Bootlegging
Andrew’s grandmother on her farm, showing how it’s done by shooting two beer bottles. (Courtesy: Andrew Montour)
Story told by Andrew Montour
You know, when I was about 18, my uncle had a modern-day Ford. We went all the way down near the border in that car to go buy beer because there, they would sell it to the Indians. You weren’t supposed to sell to the Indians back then.
An old-timer used to hire my uncle to go buy it. That’s a far length to go for a beer.
You’d have to go to the back of the building to pay for it. They’d open a little window to give you a case of beer. That was smuggling.
I would just go there for the ride.
But then, things started opening up. There would be parties. There used to be a big dancehall, like the Riverside, it used to be called Kirby’s Dancehall. There’d be a wedding there almost every week. There’d be guys selling beer by the water. You could hear them yelling, “65 cents, 65 cents!” for a big bottle of beer.
Every now and then you’d see the Mounties come around. Sometimes the guys selling would jump in the water and swim away. The cops, some of them, would jump in and try to get ‘em but they couldn’t. They’d just be soaked.
It must have been in the 50s that it started lifting because we got married in 1957 and we were able to go to Lachine to buy beer.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION ↓
Ronthnekahséhtha'
Andrew back in his youth, playing on his iconic Stella guitar. (Courtesy: Andrew Montour)
Andrew Montour ROKÁ:RATON
18 tóka' shitewátien', rakenonhà:'a Model A Ford ro'serehtaién:tahkwe'. Ákta tsi tkaristì:seron ia'akenihahò:kten' ka'seréhtakon nia'ákene' aiakenihninòn:ra' onon'tákeri , né: tsi enhonwanatenhní:non'se' ne Onkwehón:we. Iah tha'teiotonhontsohòn:ne' ahsheiatenhní:non'se' nonkwehón:we ne thó:ne.
Shaià:ta rokstén:ha enhóhnha'ne' shes rakenonhà:'a nahahninòn:ra'. Kaiá:nes ki' wáhi naiakohnekaién:ta'ne' onon'tákeri.
Ó:nen'k tsi ohnà:ken na'kanónhsati iénhse' nahskária'ke'. Ken' nikanahstonhkwà:'a enhatinenhstonhkwakará:tate' aiesa'neróhkon' ne onon'tákeri. Ronthnekahséhtha' ki' wáhi nen' nè:'e.
Kwah nek tho ién:ke' naionkwahonwì:sere' ki' wáhi.
Eh thó:ne ki', tontáhsawen' sontehnhotonkohá:ton'. Enhontenenhronniánion'. Kanonhsowá:nen teienonniahkwà:tha' kanonhsó:tahkwe', tsi ní:ioht ne Riverside, Kirby's Dancehall konwá:iatskwe'. Thó:ha thia'teiahia'khserá:ke enwaten'nió:take' ne tho. Ronnón:kwe shes atsà:kta rontenhní:nons onon'tákeri. Enwá:ton' enhshewennà:ronke' tehotihenréhtha', "65 sén:ts, 65 sén:ts!" néne katshe'towá:nen onon'tákeri aiehní:non'.
Ken' na'tekónteron enhshé:ken' ne Ronanonhwaro'tsherowá:nen's enthón:ne'. Sewatié:rens tsi nihá:ti ronthnekahní:nons awèn:ke ia'tenhonni'tsónhkwahkwe' sok é:ren enhontá:wen'. Né: karíhton, ótia'ke', ia'tenhonni'tsónhkwahkwe' tánon' enhonte'nién:ten' ahonwatiié:na' nek tsi iah tehotikwénion. Kwah ki' nek ne okonharóhsa' ronatòn:'on.
Entà:'on 50 shiiohseratátie's tontáhsawen' tontahatiianerenhseraríhsi' né: tsi 1957 shiiohserò:ten wa'onkeníniake' tánon' iotòn:'on Skaniatará:ti ionkenihnekahninonhrónhne' onon'tákeri.
Edited by: Teyohá:te Brant, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Sahawisó:ko' Arquette