Transcript

The part of Richmond Street between the CPR tracks, where you are standing now, and Oxford Street, is known as The Village. Over the years, it included The Village Ski Shop, The Village Corners and The Village Café. As Mark Pittam explains in the following story, in the mid 20th Century, The Village also sported an unusual number of gas stations.

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Like I mean, The Village used to be gas stations. I mean this was the edge of the city right? This, up here. There was a gas station there. There was a gas station on the corner. There was a gas station across the street. The restaurant on the corner was a gas station. SuperTest down the street was a gas station—Colonel Thompson’s company, right? And then further down there was another gas station. And there was a gas station next to the Toddle Inn. So it was all gas stations, cause this was the edge of the city, right? Yeah, I mean it was gas stations everywhere!

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If you would like to hear more stories about The Village you can walk north along Richmond Street, turn left onto Piccadilly Street and look for the orange Hear, Here sign.