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Eaton's in downtown Lethbridge circa 1970. Source: Facebook/Lethbridge Historical Society (May be subject to copyright) |
Recently, I was covering a story about an historic house located near our town. It was a called an Eaton’s house, because years ago, you could order anything by mail from the Canadian store, including ready-to-build homes.
In fact, Eaton’s would eventually move the Intellivision section away from that prime spot to a little corner behind the escalators facing the luggage and suit cases section. You could barely see it.
The Eaton’s cafeteria was located upstairs kind of at the back. What we really liked about Eaton’s was that once you got your cup, you could have as many refills as you liked. They made it super easy, because they just put a coffee pot on a table at the far end of the cafeteria, so you could just help yourself any time you liked.
Hearing that Eaton’s name reminded me of the store that had so many memories for me, from buying my Intellivision to riding the escalators, seeing the occasional local celebrity, and having coffee with my mom.
Four corners
It was another Saturday morning staple, and another of the three stores in downtown Lethbridge we used to visit. With all the recent talk of Woolworth’s, I was reminded of Eaton’s, its neighbour across the street.
It was another Saturday morning staple, and another of the three stores in downtown Lethbridge we used to visit. With all the recent talk of Woolworth’s, I was reminded of Eaton’s, its neighbour across the street.
Growing up on a farm, we used to go to Lethbridge every Saturday. Because my parents went grocery shopping every Thursday, Saturday was more for checking out stores and shopping for the other essentials like clothing, shoes, school supplies, and for me, toys, books and later music.
We would always park on the west side of Galt Gardens and walk a couple blocks to what I have recently started calling “The Four Corners”.
It was an intersection that had a store on three of the four corners and a building on the fourth corner that seemed to rotate through a variety of uses, primarily a restaurant such as A&W.
On the southwest corner was Kresge’s, across the street on the southeast corner was Eaton’s, and across the street on the northeast corner was Woolworth’s.
They all had something a little different, but enough to attract our attention.
Favoured destination
Eaton’s was my favourite because it was more of a department store, and less of a discount or five and dime store like Woolworth’s or Kresge’s.
Eaton’s was my favourite because it was more of a department store, and less of a discount or five and dime store like Woolworth’s or Kresge’s.
Eaton’s had a much larger selection, well-stocked departments of all kinds, and several levels. You’d walk in the front door and be surrounded primarily by racks of clothing lines. Straight ahead were the escalators that would take you up or down. You could also take stairs, and I recall doing that more than taking the escalators.
Still, it was always fun taking the escalators, and I am pretty sure those were the first ones I remember ever using.
Intellivision central
My overriding memory of downstairs was located at the base of the stairs. If you were walking down them, hugging the wall immediately to your left was the Intellivision section. It warranted having its own section because, although made by a toy company and played by children and youth, it was electronic so essentially locked up behind a counter.
My overriding memory of downstairs was located at the base of the stairs. If you were walking down them, hugging the wall immediately to your left was the Intellivision section. It warranted having its own section because, although made by a toy company and played by children and youth, it was electronic so essentially locked up behind a counter.
The actual console, in its distinctive box, sat on a wall-mounted shelf pretty high up, so you could see it clearly, but not touch. Other shelves had the cartridges displayed, such as “Astrosmash”, “Space Armada”, and “Space Battle”. There was also a counter, with more games in there, if memory serves.
It was un-manned, so you could look – and pine – for as long as you wanted, until someone came to help, which was rare, or you went to find someone, which was much more common.
So, that’s where I embarked on my Intellivision career one fateful Saturday morning, after I took out the $400 I needed from my Scotiabank account. It was the first withdrawal I had ever made. And I paid the same price that was listed on the price tag. There was no tax whatsoever. This was years before the GST, and Alberta has never had a sales tax.
So what you saw was what you got.
I would go back to Eaton’s for a couple games, but it soon became apparent they never brought in anything new. That was left to Canadian Tire and Sears primarily.
In fact, Eaton’s would eventually move the Intellivision section away from that prime spot to a little corner behind the escalators facing the luggage and suit cases section. You could barely see it.
Coffee time
Some of my best teenage memories are of going for coffee with my mom at the Eaton’s cafeteria. Often, especially by the time I was in Grade 11 and 12, we had finished looking at what we wanted, and decided to just go sit down for coffee.
Some of my best teenage memories are of going for coffee with my mom at the Eaton’s cafeteria. Often, especially by the time I was in Grade 11 and 12, we had finished looking at what we wanted, and decided to just go sit down for coffee.
The Eaton’s cafeteria was located upstairs kind of at the back. What we really liked about Eaton’s was that once you got your cup, you could have as many refills as you liked. They made it super easy, because they just put a coffee pot on a table at the far end of the cafeteria, so you could just help yourself any time you liked.
It was so cool.
Toy story
The upstairs also had the toy section. It was one of the best, along with the ones at Woodward’s and Sears. It had rows and rows of shelves of toys I would just wander up and down, especially when I was little.
The upstairs also had the toy section. It was one of the best, along with the ones at Woodward’s and Sears. It had rows and rows of shelves of toys I would just wander up and down, especially when I was little.
Brush with fame
When I was young, anyone I saw on TV was a celebrity. I still have a little bit of that star-struck feeling. Lethbridge was small enough you could actually run into the personalities who appeared on the local shows on Channel 7 and 13.
When I was young, anyone I saw on TV was a celebrity. I still have a little bit of that star-struck feeling. Lethbridge was small enough you could actually run into the personalities who appeared on the local shows on Channel 7 and 13.
One day, I was really young, I saw someone who looked familiar as we were going down the escalator. I pulled on my mom’s coat and pointed toward him. She confirmed it was who I thought.
It was in fact Bill Matheson, the weather man on Channel 7, who left soon after for greener pastures in Edmonton.
How much bigger a celebrity you can get than that?
Well, at least when you’re five.
The years after
Unlike Woolworth’s or Kresge’s, Eaton’s sufferd a different fate. Instead of being closed, it moved from that location at the “Four Corners” to be one of the two anchor tenants, along with Sears, for the new Park Place Mall that opened in late 1987. Once it vacated, the building was used for other things for awhile, such as an art gallery, then was just torn down.
Unlike Woolworth’s or Kresge’s, Eaton’s sufferd a different fate. Instead of being closed, it moved from that location at the “Four Corners” to be one of the two anchor tenants, along with Sears, for the new Park Place Mall that opened in late 1987. Once it vacated, the building was used for other things for awhile, such as an art gallery, then was just torn down.
That was sad, because it left an empty lot in what was once a vibrant downtown block. Since then something else has been built on that lot.
As for Eaton’s, it continued on in the Park Place Mall before closing. It became a Bay location, that closed, and then a call centre.
Parting thoughts
Eaton’s was another Canadian icon that just faded away. Still, I will always have dear memories of Eaton’s because it was more of an experience than Kresge’s or Woolworth’s.
Parting thoughts
Eaton’s was another Canadian icon that just faded away. Still, I will always have dear memories of Eaton’s because it was more of an experience than Kresge’s or Woolworth’s.
It was the Eaton’s cafeteria where Mom and I talked about everything from school to politics, what was on TV, and life.
As I sit here typing this, I can visualize Mom sitting across from me with a cup in front of her, deep in conversation.
What can top that?
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