Saturday, December 5, 2009

A Place To Retire To: Talbotville

Talbotville, Ontario, Canada. 

Just a hand full of houses, a church, a restaurant, a tourist-type store and a ball diamond. How many villages like this can you name within a hundred mile radius of your home? A million and one I bet, just like Talbotville, that used to be something... but now a just a sign on a highway and one solitary stoplight.


These are the communities we wish to retire to: The ones where the folks still know who their neighbors are and wave to anybody who drives by. Where a church supper draws everybody and those too ill to get out get a food delivery and a full report from the folks next door.

Located at the crossroads of numbers three and four highways in southern Ontario, Canada. South of London. Two hours east of Detroit, Michigan and about two hours west of Toronto, Ontario.





This is the Wayside Restaurant and they serve a buffet and full menu. Drive by any night of the week and the parking lot will be full! Started life as the Three Dukes and was the Greyhound way station for the bus that ran from Detroit to Buffalo. (Yes, it came across through Ontario!) Hence also the name now: Wayside!






This building was Gerald Aitkin's restaurant and gas station when I was a child. I can't remember the names. Was run by a couple of other folks, then a used car lot. Currently Vacant.




There's a United Church and a base ball field tucked back in off the highway. There's a store that sells nuts, candy and gift boxes. Most of the folks are retired, or work in London and St Thomas. The children are all bused to schools.  Sound like a nice quiet place?

 
 

2 comments:

  1. Yes, it does sound nice, Lucy. I would have retired in Canada because I think your government is more progressive than the US, but they didn't want to take care of me in my old age. So I am now only 18 miles from the Canadian border and go to Vancouver whenever I want! I like a little larger city, so Bellingham suits me very well.

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