When we moved to Ottawa in 1965 we rented a house right on the border of the very upper-class Rockliffe neighborhood. Our side of the street was regular Ottawa, the other side started Rockliffe.
Rockliffe was interesting… Many huge mansions, and many international embassies and ambassador residences. To maintain a country feeling the streets were not paved, just crushed stone embedded in some sort of tar. No sidewalks at all. Busses did not enter Rockliffe, and it was illegal to hail a cab there (it had to be ordered by phone). None of that really affected us but it was interesting. In the autumn we could rake up all the leaves and burn them on the side of the road, but that was prohibited in Rockliffe!
The only schools nearby us were private and expensive. Besides, they were unlikely to accept Jews even if they hid that reason. So I was registered in the nearest public school, which was few miles away, which meant I had to walk several blocks and catch a public bus to get school. I was 12 when we moved, in grade 7.
The York Street public school that I went to was completely different from anything I had experienced. It was in a fairly poor area, and I quickly discovered that many of the kids would spend their lunchtimes shoplifting from nearby stores — and then bragging about what they got at recess time! Some of the boys also carried knives. I was in shock. I was likely the only Jew in the school as well. (Luckily we bought a house in the much more affluent and normal west end of Ottawa within a year, so I only had to endure this school for grade 7).
Truth is, I was exposed to some good things in that year. I had a great science teacher and since I loved science, I felt very comfortable in his class. I also made a couple of friends in that year, and joined a boy scout troop. The school also had a woodworking shop and I took that class and created a nice lamp 😁
Often during my lunch hour I would take the short walk to Rideau Street, where I would get an egg salad sandwich at the very Jewish deli called Rideau Bakery. Then I’d go to the old public library across the street, where I’d browse and read science books.
