Buses and Broadcasts in Kingston - John Carey

 

On Monday, August 12 I had a two-hour sit-down at the commodious home of John and Tina Carey, here in my west-end neighbourhood. I could have walked there, though grey clouds threatened - topically, I could have even taken the Kingston Transit Route 15 bus to get there - only two stops away! Speaking of buses, that's why I was visiting John. He'd called me, having seen Kingston Transit coverage on this blog. John had an interesting life story to tell, though only the early part of his working years involved buses, with many more involving broadcasting.

John explained that he initially became a bus mechanic because his father advised him, "Learn a trade or stay in school". John was not too keen on school, having attended 'Regi' because his mother insisted upon it. One day during the early war years, a neighbour took John and his father to the Colonial Coach Lines bus shop, and John thought it was something he'd enjoy doing. John enrolled in trade school in Toronto's Kensington Market - a former elementary school plus addition on Nassau Street. While there, John worked at Gray Coach's small service garage four nights per week to hone his trade, monitoring idling diesel buses overnight (oil pressure and 450 rpm).

On June 16, 1954 John started with Colonial as summer help in their Kingston garage. John was 16 years old at the time, so although he couldn't drive on city streets, he was able to move the buses around the service area. In December 1954, John formally started as an apprentice at Colonial, staying until 1960. In that year, Colonial closed its Kingston garage, located behind its terminal at the traffic circle, to consolidate operations in Ottawa. 

John got to know noted Kingston broadcasting personality Brian Olney while in a band in the 1950s, spurring his interest in broadcasting. Beginning in 1957 John worked as a part-time radio operator for CKWS, and went full time for CKWS-TV downstairs at their 170 Queen Street building in 1960. After spending 14 months at CJOH in Ottawa, John worked at CTV Toronto from 1962-1965, then moved to Peterborough where he worked for CHEX for five years. In 1969, he returned to Kingston as sales manager for CKWS for the next four years. In charge of the Kingston Whig-Standard classified ad department, he went on to work at CKWS selling radio ad time, and then four years at CKLC collecting bad accounts, John explained it was necessary to move around in broadcasting at the time! Interstingly, John obtained his Stationary Engineer certificate from Kingston's St Lawrence College in 1982, studying in the mornings and spending time monitoring several Kingston utility stations.

John had known Dick Lumb for a long time. Dick's grandfather, father Mel and uncle Gord were principals in the local marine service firm Millard & Lumb. Dick was involved with re-tubing Canadian Pacific 1201 for the National Museum of Science and Technology excursions (operated by the Bytown Railway Society). As a result, they were given a unique opportunity. In 2003, John and his uncle Dick were able to visit the Canada Science & Technology Museum (Ingenium) artifact warehouse to visit 1947-built GM 3703 bus 4756 in restored Provincial Transit colours. John said, "Back in the saddle again, 47 years later!" (below and top photo):

During our visit, John shared a three-inch binder full of Kingston transit artifacts and photos, its provenance providing an interesting introduction to our visit. The binder was compiled by John Lemmon, a bus driver who started with Colonial nearly a century ago, later becoming Safety Director. (John knew him, confirming his 6'3" stature, and kindly allowed me to share photos I took of the binder's contents during our visit. The binder containing the artifacts and photos is one of those 1970s vintage designs with self-adhesive holding acetate leaves in place, accounting for some of the shine on some of my images). While working at the Whig-Standard, a fellow employee who lived next to Mr Lemmon mentioned the binder of bus photos to John. Sometime in the 1990s, John's wife Tina (through a neighbour connection via church teas and sales) heard that the binder was going to be thrown in the garbage, providentially the binder came to John! 

Mr Lemmon's application for employment with Provincial Transport is first-up in the album. He was born in 1905, making him 30+ years John's senior. Check out those references! John noted that Ted Baker started in 1930 and provided some of the photos in Mr Lemmons' album. Ted was the most senior driver with Badge 1! Also in the binder was Mr Lemmon's Colonial badge:

Needless to say, I was amazed not only by the binder's contents carefully curated by Mr Lemmon, but also by John's wisdom in adding post-it notes to several of the photos. The captions matched exactly what John elicited extemporaneously from his sharp-as-a-hat-pin memory while guiding me through the photos.

I'm grateful to John for sharing so much information with me, regarding Kingston's seldom-seen public transit history. John is understandably concerned that these artifacts will be preserved for future historians as well.