Blast from the past: A trip back to the old Speakers Corner booth

Remember the old Speakers Corner booth on Queen Street? One Toronto couple does. They shot a video in it 25 years ago to mark a milestone for them and today they’re back speaking out again to mark another chapter in their lives.

One October day in 1997, Cathy and Doug Smith of Toronto deposited one loonie, entered the Speakers Corner booth and began talking.

“I actually wrote a poem and brought our wedding photo and we just went for it,” explained Doug.

They did it to celebrate what was then their 25th wedding anniversary.

“Back then, if you wanted to get noticed you went to the booth — it was great,” Doug said. “We did it because for our generation, when our parents hit 25 years, we thought they were old people. When we hit our 25th we didn’t feel old so we thought lets do the Speakers Corner video and show the world that.”

You could say their video went viral — at least by standards of that time.

“We won ‘Video of the Month’ for Speakers Corner and so many friends and strangers saw it,” said Doug. “CityTV even sent us a bunch of swag. It was great!”

Now, 25 years later on their 50th wedding anniversary, they reached out to CityNews to speak out again.

“What has changed in the last 25 years? Well, we got older but we still don’t feel old,” Doug said. “We’re in the same house, we kept the same jobs but we’re both retired now.”

Even more they say their foundation of love is stronger than ever.

“The hair and everything looks a little different but we’re the same inside and much more in love perhaps than we were 25 years ago.”

Doug and Cathy Smith then and now, 25 years after appearing in the Speakers Corner booth. CITYNEWS

The couple, originally from Sudbury, met when they both were working summer jobs at a theatre there.

“I remember the split second I first saw her,” Doug recalled. “So watch who you work with on your summer job. You may be with them for quite a while.”

Doug also offered up some advice from the couple whose relationship has stood the test of time.

“We started out in a very small Toronto apartment for the first year of marriage. If you can live together in a tiny space like we did for a year and survive, you’ve got it made.”

The booth may be gone but we still want to hear from you. If you have an issue, story or question you’d like us to look into, speak out here.