing with 6-12 cards resident of OOS and became By Christine Bradley simultaneously, some lucky winner coordinator of the Green Dreamers would yell BINGO, winning the early gardening program with her husband As I searched through the OSCAR bird jackpot of $85 ($335 in today’s Mike last season. They recently archives for this month’s story, an dollars).