as told to Yvonne Moen by Roberta Perry
Flossie in front of Corner Snack Bar 1947
Roberta Perry is the daughter of the late Geoff and Flossie Lambly. Both Geoff and Flossie are two people who have contributed to Terrace in their time here. Roberta Perry remembers the days of her mother's popular rendezvous place called Flossie Lambly's Corner Snack Bar.
Roberta said ever since her parents, the late Geoff and Flossie Lambly, opened the Corner Snack Bar September 1, 1945 it became a favorite hangout for Terrace, young and old.
The Snack Bar first came to be after Geoff had taken Flossie out for a special anniversary dinner June 4, 1945. While sharing a meal, he presented her with a key to a building he had bought on the corner of Lakelse Avenue and Attwood Street. "Do what you want with it" he said to his wife. So this is how Flossie Lambly began her career as a cheerful snack bar proprietoress. She gave good service to the community of Terrace for 14 years. And at this little Corner Snack Bar, it was here that the first soft ice cream was served in Terrace.
The day the Snack Bar opened, Emil Haugland, then the mayor of Terrace, bought the first cup of coffee and he became a regular customer. Back then customers could get a cup of coffee and two donuts for 25 cents, and there was plenty of penny candy for the little children.
Before
the Lambly's bought the corner building it was owned by Olsen's Jewellery.
To turn it into a restaurant, the Lambly's had to make a few changes and
put on an addition.
Charlie Lillia did the stucco work on the outside of the building.
Roberta remembers having to paint the inside
which had been painted a very bright fuchsia pink. She also remembers a
funny story about painting. She said Doc Harrison was asked to paint all
the black trim around the doors and windows of the building. While Roberta
was up on the ladder helping him, Doc came around from behind her and painted
a black strip across her legs. Well, they all had a good laugh over this.
When the Snack Bar first opened, there was only a counter and eight stools. A year later they put in several tables with chairs for more seating. Roberta still has a few of these chairs in her home. The Snack Bar served sandwiches, chili, soup and hamburgers. Everyone agreed that Flossie was a marvelous cook. She was well known for her scrumptious deserts. Town favorites were her coconut cream pie and flapper pie. I was told her most favorite was her Boston Cream Pie.
When sugar and coffee were still being rationed due to the war, some of her good friends would give her coupons so she could buy the extra sugar to make her delicious desserts. All her milk and cream came from the local farmers like Frank's Dairy. It's no wonder that the people of Terrace gathered here to socialize and savour Flossie's wonderful desserts, and many still talk about this time.
The little Corner Snack Bar was the first place to serve soft ice cream in Terrace. So fresh strawberry sundaes, banana splits and thick milk shakes were also popular treats.
Most of the young women who worked at the
Snack Bar as waitresses and short order cooks were only 16 years old. Some
like 14 year old Marie Solonecki were much younger. Other girls who worked
for Flossie included Judy and Betty Curtis, Marie Solonecki, Barbara Stewart,
Bernice Pinchback, Dot Gleason, Shirley Cole, Ethel and Lenora Loveless,
Addie Turner and daughter Irene, Bunny Timms, and three Melvin
girls (Iris, Kay and Danielle), Ann Cote, Claire Pegeau, Orlene Batke,
Theresa Benoit, and Gloria Maxwell.
Gloria said working at the Snack Bar was an exciting time in her life. She remembers the day when they got the soft ice cream machine. She said all the girls working there tried to see who could make the highest peak. She said it was like "Happy Days". She said working for Flossie, who brought out the best in everyone, was just wonderful.
The Snack Bar was open from 8 am to midnight
so people getting off the train from Prince Rupert (the Skunk) at 10 pm
could come over for a coffee and a snack.
Roberta and Freda at
Snack Bar site in 1999.
A list of a few remembrances with Roberta:
1. Roberta remembers a fellow who used to come in every day to the Snack Bar. He would have a Prem and fried egg sandwich, in fact often they would have his sandwich ready when he arrived.
2. At the time when people from Prince Rupert would travel to Terrace on the train (it was known as "The Skunk") for the first of July or other celebrations, Roberta remembers standing all day to fill ice cream cones to hand out.
3. On Saturday, July 18, 1959 when the Queen came to Terrace on a brief stop over, Roberta remembers that they decorated the Snack Bar and hung flags outside. It was an exciting day for Terrace.
4. Now when Roberta and Freda think back to those happy days at the Corner Snack Bar, yes, there were days of lots of hard work scrubbing floors, washing dishes, cleaning and looking after all the customers. They both feel now that it is rather nice to be able to look back to those days, to reminisce of the happy days at Flossie Lambly's Corner Snack Bar.
Roberta said everyone was very sad when the Snack Bar closed due to Flossie's deteriorating health, the land was then sold to an oil company in 1959.
Flossie Lambly was born in Metlakatla in 1906 to parents of Haida and Swedish descent. Her Haida name was Ja-Kit-Ke-Gas meaning the "Woman whose voice is heard".
Flossie Lambly died in Terrace January 2, 1990. Her husband Geoff died April 22, 1976. Both of them contributed greatly to Terrace.
Roberta's great-grandfather, Simeon Stitae carved the Jasper Pole, the Haida Pole standing in Jasper Park by the CNR station. He was one of the last old carvers, carving the large Totem Poles in Masset and Yan village.
Another interesting historic event for
Roberta and Freda, in 1898 their grandfather, Axel Hanson (Flossie's father)
was hired by Dr. R.J. Swanton, anthropologist, to be the captain of a sailing
vessel (a sloop) along with a crew of three. They travelled up the British
Columbia coast from Victoria to Wrangell, Alaska for two years collecting
Indian artifacts which were crated and shipped to the National Museum of
National History, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC. Their boat was
built by Torstein Aarvick, well-known Norwegian boat builder. Torstein
Aarvick was Mattie Frank's father. Of course Flossie and Mattie had been
very close friends over the years living in the valley, and also their
families.
Roberta married Robert Perry in 1948. They had six children, Judy, Ralph, Alvin, Brenda, Barbara and Bill. Daughter Barbara now lives on the Perry farm at Woodcock.
Roberta has twenty grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Roberta has lived most of her life in Terrace.
She was born on December 13, 1930 in Prince Rupert hospital. She came to
Terrace when she was only three and one half years old.