Alkie MacCormack

Interview

Thompson, Reg "Dutch"

MacCormack, Ivan "Alkie"

1994-03-30

01:03:59

This interview is with Ivan "Alkie" MacCormack of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Alkie begins by telling the origin of his nickname. He then talks about playing baseball, Lefty McAleer, and the longest game. He goes on to tell about his service in Italy and Holland during WWII and meeting up with his brother Ken and Lefty in WWII. Alkie then talks about work and what Charlottetown was like after the war, his family, and working on a fox ranch as a teenager. He then tells about liquor and rum running, old factories, and the Depression. He returns to the topic of baseball, and mentions foul language and lack of respect nowadays. He mentions the Ghiz family and other Lebanese immigrants, and finishes by talking about his personal life and what he would change if he could do it all over again.

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Held by Reg "Dutch" Thompson

***Disclaimer - This interview contains some profanity and language some may find inappropriate. ***Side B listed on the tape is Side One, and Side A is Side Two. In the annotations below, Side A refers to the first side of the tape (Side One as noted in Dutch's notebook). SIDE A 00:00:04 -- 00:01:01 Brief discussion about how Ivan got the nickname "Alkie"; nicknames, Queen Square School. | SIDE A 00:01:01 -- 00:07:34 Discussion about baseball, his friend Lefty McAleer, and the longest game; Dorchester Street, Lefty McAleer, baseball, Esquires, 1937, Canadians, championship, Jack Coyle, Tarkie Whitlock, Jimmy Roach, Victoria Park, 1920, Trussel Ball Field, Charlie Ryan, sports. | SIDE A 00:07:35 -- 00:08:42 Discussion about baseball and baseball fans; sports fans, baseball, Canadian, Esquires, rivals, Junior baseball, Senior baseball, 1946, Lefty McAleer. | SIDE A 00:08:43 -- 00:12:46 Discussion about serving in Italy during WWII; 1943, 1945, Italy, WWII, Marseilles, France, Cape Breton Highlanders, Cassino, infantry, regiment, Capers, Cape Bretoners, Germans. | ***Brief interruption from 00:15:10 to 00:15:16. SIDE A 00:12:48 -- 00:15:10 Discussion about Big Dan MacDonald and Canadian soldiers; Islanders, Dan MacDonald, Big Dan MacDonald, politics, WWII, Italy, politics, wine, Italians, Cape Breton Higlanders, Canadian soldiers. | SIDE A 00:15:16 -- 00:16:15 Brief discussion about smoking; smoking, cigarettes. | SIDE A 00:16:15 -- 00:17:06 Discussion about WWII continues, with mention of Holland and the end of the war; Dutch, Holland, Duizel, Italians, Ken, Italians, SIDE A 00:17:06 -- 00:21:14 Discussion about Lefty McAleer and his brother Ken in WWII; 1939, 1944, Ken MacCormack, George Arsenault, Bari, Italy, Joe Doucette, SIDE A 00:21:16 -- 00:23:45 Discussion about being injured, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and work after the war; DVA, Department of Veteran Affairs, pension, 1960, fertilizer plant, 1951, 1948, Benevolent Fund. | SIDE A 00:23:46 -- 00:26:53 Discussion about working on the waterfront loading boats to Newfoundland; potatoes, Newfoundland, steamers, boats, shipping, longshoreman, waterfront. | SIDE A 00:26:56 -- 00:30:42 Discussion about Charlottetown after WWII and the Old Market Square; Charlottetown, Old Market Square, fire, Roup's, movie house, theater, 1953, market. | SIDE A 00:30:48 -- 00:31:51 Discussion about his parents and his family; waterworks, Ken MacCormack, Jack MacCormack, Margaret Wakelin, Keith Wakelin. | Side A ends at 00:31:51. ***Side A ends mid-sentence. SIDE B 00:32:02 -- 00:34:06 Discussion about his family continues; Grace MacCormack, May MacCormack, Tina MacCormack, Betty MacCormack, Kenny MacCormack, Squirrel, Tracadie. | SIDE B 00:34:06 -- 00:36:25 Discussion about working on a fox ranch at age 13; Ernie Coffin, fox ranch, Vince Trainor, Mt. Edward Road, silver foxes, 1930s, fox feed, horses. | SIDE B 00:36:25 -- 00:37:08 Discussion about Vernon Dennis; horses, hauling, trucking, Vernon Dennis. | SIDE B 00:37:10 -- 00:41:08 Discussion about liquor and rum running; doctor, script, Perry, MacKinnon brothers, liquor, rum running, 1938, keg, rum prices, Stanhope, Southport. | SIDE B 00:41:09 -- 00:43:47 Discussion about factories, with a brief mention of Tracadie; Southport, brick factory, broom factory, Nicholson's tobacco factory, candy factory, iron. | SIDE B 00:43:47 - 00:46:25 Discussion about the Depression and people who had money then; pogie, food, 1930s, the Depression, Rogers, Pickard, Stuart MacKay. | SIDE B 00:46:25 -- 00:51:34 Discussion of baseball continues, with brief mention of the first time he left PEI; baseball, James Fiddler MacDaonld, Tex MacDonald, Pump Bolger, Tic Williams, Vince Puddin Roach, Jimmy Chink Roach, Jack Hawk Gallant, Bert Steele, Charlie Ryan, Ernie Hoot Howatt, Jackie Coyle, Tarkie Whitlock, Billy Sherry, Art Perry, Buffer Worth, Henry Gautier, Jackie Purcell. | SIDE B 00:51:34 -- 00:56:10 Discussion about baseball continues, with mention of foul language and lack of respect; baseball, no hitter, Jackie Coyle, Tracadie, George Francis, Morris Pump Bolger, cursing, foul language, baseball, respect, umpires. | SIDE B 00:56:10 -- 00:58:06 Discussion about the church, ghost stories, the Ghiz family and other Lebanese immigrants; church, ghost stories, George Ghiz, 1950s, Lebanese, Ghiz's store, immigrants. | SIDE B 00:58:07 -- 01:00:09 Discussion about seafood, rabbits, and other food; mussels, seafood, lobsters, scallops, smelts, rabbits, fish, eels, cod, herring. | SIDE B 01:00:16 -- 01:01:50 Discussion about his personal life and his tattoo; tattoo, Jack MacCormack, Joe MacDonald. | SIDE B 01:01:50 -- 01:03:56 Discussion about the old days and drinking; alcohol, drinking. | Tape ends at 01:03:59. ***Tape ends mid-sentence.