I probably started delivering around the time my picture appeared in The Citizen, delivering the paper while riding horseback, in 1971. I inherited the route from my older brother. I don't recall how much I earned, but my pay cheque was probably spent on treats for myself and my horse.
My route was comprised of 30 papers which was about four kilometres of travel in the Blackburn area.
The bundles of papers were dropped off at my house daily and, of course, back then it was an afternoon delivery, five days a week.
I have good memories of how kind and personable the customers were. In winter months I was often invited into people's homes to warm up and there was always hot chocolate and homemade cookies. I still see some of my old customers and one lady in particular reminds me of my paper delivery days on horseback.
As part of the Citizen's centennial celebrations, we're asking longtime residents to share their memories of The Citizen with us and how it made a difference in their lives. If you have a story to tell and want to share it with our readers, drop us a line at [email protected].
