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This Renovation Project was done in Memory of Don Knowles,
Montreal Stencil Inc., Past President and Loving Father
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Logo and above stamp designed by Don Knowles
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Montreal Stencil Works, as it was originally known, was forced to change the Works into Inc. in 1979 just after Bill 101 came into play. To be precise, it was February 1st, 1979 when we let the public know of the change. Stencil was still considered a bilingual word so we were saved by the bell (see MSW located in stamp handle). Dad started in the factory at MSW, then became salesman, then manager, then President. After working for a total of 52 years he sold the buisness in the year 2000 to W.D. Armstrong who has continued to carry trade under the name Montreal Stencil. Although the company was sold, the buildings remained in the family.
Montreal Stencil Inc. was located in three (3) conjoined buildings: 687 Saint-Paul Street West, 683 Saint-Paul Street West and 404 Saint-Henri. The 687 building was sold to a dearest friend in 2004. The basement of 687, is where we kept the huge punch presses for manufacturing brass tags and cutting the steel. The main floor of 687 consisted of the sales office and its purchasing department and at the back, the shipping. I'll always have fond memories of being a child in the 1970's, hanging out with Dad on a Saturday, and sippin' soda within that old factory smell. (It became an even better treat when I found the key to the bottle machine ;o). Ahhh, Coke in a 12 oz. glass bottle with a metal cap.) Did you know that they even taxed you for owning a beverage machine!
The upstairs of 687, with its access from the back of the 1st floor served as the rubber stamp and engraving department. From the factory upstairs, a huge door lead to the 3rd floor of 404 Saint-Henri which served as the silkscreening department. There was also a connection from the 3rd floor 404, to the third floor 683. That was the kitchen. The rest of the three buildings were basically used as storage.
As you walked into 687 Saint-Paul, and turned right up the stairs, there was another door which lead to the accounting department, and Dad's office. Until the renovations, the actual access to 683 was never used. That's basically the walk around the three buildings.
In December 2005, days after finally getting the construction permit from the City of Montreal, Dad unexpectedly passed away. He had given the "thumbs up" to the project and would have enjoyed being involved in the transformation. A few years of inhaling serious amounts of dust brought us to where we are now. I'm sure my father would be proud.
Mitch
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Located in the basement
It was added when we poured the new footings in memory of Dad and the years he worked at Montreal Stencil.
• It is situated just under where he used to sit :o).
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| The City of Montreal does not permit us to plant a tree outside the building in his memory. Sorry Dad. |
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404 Saint-Henri,
Montreal, QC.
H3C 2P5
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