So what are your plans for May-Two-Four weekend?

what we're all going to do on May-Two-Four weekend?

We kind-of like just- like we kind-of separated whatever when um last May two-four weekend so (laughs)- yeah, ah, long story but um-

And then of course, we're from the north so I went to their northern forums and then they have these- this big celebration at the end of the year in May on the May-two-four weekend called um Les-Jeux.

Speaker: Yeah. It was quite a few dishes. (laughs) Now something Patrick also mentioned, and I thought about it, was the meat ring. Do you remember the meat ring? And Patrick said that, um, they would slaughter a beast- Interviewer: Yeah. Speaker: And then because a lot of us didn't have fridges at that time they would divide that beast up, however many was in the meat ring.

Speaker: And then because a lot of us didn't have fridges at that time they would divide that beast up, however many was in the meat ring. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Speaker: And then when that was gone then the next person would have to put a beef in and that one would be slaughtered and- Interviewer: Oh, okay. Speaker: Divided up- Interviewer: yeah. Speaker: Amongst the- the neighbours, that was.

Speaker: Now something Patrick also mentioned, and I thought about it, was the meat ring. Do you remember the meat ring? And Patrick said that, um, they would slaughter a beast- Interviewer: Yeah. Speaker: And then because a lot of us didn't have fridges at that time they would divide that beast up, however many was in the meat ring.

Well my father would do that. And I can- I can remember skinning them. Skinning the fur off them. And then he would cut the cow up and bring it down into our basement, make it into steaks and roasts and-whatever. Wrap it up in brown paper and label it and then share it with other farmers. It's called a meat ring.

Speaker: And I can- I can remember skinning them. Skinning the fur off them. And then he would cut the cow up and bring it down into our basement, make it into steaks and roasts and-whatever. Wrap it up in brown paper and label it and then share it with other farmers. It's called a meat ring. Interviewer: Oh, I've heard about that. Speaker: Yes. So they would- they would probably- they would do that with pigs as well as cows and then it would be shared with so many other farmers.

Speaker: By then li-- well we went to the bars a few times but it was kind-of um, how do I say this? Like a meat-market. Interviewer: Oh yeah? What's a meat-market? Speaker: Like a pick-up place, so I-mean if we were already going- if we were going-out with someone then it's not really a place that you'd prolly wanna go at the time, I guess. I-don't-know.

... there's all this prevalence now of guns and- and hard drugs and stuff- like-that. So that's- that's a really big difference um that I've seen myself, you- know. Like I say, I mean, the worst thing was someone brings in a mickey of booze or a joint or two when I was in high-school. Couple of fist-fights. I- I don't ever think I heard of a stabbing but I mean, I knew that every now and then people would have a knife on them or something like that.

Interviewer: I think it must be the last place in Toronto that's like that. Speaker: Still like that, yeah. Well, they had a few. There was one called the Shoe-box which was at Parliament. And that, you would buy, you-know- or you would go in with your own Mickey and you'd pay a couple of bucks for the- the mix, kind-of-thing. But that was- but the Matador- the reason I- well, that was the west-end.

Yes they built the Club-Commodore after the War. That was when- when um- well I think Sam talked to the historical society and I should remember all of these stories but I remember you could bring in a- a- a mickey of whatever and put it under the table and- ... then that stopped because I think um somebody infiltrated and-

When we were Wainwright, we went into town ah I was a lance-corporal then. Ah sent three of us and we went to a liquor store and got a mickey each, which was out of bounds. So we lost our stripes, we lost a mickey. ... Well we got it back before we ah got to ah cross the border.

Whoever is transcribing this. Mm 'kay. So, it's, like, a weekend or something and we decided to get drunk. And I hadn't been drunk before. So (laughs) I got Jason to go out and buy me a mickey of vodka,'cause I thought, "You-know, I'm Polish. Whatever, I can take- I'll drink vodka, that's great."

So um we go out, get some vodka, you-know. I'm drinking the vodka, whatever. I'm halfway through the mickey, it's my first time drinking. I'm pretty drunk, so whatever. Drink some beers, take some shots of other people's stuff, have a cooler- I'm pretty fucking gone at this point.

So, grad. I- I'll...preface this by saying I had no idea that Serena even liked me. I-don't-know, I kind-of knew she liked me. But anyways. Um so I show up there, I have, like, a mickey of vodka, Peter has a- like, a twenty-sixer of rum and also, like, two master-shot-glasses. You've got some sort of alcohol, I don't remember what it was. Probably Disaronno and ah.

Ah I ended up in the hospital one night after a dance but. ... Yeah, and the- then got the third and fourth degree from the local con-- constabulary, going, "Hey guys, ah knew you were on drugs, you were on this." And ah whoa I finished a- a mickey of rum and then I probably had another drink with somebody else and the two didn't blend well together and I had to- teacher sent me out, because I was drunk (laughs) in the dance and I decided to walk home.

I said to Ray "Well if they're drinking why don't we have a drink?" "Why not?" he says. I reached in my pocket pulled out a- (laughing) a mickey. I always car-- I always carried a- a- a- a small glass in me pocket, eh? Pulled out it, corked it, poured him a shot. (laughing) Holy jeez you should have seen the people looking.

And while- I got married at four-o'clock in the afternoon while they were- everybody was hustling around. One of the guys I worked with come up the hill (inc). And he was drinking too and he happened to have a mickey so I had to have a good s-- slug of that. So I g-- like there was no big wedding, we went over to the priest's house and it was all over in about four minutes. Jeez when I think back. Terrible. It's terrible. But we survived.