This letter comes from Wilf Slater, from Thorold, who later became an editor of the Globe and Mail.
For many years, an apartment above the Royal Bank was occupied by chief of police Dan Boyd and his wife. Boyd came to Thorold in the mid-1930s, although I don't know from where, during a change in policing. He was joined by two constables, both from Thorold.
Boyd was a big man and could send the needle of the McCartney-Henderson pharmacy scale beyond the 300-point mark. The Royal bank manager lived on Chapel Street across from Memorial Park.
Other financial entities on Front Street included a Bank of Commerce at Albert, and an Imperial Bank on the west side close to Clairmont. I do not know whether Imperial had departed on its own or did so when it merged with Commerce. I believe the Imperial site then became home to the Salvation Army. The houses occupied by the bank manager may have been owned by the banks. The Commerce manager lived on Pine Street, N. at the Townline, while the Imperial manager’s home was on Welland Street near Portland.
In 1948, the Thorold Community Credit Union (TCU) was born under the guidance of such CCF (NDP) stalwarts as Mel Swart, Dean Bayne and Dan McMaster. Its storefront headquarters was located on Albert Street between Front and Ormond streets.
About five years later, a credit union was established in Holy Rosary parish. The growth of each union necessitated larger quarters – TCU moving to its current Front Street location and Holy Rosary from the church hall to the corner of Pine and Albert Streets now home to FirstOntario Credit Union.
Wilf Slater
