Days of the American Flight Boots, 1940s, by Bill Hodgson

Date: 1948 to 1950

Flight boots were sold at Army surplus stores, and Army and Navy stores. They became our winter boots. It was fashionable not to do them up so, shuffle-clop, shuffle-clop, we went along Whyte Avenue.

We would meet students from Ritchie after they had passed Hoppers Drugstore on the corner of 99 Street, up to 100 Street, my street. My brother and I would join Ben Cherski, Bill Troughton, Spike Schultz, whose dad owned the pool hall under the Princess Theatre.

Slip-clop, slip-clop (flight boots), we passed the chicken hatchery where we learned that making noise at the window would stampede the chicks and could lead to them stomping each other and some would die (lesson learned).

We passed the puff-wheat (Prairie-Maid) factory; Ziegler's Sawmill, maker of wooden windows; South Edmonton Creamer, home of Malamour ice-cream parlour (best in the city 1949-50).

Slip-klop, slip-klop, we passed the CPR station, Strathcona hotel, Maple Leaf restaurant, Schragge Hardward and the Princess Theatre.

Around the corner at 104 Street, we went past the bus stop where students from Kind Edward Park, Rutherford and Bonnie Doon arrived, stepping off the bus and heading to Strathcona High School.

Shuffle-clop, shuffle-clop we walked the last few blocks, arriving at school for another day of classes.