The Following Transcript of Dave Cresswell's Interview on Memories
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The following transcript of Dave Cresswell’s interview on Memories and Music (broadcast October 27, 1975) was created by Videoplus Transcription Services in 2013. Page 1 00:00:00 Track starts. DON MACMILLAN: Well, folks, we promise you an interesting guest today, a man who has got quite a story to tell, and let's start off by finding-, him telling us what his name is. What is your name, sir? DAVE CRESWELL: Dave Cresswell. DON MACMILLAN: And you've been-, when did you retire, Dave? DAVE CRESWELL: I retired in September of '74. DON MACMILLAN: After how many years with International Nickel? DAVE CRESWELL: Forty years. DON MACMILLAN: Forty years is a fair number, that's the-, what were you doing at the time of your retirement, Dave? DAVE CRESWELL: Well, I was a safety foreman with INCO Construction. DON MACMILLAN: Well, we got that-, and while we're on the general subject, it seems to me that you had one brother who lasted longer even than that, didn't he? DAVE CRESWELL: That's right, I had an older brother who, when he retired, had 50 years service with INCO. DON MACMILLAN: Well, that's what I call a few years. And what about the other brother? DAVE CRESWELL: Well, they all had quite a bit of service, too, I have one brother that was retired in '72 with between 44 and 45 years service. DON MACMILLAN: So what I'm sort of making up my mind is, with the Cresswell's, they add up to about 100 or though years service with the company, eh? DAVE CRESWELL: Well, I think the five of us would have added up to a lot more than that. DON MACMILLAN: Right. Well, very fine. Well, all right, Dave, we like to start at the beginning. Where were you from? Where were you born? DAVE CRESWELL: I was born right in Coniston, in other words, I'm a real native. DON MACMILLAN: You can't get much closer to the action than that, eh? And in what year, Dave? DAVE CRESWELL: I was born 1916 in March. DON MACMILLAN: Well, now, give us a little background on your family. What about your father, was he born at that area? Page 2 DAVE CRESWELL: No, my father came from England in 1907, and along with my mother, they settled in Victoria Mine. DON MACMILLAN: Well, now, that would be interesting. Now, did your father have a trade, or anything like that? DAVE CRESWELL: Yes, he was a blacksmith with the railway in England. DON MACMILLAN: And had he ever told you why he just decided to pick up and head out for Canada? DAVE CRESWELL: Oh, unfortunately, I was never told why, but I suppose it was because life looked a little bit better on this side of the ocean. DON MACMILLAN: Well, that's probably the best reason, eh? We can't argue about that. Took a little courage, though, eh? DAVE CRESWELL: I imagine it did to leave a place like England and come to the back woods of Ontario. DON MACMILLAN: Yeah. DAVE CRESWELL: It must have taken a little courage. DON MACMILLAN: How did he come to pick Coniston? DAVE CRESWELL: Well, actually, they came to Victoria Mine, which was run by Mond Nickel, it was an English firm, and I believe, it was someone there got in touch with him to come out. DON MACMILLAN: Well, that was the beginning of the Cresswell Dynasty here in Coniston, right. DAVE CRESWELL: That's right. DON MACMILLAN: Now, you said he was a blacksmith with the railway before he came over, eh? DAVE CRESWELL: Mm-hmm. DON MACMILLAN: Now, what family did you have over here, Dave? Your-, I mean, in terms of brothers and sisters. DAVE CRESWELL: Oh, I had four brothers and one sister. DON MACMILLAN: Now, where did you fit in, were you the youngest? DAVE CRESWELL: Well, I was the youngest of the group. Page 3 DON MACMILLAN: Uh-huh. Now, you were telling me, Dave, that you kind of liked it around Coniston in those days, it was a little greener, it got not so good, but it's coming back again now. Is that a true statement? DAVE CRESWELL: Well, that's true, when I was growing up in Coniston it was a lot greener than it is today, in other words, you could pick blueberries right in the town, or whatever. And things like partridge, and rabbits, and all these sort of things abounded around the area. Unfortunately, they did deteriorate, and thankfully, it's coming back now, people are looking after their property a little better. They're sowing grass. DON MACMILLAN: The grass will grow, and same with… DAVE CRESWELL: They're sowing grass, and gardens, and flowers, and… DON MACMILLAN: Marvellous, it's going to look great again. DAVE CRESWELL: It is, it's looking better every day. DON MACMILLAN: Very fine. Now, again, as we were getting ready for our little show, you commented you'd heard this program before and some of the people had talked about their teachers, and that you had fond memories of a Mr. Kidd, is that true? DAVE CRESWELL: That's true, he was principal in the public school when I was going there, and I think most fond memories of him have to do with his interest in sports, particularly, baseball. And all the boys in the school had to play baseball, and I think through this, there were some pretty fair ball players came out of there. DON MACMILLAN: Now, speaking of ball players, we compared some notes and you brought up Phil Marchildon, is that right? DAVE CRESWELL: That's right, I recall when Phil used to play for Creighton, he was a pitcher that Creighton had brought in from Penetang in the days when baseball was baseball in this area. DON MACMILLAN: Right. Now, again-, now wait a minute. We were talking about this last World Series a while ago, and I just remembered, there was a pitcher for Boston named Cleveland, Reggie Cleveland, wasn't that the name? DAVE CRESWELL: That's the fellow, yeah. Page 4 DON MACMILLAN: And what did they say, he was the first Canadian… DAVE CRESWELL: Well, he said that he was the first Canadian to ever start a game in a World Series. Now, Marchildon went on the play in the American League with Philadelphia Athletics, and I don’t really recall whether he ever got into a World Series, but I do recall that he won 20 games one year, and… DON MACMILLAN: Which is not bad. DAVE CRESWELL: It was pretty fair. DON MACMILLAN: Yeah, I'll settle for that. The other Canadian, and I think he was from-, it's not here, but-, it's George Selkirk, played for the old New York Yankees. Now, where was he from? DAVE CRESWELL: That's right, he came from Huntsville. DON MACMILLAN: From Huntsville, eh? DAVE CRESWELL: That's right, yeah. DON MACMILLAN: Twinkletoes, wasn't it? DAVE CRESWELL: That's what they used to call him, he played centre field, I believe. DON MACMILLAN: That's right. You got a couple of old ball fans here together, we'll get some of these things going, eh. DAVE CRESWELL: First thing you know, we'll be playing ball again. DON MACMILLAN: We'll be out there telling everybody how good we used to be, eh? Well, now, but getting back now, away from ball just for the moment, we've got you finishing public school and high school in Coniston. DAVE CRESWELL: That's right. DON MACMILLAN: And then you went to work, is that correct, sir? DAVE CRESWELL: That's true, I went to work with… DON MACMILLAN: With INCO? DAVE CRESWELL: …International Nickel in Coniston. DON MACMILLAN: In Coniston, at about what year, would that be '34 or thereabout? DAVE CRESWELL: That was in 1934, right. DON MACMILLAN: Oh, yeah. Now, as we've been talking here, it has occurred to me that, I guess, you would go to work because as your father had died at age of Page 5 five, the brothers in the family would have to sort of pitch in and keep the family stuck together, eh? DAVE CRESWELL: That's right, and they all did their job as required. But of course, after the depression started to lift in 1934, things did get a little bit easier. DON MACMILLAN: But you, as most good sons do, have fond memories of your mother, who died at the ripe old age of 78 or thereabouts, right, eh? DAVE CRESWELL: That's right, yeah. DON MACMILLAN: Now, there was some other sports that were pretty popular around town about those years, about the middle '30's, where were these games played, Stanley Stadium? DAVE CRESWELL: Yes, they-, this was the only covered stadium in the area, was Stanley Stadium, and this is when the hockey teams used to bring in the fans, at Stanley Stadium. DON MACMILLAN: That's where Johnny McCreedy played about that year, eh, around that time? DAVE CRESWELL: That's right, McCreedy, and Kowcinak came from the west and they played in this area. DON MACMILLAN: And was it Duchak that played centre… DAVE CRESWELL: I believe it was Duchak that played centre for that line. DON MACMILLAN: Yeah, that was a good line. DAVE CRESWELL: It was. One of the best. DON MACMILLAN: But which-, it was Kirkland Land won the Allan Cup.