Opium Story

In 1969 a group of us in Toronto rented an old mansion on Jarvis Street between Dundas and Gerrard.
It was not quite a commune. It was a sort of Hippie paradise. We could actually order drugs with our pizza delivery. I always seemed to pay my share of the pizza. I always seemed to wake up after it was all eaten. We actually had a girl who used to occupy the house when nobody was there. We often saw her jumping out a window or the backdoor when we came home. She didn't seem to steal anything or eat much so we didn't worry about it.

We smoked pot and hash most of the time and dropped acid every weekend.

One hot summer Friday night I got home after a usual night at the Pilot Tavern sometime after one. The house was empty? There was still a few beer left in the fridge? What happened? I grabbed a beer and heard a giggle from the back yard. I open the back door and there is like a dozen or so bodies lying all over the yard and Curtis and Whitey hunched over a pipe on the back step.

Hey man! Jeff brought some opium back from Morocco, Wanna try some? sure I say and I am presented with a lit pipe. Curtis and Whitey fade off to the grassy bed and I sit there sipping beer and dragging on the pipe. Suddenly I see across the maze of backyards and alleys a flashlight and then a woman police officer. She wends her way to the back fence and i amble over. I have had a complaint about the noise she says. I look around at the unconscious crew.

You must be kidding. I say. Sorry! she says and moves off in the general direction of Away!

Wow I woke up in the morning sun. Everybody else long gone for breakfast. I couldn't believe the vivid dreams. A complete different reality rather than a vague hallucination like acid and psilociban. I smoked it with my girlfriend for a few days but then I felt that little twinge of addiction and refused to smoke anymore. Much to chagrin of my girlfriend and we actually broke up over this.

Blind Date about 1968

One night I was having a beer at the Pilot When Pierre Sarrizan came in. He looked around and when he saw me he sat down. After ordering a beer and passing forth the usual pleasantries. Pierre asked if would do him a really big favour.He said he was supposed to meet a friend from Montreal but something had come up and he couldn't wait. Would I meet her and show her around.So i sat there with a name and basic description. Denise was very pretty, absolutely charming, if a touch young for me. I told her the story and asked if she wanted me to show her the town. she did not hesitate and we started off. At the time she probably could not have had a better guide. I was the party man of Toronto, I knew everybody gave great party. We hit the el Mocambo for a while but Grossman's was the happening place that night and we soon had primo seats for the Downchilds Blues Band. We rocked til closing and i offered a late dinner in china Town so we headed south down Spadina holding hands. We passed the Paramount Tavern as about 300 hundred blacks hit the street as it closed too. I could never resist showing off so I hollered. Hey Any of you niggers got any dope. Not nice! poor Denise squeeze my hand desperately No dont! what are you doing?? Of course I knew everybody and within minutes we had had a bout 10 joints delivered with nudges and smiles.We lit up and smoked on down to Kwong Chows for food and celebrities. lastly I grabbed a cab and delivered her home. Pierre said she said she had a great time.