The Sault Ste. Marie Public Library\u2019s latest \u2018Remember This?\u2019 feature looks back at Dickie Dee ice cream vendors, using photos and reporting from the Sault Star collection spanning the 1980s and 1990s<\/p>\n
From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:<\/p>\n
Photo 1 (SSM Public Library Archives Database 2021.3.496)
\nIf you lived in a neighbourhood at any point in the 80s or 90s, there is a good chance you remember hearing the Dickie Dee jingle announcing its approach from around the block. The tricycle ice cream wagons took to the streets in the 1950s with 8 vendors, peaking at 1,500 vendors across Canada and the northern US. Here, Dicki Dee salesman Michael DeMerchant cools off in the downtown area, July 21, 1987.<\/p>\n
Photo 2 (Sault Star July 14, 1981)
\nGreg Sieffert serves a group of eager Dickie Dee customers at Queen Elizabeth Park.
\nThe company provided summer jobs for thousands of people \u2013 mostly teenagers \u2013 across the country. Salespeople who were over the age of 14, good with people, punctual, clean, and courteous were sought after in the Sault Star Classifieds.<\/p>\n
Photo 3 (Sault Star July 3, 1989)
\nA ring of the bike handle bell invited customers to run outside and enjoy a frozen treat. On July 3, 1989, however, Tony Dalla-Vicenza looks down an empty Chambers Road. The temperature was 30 degrees, and Sault Ste. Marie Dickie Dee supervisor, Rod McKenzie told the Sault Star that between 23C and 26C was the sweet spot for sales. Any hotter, and many residents either stayed inside or left town.<\/p>\n
Photo 4 (Sault Star, August 13, 1991)
\nCustomers Michael Suriano and Ben Lewis escape the August 1991 summer heat by scoping out flavors in Jerry Rowlinson\u2019s container. Rowlinson sold as many as 16 dozen treats on hot days. At its peak, Dickie Dee was the country\u2019s second-largest ice cream vendor, behind only grocery stores (CBC).<\/p>\n
Photo 5 (Sault Star, August 8, 1984)
\nSisters Natalie and Christine Coulter share a cold treat from Scott Cuthbertson\u2019s tricycle at Bellevue Park. The weather on August 8, 1984, was sunny, hot, and humid, inviting customers to enjoy a mouth-watering lick. The question is: were you a Phantom, Baseball Glove, Sour Power, or Rocket Pop kind of kid?<\/p>\n
This article was written using information compiled from the Sault Star Collection at the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library.<\/p>\n
Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provide SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city\u2019s past.<\/p>\n
Find out more about what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca<\/a> and look for more “Remember This?” columns here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Sault Star citations:<\/p>\n