During the time the C. P. Railway was being extended to Brookmere, there were large gangs of graders, tie layers, track spikers and others involved in the laying of rails. So it was that Ma Collins, as we all knew her, still lived on in the infamous house on the hill. She had run a stable of “Ladies of the Evening” for the convenience of the railway labourers. The only thing that this coloured, aged and wise lady ran in 1946 was a few goats, chickens and pigeons. Following delivery of her groceries and animal feed, she would regale me with risqué yarns about her life in earlier times. My teen aged blushing used to amuse her and she let me know it. The house on the hill was destroyed some years ago after her death.

Another delivery that I really enjoyed was to an older, single gentleman of the “old school” type in Collettville named Mr. George Leese. Unknown to him, he was partly responsible in developing my eventual outlook on life that I have retained. When time was available Mr. Leese and I would talk and share views on a multitude of various subjects. His greatest attribute was that he never talked down to me in spite of our great difference in age.

One of my favorite stops that always left me in a happy mood was with Mrs. Harry (Lily) Priest. The Bank of Montreal House that used to sit at Merritt Avenue and Voght Street (area now occupied by Desert Inn) was converted to apartments prior to its demise. Mrs. Priest lived there and if ever there was a senior lady that stayed young at heart she would be epitomized by this gracious person. I could always look forward to hearing a new joke or being quizzed by her on the latest humorous happenings that I had heard of or come across.

Morva's parents, Jim and Olive, had taken in a lonely war refugee girl, Mavis Walton. She was destined to live well out of town on the Jim Tompkinson ranch. Through mutual consent it was agreed that Mavis would live in town with the McCreight Family and complete her education. Mavis's Granny Walton had also come to Canada with Mavis in June of 1940; she remained on the ranch a short time and then moved into town to a flat in Mrs. Munro's building. They were above what are now the M & M and Post's Meat Shop.