[Milsurplus] Canadian Surplus

[J Forster]

Ralph,

I'm very familiar with the surplus stores in Montreal. They were:

Mike's on St. James Street (?). This was a really olde time place and I
used to go there every time I could convince my dad to drive me. There
was nothing but busses in those days. I bought loads of things there in
the late 1950s, including the TBS now on the Haida (since the early
2000s). After I went away to school in Boston, my dad sent me a clipping
that Mike Kontwat (? sp), the owner, had been convicted  in the mid
1960s of manslaughter in a bar fight. That was likely the end of the
place.

ETCO...  FKA Electronic Tube Company on McGill Street. They were
certainly in business in the late 1950s. I bought a couple of WS 19 Mk.
II sets, along w/ cables, variometer, PSU, and control boxes there in
'59 or '60. I eventually traded them back a WS 19 in partial payment for
an Eico 425 'scope kit as I remember. ETCO eventually moved to VT or NH
and existed there until the 90s or later.

North American Electronics on St. Catherine Street East. This was an
absolute treasure trove, and the ONLY place that sold the WS 19 High
Power Amp using the 813 final. I drooled over that one, but never had
the money. They were still around in the '80s or maybe '90s, as I bought
a couple of WS 19 variometers and manuals there. They were a long drive
through traffic away, s I rarely got there. Too bad really.

My late dad was wonderful, but never really understood my interest in
mil surplus gear.

Best,
-John

==============

Ralph Cameron wrote:

> All the big Toronto surplus houses were full in the 50's and 60's.
> ETCO came later but as I recall had lots of the Bendix MN-26 and
> TA-12s.[snip]
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