Corned beef and an invitation

Opinion

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This article was published 04/11/2023 (711 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“They’ll keep taking orders on their rotary dial phone, greeting customers by name and slicing meat for years to come.” — Winnipeg Free Press, Oct. 31, 2023.

If anyone ever tells you that getting your name in the paper doesn’t mean much, they don’t know much. A South Winnipeg institution got valuable paragraphs in this newspaper this week. It went right to the core of my Montreal childhood appetite — smoked meat.

Gabrielle Piche penned a Free Press feature about Myer’s Delicatessen, celebrating a 65th anniversary. The original owner, Myer Ludwig, opened the doors in 1958.

Stephen Juba was mayor of Winnipeg. The person sworn in that year as the new premier was a Manitoba Progressive Conservative destined to become much more than a footnote of history. Duff Roblin made history, fighting like the Dickens for the construction of the biggest ditch on the prairie.

There will never be any way of knowing how much life and property were saved over the years by the Red River Floodway, “Duff’s Ditch.” But a premier of recent vintage, Gary Doer made the wise decision to upgrade the floodway, some 20 years ago.

If you’re in your 30s or 40s, 1958 is not in your personal rearview. But I’m willing to bet a corned beef sandwich that your parents and grandparents back in the day, when the doors of the Grant Avenue store were first opened, thought of Winnipeg as a city with a future as bright as a Manitoba sunrise.

Canada’s third-largest city was still being called “Chicago of the North” a moniker first heard a half century before Myer Ludwig opened the doors to his dream.

Even though I’d been to Myer’s many times since I first moved to Winnipeg 40 years ago, I hadn’t been there lately.

I drove past it often, since the neighbourhood is only a 10-minute drive from mine. So I will occasionally shop at the grocery store a few doors down from Myer’s. The Real Canadian Superstore is where I pick up two of the vegetables my fridge is never without — radishes and jalapenos. There is no soup I can prepare that doesn’t taste better with jalapenos and radishes.

Across the street from Myer’s is another famous South Winnipeg institution, Harvest Bakery and Deli. On many a Saturday morning I bump into friends shopping for everyone’s favorite Saturday special — two Red River Ryes for the price of one. When I drive out of their parking lot, it’s impossible for me not to eyeball the familiar Myer’s sign.

But it was the article this week about their 65th anniversary that planted a promise to myself to visit. So on the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 2, I walked into Myer’s for a hot munch and some warm laughs with Garth Steek.

The retired River Heights city councillor, volunteers at Myer’s. His son Harrison, bought the venerable shop a baker’s dozen (13) years ago. Although he had no experience running a delicatessen, he was a Steek. His grandparents sold fine furniture. Their grandson was born with a knack for mastering the most important elements of business, customers and staff. Harrison made an excellent hire a few months back, Alisa El Atrash, a recent arrival from Ukraine. She’s thrilled to be in Winnipeg, far from the troubles in her homeland. Her story is my story — the story of so many in the country we love and the community we share.

The Steeks didn’t have to introduce me to their customers. They weren’t shy to introduce themselves. They’re regular Free Press Readers. So they knew that as a kid I worked in my dad’s store. It wasn’t big, about the same size as Myer’s — big enough for an industrial sized steam press. Dad was a tailor and dry cleaner. I did various chores for him including many hours pressing pants, skirts and jackets. Nobody who had their clothes altered by Mike Adler got them back without them being freshly pressed by his son — his Harrison.

During my schmooze at Myer’s, one of the customers who was pleased with my column that day said she wanted to compliment my decision to iron a politician’s shorts. With her in mind, here’s my best culinary offer.

MLA Mark Wasiliw, if you agree to my heartfelt recommendation to resign your Fort Garry seat, it will be my honour to meet you at Myer’s. Please allow me to feed you smoked turkey. What do you say?

Charles Adler is a longtime political commenter and podcaster. charles@charlesadler.com