THE BICYCLE COURIER OF BELLEVILLE

Let’s take a bike ride around town in the 1950s with a hardworking, enterprising young lad named Richard Herrington. He grew up in Sawdust Flats, fondly called by the old-timers in honour of the old Sawmills that once stood there.

Ten-year-old Richard travelled thru the downtown streets of Belleville on a second-hand bike. On his 12th birthday, he was thrilled to find a brand new bicycle from Stephen Licence waiting for him.

His shiny new ride delivered him in style to Queen Mary School, the McCarthy, Belle and Capitol Saturday matinees, and swimming at the YMCA on Campbell Street.

He started an after-school career in high school as a Bicycle Courier. He later branched out to Drug deliveries – from a Drug Store- of course!

Livesey’s Meat Market on Bridge Street West was the first customer on his route. Although he doesn’t recall how much he earned at Livesey’s, he vividly remembers the bike they supplied. It was a single-gear CCM bicycle, sporting red and white fenders with a 12 x 20-inch black frame carrier on the front.

After crossing the lower bridge, his courier route took him along West Bridge past the Bell Shirt Building, the General Tire Store, a Chinese Restaurant and Livesey’s Meat Market; then continued on to Kellaway’s Fruit and Vegetable, across Everett Street, and ended at the Texaco Gas Station.

Over on the south side of the street, he pedalled past Marsh Insurance, a Shell Gas Station, an apartment house, Campbell Monument, Skinner’s Barbershop, M&M Restaurant, and Tilbrook Shoe Repair.

There was a Shell station on the southwest corner of Coleman and Bridge, then Roblin Dairy to the south, and next Corbin Lock. Corbin Lock was located where the Provincial Courthouse now is. The Billa Flint House remains as a designated heritage building and once served as offices for the Corbin Lock property.

He worked on Saturdays, delivering meat orders by bicycle throughout the city. Most of the deliveries were to homes, where he collected money for the meat purchase. Every Saturday, he dropped off 25 pounds of hamburger to the Quinte Drive-in. The Drive-in was located where the Quinte Restaurant now stands at College and Cannifton Road and about 20 minutes from downtown. It was a long workday for a young lad on a bicycle because his shift started at 8 am and ended at 6 pm.

He also fit a 70 paper Belleville Intelligencer delivery route into his busy schedule.

Other meat stores downtown included Clark and Miles located on Front Street across from the Diana Grill. The building burned down and is now the home of the Army and Navy Club.

 A third meat market, White’s, was located on MacAnnany Street next to Barnes Wines and Quinte Paint and Wallpaper. The last one he remembers is Black’s Meat Market, situated just past Geen’s Drug Store on Front Street.

A few of the businesses he biked past were Emsco on Cannifton Road, Elliott Motors on West Dundas Street and Trudeau Motors on Station Street. The Canadian Tire Store was located at Harriet and Coleman Street across from Thrasher’s Feed Store.

One summer, he also worked for Tamblyn Drug Store, delivering drugs and other items on a bicycle supplied by the store. They were located close to Eaton’s, Footbridge Alley, and Geen’s Drug Store.

Richard shares a love and passion for our beautiful city, and its history, especially the downtown area. He is is a Contributing writer on Sharing Belleville Memories FB group, a Belleville resident, and a Corbin Lock employee from 1965 to 1991.

Note from Richard: My career as Belleville’s Bicycle Courier lasted two years and earned me $12 a week plus very few tips.