Memories of home

Growing up, I lived in a town just north of Montreal called Deux Montagnes (or Two Mountains as it was known by us Anglophones). I think the town existed primarily as a summer get-away for Montreal cottage folk and had a commuter train line end there, which was very unusual considering how many people it served - but convenient. Across the tracks from what was then the only train station in town (now there are two - we grew!), was Deux Montagnes' equivalent of a country store - Jed's. I wanted to post about this store that was a landmark in everyone's lives in Two Mountains back in the day, but could never find a picture. Now I have. Jed's was very unassuming from the outside, its two Coke signs stood out more than anything. But inside it was like a veritable wonderland for kids. As you walked in the door, to the right was a wrap-around sit up counter where you could order ice cream, shakes and any type of diner meal including burgers. In the hollow were small aisles of candy, chocolate bars, gum, chips - you name the snack - they had it. There was an old fashioned pinball machine tucked against the wall right by the door. On the left side of Jed's was an almost museum-like collection of games, toys, trinkets and collectibles for kids. I'm sure they had toys and games dating back from the 1950s in that store. Jed's was located in the perfect place for me, because you could always go there just before you head down to the riverfront, the beach(es), cross the train bridge over to the island in the middle of the river, or further on to Laval Ouest. Any spare money that I ever had on me almost inevitably ended up in the cash register at Jed's.

[Update] On 15 Jan 2021, someone closely related to the owners of Jed's (Laurie Symonds) posted a tribute to the mom who ran Jed's:

In 2019, our family was asked to write a tribute to our amazing matriarch and her wonderful legacy in the Two Mountains community. I'd like to share Lorna "Norn" Fredricks with you all...

How do you capture in black and white the essence of a soul? Not easily, but it’s a task worth attempting when it’s as beautiful as that of Lorna Kerland-Fredricks. She was unlike any other!

Before her years living in Two Mountains, Lorna was a model at Simpson Sears. Her future husband, Jeff, was also employed there as a store detective. They met, married, had two little girls, Judy and Karen, and made a decision to open up a “snack bar and gift shop" in the summer resort town, at the end of the Montreal train tracks known as St-Eustache-sur-le-lac. Jeff and his two brothers, Eric and Dennis, had the store built the store in 1945 and aptly named it JED's after the three brothers (Jeff, Eric, and Dennis). After a short time, Lorna and Jeff bought out the other two brother’s shares and became the proud, young owners of what became a place people fondly remember and lovingly reminisce about, still to this day, because of the hard work, dedication and kindness of the one woman, fondly known as Lorna…or Norn.

Every day, 365 days a year, Jed’s doors were open for business for 44 years. And, except for one day every year…her favourite, Christmas day…you could find Lorna behind the counter…smiling and loving her time giving back to the little town, with its specific needs and interesting crowd of people, that she truly grew to love!

Every inch of JED's was redesigned, with Lorna’s Intuitive foresight over many years, to meet the specific needs of its patrons…from renting out sections of the store (a barber shop, a taxi stand, a tv repair shop) to make ends meet when times were hard during the first years of ownership, to catering to the city folks and their children escaping to the “country” for a day or a cottage vacation at El Rancho Beach.

There were lunch to-go boxes for beach crowd, toys and towels, a soda bar, ice cream cones, a snack bar with booths that you could grab a meal and listen to the juke box play and so much more.

Over the years, the cottages were upgraded into four-season dwellings, and the little cottage-town-at-the-end-of-the-tracks took on a life of its own. With it…so did JED’s.

It then became about the needs of ITS PEOPLE. The booths were replaced with a counter and stools where the locals could pull up a seat, have a great cup of coffee, some lunch, delicious fries, some dinner or just a Mae West & Pepsi and “shoot the shit”.

If Lorna had owned a fit bit at that time, it would not have ever been able to keep track of the number of steps she logged behind that counter!!!

The store encompassed so much good because of her caring ways. To name a few of her unselfish

deeds…if her regular customers needed to get something on Christmas Day that was forgotten, she would open up so they could run in. If they wanted to stop by upstairs to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, all were welcome. When the men of the CNR were first doing work on the tracks on this side of the bridge, she decided to serve hot dinner meals as they depended on Jed's to eat all their meals… chicken, pork chops steak and fish & chips were added to the menu. If the fire department had a missing person they were trying to find, she would stay open and provide free coffee, food and shelter to the search team. From book donations from the town’s people, she created a used book section to recycle books and kept the cost very low (10 cents) for those who loved to read…and every year, all

proceeds went to different events being held for children…including buying Easter baskets and Christmas presents for every child at the orphanage in Rosemere or St. Rose… like skates, tents,

toboggans and many, many toys. And, she would donate every year to the Wish Fund on the Jerry Lewis Telethon. She collected glasses from her customers that they no longer required them and would send them to Africa. She allowed her true-blue customers who were short on cash before the next pay cheque came in to run a tab, in the “little black book” and allowed them to pay when they could.

Lorna literally devoted her life to Jed's, her customers and to giving back to her community. It was a lifelong sacrifice she gladly, and with no hesitation, made every day…until her dying day. That day, the 11th of Oct, 1989, the world lost an earth sent angel and a shining light of pure devotion to mankind. 

Thank you for being you, Norn. Love you and miss you bunches.