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2 Friday, March 12, 2021 brooklintowncrier.com When Foodmaster Became The Hub By Jennifer Hudgins The opening of Fred Brown's Foodmaster grocery store on May 10, 1967, was a significant event in Brooklin history. Residents lined up and dozens of excited school kids impatiently waited to get the autograph of Maple Leafs goalie Johnny Bower who'd only the week before won that year's Stanley Cup. Store butcher Howard Arksey cut the ribbon while Heber Down, Reeve Ralph Mobray and United Church Reverend Ralph Munday looked on. Built to provide customers with Brooklin's first "one stop shop" experience, the variety of products available in the store was something never before seen in the Village, all under one roof. Fred Brown was not always familiar with sales since his Pickering area family were farmers. He learned the retail trade from his in-laws, Wes and Reta Piatti, who had bought the building at 58 Baldwin Street from Art Cook in 1944 and opened a small grocery store. Fred shared its management until they handed the business over to him and their daughter (his wife) Betty in 1952. The Browns moved into the apartment at the back of the building when the Piattis moved to Oshawa. Fred and Betty saw an opportunity to diversify and in 1956 rented 8 Roebuck Street. Originally Stovers Bakery, they renamed it The Green Door. It became the go-to place for customers to find giftware, greeting cards, school supplies and C.I.L. paints. After the owner died, they bought the building and established a contract paint business in which Fred employed men to help him paint barns and other buildings. The Green Door continued to function as a gift and paint shop under Betty's management. At the same time, they bought and moved their family into the house at 10 Roebuck Street. As Brooklin's population grew, Fred recognized the need for a larger, more modern place to shop. To build a new store took more than his income provided, so he sold the properties on Roebuck Street to local artist Claude Taft, moved his family back into the Baldwin Street apartment and purchased Guy Stevenson's car lot at 64 Baldwin. (see the Feb. 26 BTC issue, page 7 at brooklintowncrier.com) Although the new store was larger than their previous businesses, Fred and Betty kept the small town family feel alive by employing locals. Their own children, Patti, Paul and Elizabeth, took turns working alongside their parents. When the Browns ultimately sold the Foodmaster and shut its doors on August 30, 1982, customers felt the loss. The building changed hands a couple of times and is presently a Home Hardware. Fred and Betty sold the Piatti building in 1972 and moved to a house on Queen Street where they lived until they retired to their renovated family cottage on Lake Scugog. Fred died July 31, 2000 and is buried at the Salem Cemetery in Pickering. Betty resides in Port Perry. Parks need a place to park Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Hopefully this summer, ball diamonds and sports fields will welcome teams back for a season of fun. The kids really need it. But with the players returning, we will also see the return of a familiar problem: the lack of parking at parks. Ideally local parks are places that we walk or ride our bikes to. However, when the park has a sports field, those using it from around town often drive to it. This means there's a need for parking. As a result, for several parks around Brooklin and Whitby, visitors are parking on adjacent streets. This causes safety issues for vehicles and pedestrians. Cars parked on streets reduces visibility as kids and parents get out of cars, sometimes into traffic. At Vipond Park, for example, the baseball diamond is busy every evening from April to September. The families often bring other kids so that on a game night there can be dozens of kids in and around the playground. However, this park has no parking at all which means that cars line adjacent streets right up to the intersections. Trying to turn onto Vipond from Darius Harns is dangerous. Cars inch out trying to see oncoming traffic but it's virtually impossible. Buses coming down the street often have trouble getting through. Local residents have had their driveways blocked and there have been a few near misses with kids and dogs trying to cross streets where they can't be seen by drivers. Having parks next to schools works well as the schools provide ample and safe parking. The lots are close to the fields which makes lugging gear back and forth much easier. Plus surrounding streets are kept clear. With the new developments coming to Brooklin's northern reaches, adding parking to the planned parks with sports fields is important. These amenities will help keep our streets safe. Here are a few considerations visitors can take around parks without parking. 1) Keep adjacent intersections clear. Parking on the corners blocks visibility. 2) Make sure local residents can get access to their driveways. 3) Avoid parking on both sides of the street to allow traffic to freely travel in both directions. 4) Watch for kids on bikes and scooters and who are walking. They can be difficult to spot behind cars and foliage. 5) Cross at the crosswalk or intersections instead of between cars. 6) If you have sports gear, drop it by the park with someone and then park larger vehicles further away to keep sightlines clear.