Tomato Soup, A story about the St. Louis Cafe on Jasper Avenue in the 1930s, by William Kay

The Depression era of the Dirty 30’s was a bad time for everyone in the country. I was in a way fortunate as I lived and was brought up in a café on Jasper Avenue (9695 Jasper Avenue) called the St Louis Cafe. It was next door to the Dreamland Theatre and across from W.W. Arcade hardware store. The east side of what is now the Shaw Convention Centre is where we were situated. The building was torn down in July of 1945.


The prairies were doubly hard hit with the effects of the stock market crash and the drought and Dust Bowl conditions of the dirty thirties. Many men were out of work some families wandered from place to place to find employment for survival. It was bad in the country and in the cities as well. Many veterans of the First World were caught up in this sad situation.


Men who had served in WW 1 and suffered from shell shock and many different war inflicted injuries were put on “relief” a sort of social support plan of the veteran affairs department and other agencies. These men were fed through a meal ticket system under contract to a number of different cafes. These men under a weekly allowance were able to purchase 3 meals a day through their meal tickets.
These men, many who had immigrated to Canada before the war and returned to Canada after the war were in a difficult situation. They had food clothing and a place sleep. But this was not the case for everyone.


But may men wandered looking for a decent meal, any meal at times. People with enough pride that they would not beg for a hand out. It is these people that my Mom and Dad told me about. It is the story of Tomato Soup.


In our café, as with most cafes of the period, soda crackers were set out on the counters and tables in the booths along with bottles of Tomato Catsup. The crackers were purchased by the case and the cardboard trays were refilled daily by my mom and dad as required. The Catsup was also purchased in bulk in large tins and the bottles filled as necessary. These items were all placed on the counters with lump sugar in bowls and salt and pepper. All were available to anyone needing them for their meal.


On many occasions men desperate for some sort of sustenance but without funds would wander into the St Louis and ask for a bow of hot water. This was usually provided whereupon the individual would proceed to put a quantity of Catsup in the bowl of hot water and crush some crackers into it making a bowl of Tomato Soup. Mom said this happened on many occasions at the height of the depression and it was difficult to turn anyone away. I never asked but I imagine they were also given a hot cup of coffee to go along with it on a cold winters Day. I say this because, Mom always impressed upon us of the Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, while Dad was always willing to help others within his ability to do so.


Today when I sit down to a bowl of piping hot Tomato Soup and Soda crackers I remember the story of Tomato Soup.