Stone foundation
The CPR Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge built in 1913. (Courtesy: Kanien'keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center)
Story told by Elaine Delaronde
When I was a kid, we used to go walking under the bridge along the train bridge towards the farms in 9C area. They used to cut the hay in this neighbourhood, and when I bought this property here, I found a bull horn in the grass. I was here for so many years, since ‘94.
When I was a kid, we would walk for miles, me and my friends, in this neighbourhood. There was a white building on a corner, an old schoolhouse. We’d be playing in it. It had greyish-wood floors, and it had benches. Nothing really in it at the time.
My father used to live out there, Cote-St-Catherine. That’s where his homestead was, before the canal. So, that’s where he told me he went to school. Now there’s only a stone foundation left.
Otstèn:ra’ ionnià:ton kanonhsaken’seráhkwen
Elaine Delaronde’s father, Roy Delaronde. (Courtesy: Janet Delaronde)
Elaine Delaronde iakoká:raton
Shikeksà:’a, ahskó:kon shes teniakwate’khahahkwà:na’ ohthiio’kéha ahskwaktóntie’, ratiienthóshne nonkwá:ti ne 9C tsi ní:wa. Ratinekerí:ia’kskwe’ ne kenh nón:we. Sha’konhontsahní:non’ kí:ken, wa’ketshén:ri’ teró: aonà:kara’ kahentà:ke thiewatkà:wen. É:so iohserá:ke kèn:’en ki’terón:tahkwe’, 1994 shiiohserá:te.
Í:non shes ieniákwe’ teniakwahtáhkwaien’ ì:’i tánon’ onkwatenrò:shon shikeksà:’a. Tsi tekahióhsaien kanonhsó:tahkwe’, nè:’e ne kanonhsaká:ion tsi ionterihwaienstáhkhwa’. Tho kanónhskon ionkwatkahri’tsherón:ni. Ata’kenhróhkwa’ niwahsohkò:ten’ nohshon’karà:ke, tánon’ wanitskwahrahtsheré:sons wanitskwahrahtsheró:ton kanónhskon. Iah kwah thé:nen tekaién:tahkwe’ ne tho shontakahá:wi.
Cote-St-Catherine thanákerehkwe’ ne rake’níha, Tho nón: nithotinonhsó:tahkwe’, ohén:ton shiká:ien ne kana’tsheratátie’. Né: ká:ti’, wahakhró:ri’ tsi eh tho nón:we nihaterihwaiénsthahkwe’. Ó:nen kwah nek ne kanonhsaken’seráhkwen otstèn:ra’ iotatén:ron tsi nón: nikanonhsó:tahkwe’.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette