Interview with Mervin Blostein

itemOctober 25, 2000O0045

Description only — contact the archiveView at source ↗

Where

Not on the map yet.

Locate this photo

Held by: Ottawa Jewish Archives via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
Dates: October 25, 2000 (indexed as 2000)
Level: item
Scope & content: Subject: Mervin Blostein Interviewer: N/A Date: October 25, 2000 Interview Location: Ottawa, ON Length of Time: 1:01:07 **RACISM DISCLAIMER** TRIGGER WARNING FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT -Mervin’s father was from Lithuania and his mother was from Minsk, Russia. His father was a teacher in Russia. -In 1920 at the age of 17 Mervin’s father came to Ottawa. -In 1925 at the age of 5 Mervin’s mother came to Ottawa with her family. -Mervin’s father moved in with an uncle, J Marks, upon his arrival while he learnt english. He sold oil rags and t-shirts. Once he learnt english he began selling insurance. -Mervin speaks of a story of his fathers Bar Mitzvah in 1914 during the war. Which led to a few years living in Russia and working in a herring factory. -Mervin’s father sold insurance, then moved into tire sales, and finally used furniture; a business which Mervin joined in the 1950’s. -Mervin discusses his childhood home at 60 Cobourg Avenue. The family then moved to Nelson street when he turned 13 years old. -Mervin discusses his mothers side of the family and his cousins the Sasloves and the Goldenburgs (?). -Mervin was born in Ottawa in 1927 at the Grace Hospital that has since been closed. ***-He attended York Street Public School and recalls some of his teachers; Mr. Matthews, Mr. Ketcheson (?), Mr Cook, and Mrs. Eckhart. He tells a story of the time he received the strap at school. (TRIGGER WARNING SEXUAL ASSAULT) -Mervin attended Feder at the King Edward Synagogue and recalls some of his classmates; Joe Murrey, Harold Cohn, Dolly Ginsberg, Ellie Edlestein, Sydney Novak, and Lasser Weiner (?) are a few of the classmates mentioned. -Mervin played street hockey on York Street in his childhood and remembers spending all of his money at Edelson’s (?) buying gum. -He goes on to list stores and businesses he remembers but have since gone out of business. He mentions Botonov Bakery, Kardish Bakery, AJ Freimans, The shops all along Williams Street, AD Pleats store (?), Shulmans on George Street, Lepointe Fish Market, and Ritz on Rideau Street. -He speaks about being in the 39th Boy Scouts Troops in 1939 and being a bike messenger for the city. He remembers his troop leader being a man named Meiser and going on sleigh rides in Mooneys Bay. -Whites Double Dip is a fond childhood memory for him as is getting smoked meat sandwiches from Mikelsons (?). -Mervin says that the social scene after shul was at Barney Wise’s, Rideau Theater or Francais Theater. -When Mervin was 10 he wanted a bicycle but could not afford one so he used to rent one from Jack’s Bike Rental or Arts Bike Rental until his father was able to buy one for him. -Mervin’s family purchased a cottage on the main street of Britannia Beach for $500 with his cousins the Sasloves. The house had 4 bedrooms and an outhouse. -Mervin talks about his friend Maurie Karp who sold newspapers as a boy in downtown Ottawa. -During elementary school Mervin fixed mattress springs for work and in High School he worked for his father delivering furniture. -When asked about clubs he participated in he recalls; Boy Scouts, Macabee Squadron, B’nai B’rith, The Knights of Pythias, AZA, and was chairman of the seats at Murray Street Shul. -Mervin mentions a story of losing his corporal strips in his squadron and then tells a story of how the shul handled selling seats to people who could not afford to purchase them. -Mervin then goes into a discussion about his furniture business with Harold Cohn and the process of buying furniture from foreign countries. ***-Mervin tells a story about a customer and his interactions with the customer. (RACISM) -Mervin discusses trips and travelling he has done to Mallorca and Jerusalem. He says upon arriving in Israel he had a very good feeling because of the atmosphere and community. -Mervin concludes by saying that he has enjoyed living in Canada and is very happy the country has treated him well. END OF TAPE
Location: No place found in this description yet.
Locate this photo
Genre / form: sound recording
Format: Audio
Harvested: 2026-10-17T20:12:50Z · source datestamp n/a · cjhn

Original metadata as harvested (cjhn)