Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.
Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.
Parking meters have always been a contentious issue in downtown Orillia and this 1958 photo showing a large parking sign indicates a clear attempt to inform the public of parking regulations.
The sign notes metered parking — with no time limit, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays to 9 p.m., — comes with a cost of a nickel for 72 minutes and, for five nickels, six hours, which sounds a lot friendlier than today’s rate. In reality, that five cents would compare to today’s $1 with inflation.
This photo is not dated but we see a 1953 Plymouth and 1952 Pontiac in the foreground with a 1957 Mercury parked in front of the Shangri-La Gardens.
Left of the “Shang,” with the Players Please sign, is Nick’s Billiards at 121 Mississaga St. E., then Art’s Jewelers at 125 Mississaga St. E, McPhee Paint and Wallpaper at 127 Mississaga St. E and Strathman’s Clothing at 133 Mississaga St. E.
The billiard store had a long family history in Orillia’s downtown. In the early 1930s, M.J. Morris Billiards was located here. By 1937 the business was bought by Apostolos Deakos and, a few years later, Mr. Deakos's son-in-law, Lois Heliotis, took over the store. It was known as Lois Billiards and also named Olympia Billiards.
In the late 1950s the billiard hall was taken over by Anist Nicholas and renamed Nick’s Billiards. Nicholas was a nephew of Lois Heliotis and a cousin of Lois's son, Dean Heliotis.
In the early 1960s, Mr. Nicholas opened a billiard hall in Midland and Dean Heliotis took over the Orillia location. Dean renamed the business to Dino's Rack and Roll and continued to operate the billiard hall until the late 1970s when a fire destroyed the building ending close to 50 years of family tradition in downtown Orillia.
