By DAVE KOSONIC

Bert’s Turkey Palace was a place to dine back in the day and is fondly remembered by South Etobicoke baby boomers who went there from 1951 and 1965.

I was one of them and my father Edward frequently took me to Bert’s in his Buick station wagon. When we arrived my pet dog, Cookie, sat in the back seat begging for some leftovers after we enjoyed our turkey burgers and milkshakes. We always accommodated her.

Bert – Albert ‘Bert’ Hedges – had a large picture of a turkey perched on his restaurant roof and another front sign that read: ‘Turkey, Anyhow’ and the Bert’s Turkey Palace designation. His premises were down-to-earth and nothing fancy.

Bert’s was located on a 50-acre farm at the northeast corner of the former two-lane Highway 27 and Richview Side Road, which is now Eglinton Avenue West.

A former NHL referee, he attracted many patrons due to the convenient access provided by the highway.

Turkey burgers and milk shakes were the most popular menu items ordered at the Turkey Palace.

One former customer posted: ‘Over the years, I’ve tried to duplicate Bert’s turkey burgers but somehow they were not the same.

Residents recall teenagers going there after Friday evening high school dances to enjoy Bert’s fare and hang out while having a fun time with buddies well into the evening.

Families flocked to Bert’s on weekends so that parents and kids could have fun and enjoy the Turkey Palace treats while in the farm-like country atmosphere.

The front parking lot could be full of classic cars from the ‘50s and ‘60s including Chevies, Pontiacs and occasionally, a now-defunct Studebaker sedan.

Some patrons preferred to enjoy their turkey burgers and shakes while sitting in their vehicles as others dined inside.

Bert married Gerilda McCullough in 1921 and did other things before getting into the turkey business. He started his career as a bookkeeper and was later employed as a referee by the Ontario Hockey Association and the NHL for 20 years.

He and his wife bought the farm about 1945, added buildings including the restaurant and more barns. The couple also raised and sold chickens, geese and ducks to their patrons either alive or prepared to customers’ specifications.

Hedges also bred race horses on his farm with names including Bronze Turkey, Silver Turkey and a stakes winner named Gold Turkey according to archives.

He passed away in 1965 and his unique restaurant and farm was closed and sold. During 1967 the property was cleared to make way for the Highway 401/ 427 interchange.

Hedges was born in 1898 and passed away prior to his wife’s death in 1974. Both of them rest at Park Lawn Cemetery.

A nearby roadway was named Hedges Boulevard in their memory.