October 6 Wednesday
Lunch- went to the Pits (17) with Brad P., we put a "no fucking" sign up. Went back to school, met Lesley and Sandi in the caf. Talked awhile then went to their lockers.
October 7 Thursday
Gym(spare)- outside the library talked with Tracy Price and Barb W. Lunch- met Sandi in the caf and the Liz, sat with her and Karen C. nite- went out, met Lanore D and Mike. We went to the gas station [on the 2&20 near Ovide park]. Lanore went in so we went to Lesley's house. Toked up at the end of Lesley's street (Lesley, Don, Mike and I). We went to the Dorval shops in [Lesley's father's] car. Bought record 'Black Sabbath-Masters of Reality' for Sue's [my older sister's 21th] birthday.
October 8 Friday
French- had my guitar there (Rea had returned it before French) [his borrowing it is not recorded. I had made an attempt to learn the guitar but I have no musical talent]. Lunch- went outside with Sandi on the lawn where the fountain is to have a smoke, went to the caf with Liz. Science- Einser away so we all took off, sat in the Great Hall while a guy played my guitar. Later went with Mike to deliver some papers to the townhouses near J.R., then we went to the dance at the school [Mahogany Rush, a local Hendrix style band lead by Frank Marino, was the entertainment]. Mike, Lanore, Don, Lesley, Sandi, Brenda, Judy, Christine Lovett (from my Art and Math classes) and Sandi's friend Heidi were there. Liz was there too with Diana. I am sort of going out with Judy [peer pressure]. Liz told me Laine was there so we all went out to the hall, and fooled around near him [now that's more like it]. Lanore, Mike, Christine, Judy and I were dancing at the back of the gym. I was really rolling my head around. It ended about 11:45, got a ride home with Lanore. P.S.- told Liz that Mike was George and she believed it. [Mike and Don had done LSD, as had many there].
October 9 Saturday
Went over to Sandi's. Lesley put Mike and Don's hair in braids to make it frizzy. They were under the hairdryer. Judy showed me the sign language Lesley and she use [I was accepted]. Just before we left had pizza.
October 10 Sunday
Rain! cool- but we went out anyway. Went to Lesley's in the afternoon. Don, Mike and Julian [Lesley's friend Gillian Simons actually (18)] were there. Were in the livingroom then downstairs. I phoned Mike and said "Hello, you suckhole", it was his 'father' [Mike lived in a foster home. The man said "I think you want Mike"]. nite- I walked to the Mapes, got splashed by a taxi. Mike came then Judy, went in to phone Lesley and Don to see if they were coming. They came with Gillian . We went outside the Caboose, got beer and toked. Judy's mother drove us to the United Church, we sat in on a talk group. We went back to my house, saw drug movie (19). We walked back to the church, then I came home about 9:30.
October 11 Monday Holiday
From 1 to 5:40pm Don, Lesley, Judy, Sandi and Lanore came over, sat in the reckroom. I taped them). We phoned people, Judy and Lesley were trying to get out so Don and I were keeping them in. They got out once. Ordered pizza, played the drug game but gave up. Got very unhappy (Lesley and Judy were mad). They danced and talked, then they left.
17. The Pits used to be a rock quarry, long abandoned (and presumably a brick factory at one time had been there). The land was owned by CN. It was divided into two main sections: where the quarry used to be was now used as hills for bicycles and dirtbikes, and at a slightly higher level was a large field with long grass and bushes. To the north of this was a wooded area with a small stream running through it. Efforts to save it in 1971 resulted in its official name becoming 'Terra Cotta'. Later (c.1975) a playing field was built south of the bike hills and condos on the eastern edge (early 1980's).
A more official (and correct) version of this story comes from the Pointe-Claire website (2004):
The Montreal Terra Cotta Company was founded in 1888 in the town of Maisonneuve by the Honourable Alphonse Desjardins. A branch factory was set up in Pointe-Claire in 1912 after major trenton clay deposits were discovered north of Lakeside, in the area above the railway and east of St. John’s. The company was guaranteed a 20-year municipal tax exemption. Since the clay was extracted and processed at the same site, certain transportation costs were eliminated.
The company produced hollow, fireproof terra cotta tiles. The clay was mixed with sawdust supplied by local farms. This product, for which the market was rapidly growing, was used for the construction of floors, walls and ceilings in a wide range of buildings, such as churches, theatres and schools. Given the success of the business, and in response to the demand, the company acquired new, modern and automated equipment. This equipment performed all phases of the manufacturing process up to firing. By 1925 more than 450 wagonloads of tiles were shipped out annually.
The business suffered a major fire in 1929 and was rebuilt. Terra Cotta employed up to 60 workers, and for a long time was the only manufacturing industry in Pointe-Claire. In 1962, approximately 700,000 cubic meters of clay had been extracted since its opening, and, the deposit exhausted, the factory was closed. The following year the company began to clean up the site. The main production building was found at the north end of the property, while kilns resembling small houses were located to the south, near the railway. Half of the site was sold to the municipality to create a park, and the rest was sold to the private sector for development. While it was active, the company allowed the community access to unused spaces. This explains the considerable private and public efforts to preserve the area as a park and bird sanctuary. The site of the clay quarry is now grassed over, while the remaining, much larger, area has been left in its natural state.
18. Gillian had met Lesley through a mutual friend Gail West.
19. Probably a 3 minute 8mm I had made in the summer of 1969 called 'The Trip'. Unfortunately it does not survive.
Christine Lovett
Gillian Simons