Special Features - Red Deer Arena Special

A SPECIAL PUBLICATION FROM

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THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 1

2016

MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR Mayor Tara Veer

RED DEER

Join Mayor Veer & Red Deer City Councillors

SATURDAY, APRIL 9 9:30 AM - 6 PM Parkland Mall

Tara Veer Mayor, The City of Red Deer

Let’s Talk about our city – its identity, its people and its future. Chat with City Council and staff from over 30 City departments and community agencies to discover everything you need to know about projects, programs and services in our great city. It’s free and fun for the whole family.

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Over the last 60 years our city has experienced significant growth, change and opportunity. In 2015, we were all part of history in the making when we hit the 100,000 population mark, a significant and remarkable population threshold.

Red Deer is no stranger to welcoming people to our city. Over the years we have been fortunate enough to host several major community and sporting events, many of them held at the Red Deer Arena. The facility holds an important place in our community’s history and has been the host location for a range of events, from figure skating competitions, hockey games and Remembrance Day ceremonies, to rodeos, exhibitions and concerts. Many Red Deerians who have gone on to become community and country builders had their beginnings at the Red Deer Arena. It has an important place in our hearts and will continue to live on in our community’s memory.

The construction of a new facility is a necessary and important step towards our future. It is the first of many critical infrastructure improvements planned for our city as we prepare to meet the needs of our growing community and host the Canada Winter Games in 2019.

I invite you to join us in honoring our history and celebrating an important piece of our past as we look towards an exciting future in 2019 and beyond.

2 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST

MAJOR EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF THE RED DEER ARENA:

By Advocate Staff

1953 — The first Red Deer Ice Carnival is held, netting the sponsoring Rotary Club a $752 profit.

....as they host the last ever Hockey Alberta Provincial Championship to be held at the iconic Red Deer Arena from March 31st to April 3rd.

March 1953 — Alberta Indoor Speed Skating Championships held.

April 1966 — The first Silver Buckle Rodeo held.

May 1966 — The first Red Deer indoor spring horse show is held.

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Join the Red Deer Vipers Junior Hockey Club

Dec. 23, 1952 — Official opening ceremonies are held after a week delay due to warm weather. The rink did not have an ice plant that first season, it was installed the next year and shared with the Red Deer Curling Club.

1967-68 — The Red Deer Rustlers join the Alberta Junior’s A Hockey League and play their home games at the arena.

May 1968 — An estimated 3,300 pack into the arena to elect Robert Thompson as the federal Progressive Conservative candidate, he was the former leader of the federal Social Credit party. It was the largest political meeting in Red Deer’s history.

Victory Day long weekend 1970 — A three-day rock festival featuring 30 bands is held, drawing its inspiration from the famed Woodstock Festival.

1971 — Red Deer Rustlers win the inaugural Centennial Cup. 1980 — Rustlers win their second Centennial Cup. 1989 — Royal Bank Champions on Ice show feature Kurt Browning, Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler is held at the arena. The show also included a 12-year-old Jamie Sale.

1995 — The arena undergoes major renovations including new washrooms, change rooms, meeting rooms, concession area, ice slab and mechanical systems.

2006 — Red Deer Vipers win the Keystone Cup, the Western Canada Junior B championship.

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2012 and 2013 — Red Deer Optimist Chiefs win back-to-back Telus Cups, the national midget AAA hockey title.

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2013 — The Bentley Generals win the Allen Cup, the national senior amateur men’s hockey championship. The tournament was held at the arena.

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A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

By Advocate Staff

To stay informed as construction progresses, sign up for Downtown Arena Project email alerts at reddeer.ca/alerts, or visit the project page at www.reddeer.ca/downtown arena.

THE MARKET @ RED DEER has a new location. It will be at the parking lot of the Red Deer Memorial Centre (4214 - 58 Street).

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In 2019, we look forward to creating more lasting memories during the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

Join us from February 15 until March 3, 2019, as we host the largest multi-sport and culutral event for youth in the nation - the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES! Merci pour les souvenirs!

En 2019, nous vivrons d’autres moments mémorables et expériences uniques lors des Jeux d’hiver du Canada 2019.

Soyez des nôtres du 15 février au 3 mars 2019 alors que nous accueillerons les Jeux d’hiver du Canada 2019, la plus importante manifestation multisports et culturelle organisée à l’intention des jeunes Canadiens.

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On April 8, the Zamboni will flood the ice for the last time as the official Red Deer Arena farewell. The Red Deer Arena will be decommissioned the week of May 1 as the city begins work to build a new arena in its place.

While this marks the end of an era, it also marks the beginning of a new legacy for future generations to come. Memories from the Red Deer Arena will be captured and iconic elements, such as the neon sign, will be incorporated into the new arena to help preserve what the Red Deer Arena has meant to the community over the past 60 years.

The new facility will be the city’s premier spectator arena and will offer an enhanced experience for those in the stands,including a room temperature spectator area. The modern facility will offer welcoming gathering spaces and an indoor walking track for the community.

Skaters will be greeted with more team space, modernized change rooms, and access toward up areas, skate sharpening and laundry facilities. The new facility is also being designed to meet energy and environmental standards for a greener and more efficient operation.

Exciting events are on the horizon after the new arena opens, including the highly anticipated 2019 Canada Winter Games. The new downtown arena is designated to be a host facility. It will also continue to be the home of the Red Deer Minor Hockey Commission who will occupy prime lease space next to the front entry of the new arena.

“We look forward to welcoming back the community and our valued community partners to the new and improved downtown arena when construction is finished, and to showcase our great city to the nation during the Canada Winter Games,” said Shelley Gagnon, Recreation, Parks and Culture Manager.

Although the city is working to minimize impacts to the public during construction, local ice users will notice that indoor ice time is harder to come by during this time while Red Deer is short one rink.

Long standing events are being temporarily relocated, including the Red Deer Farmers’ Market, which will be held in the parking lot of Festival Hall for 2016 and 2017.Planning Is also underway to find a new temporary home for Red Deer’s Remembrance Day ceremonies.

“We know the closure of the arena presents some temporary inconveniences, but the new arena will be worth the wait,” said Gagnon.

ARENA MEMORIES

By Advocate Staff

For an ice rink that became a fixture of a community, the Red Deer Arena had some obstacles from the beginning.

In a cost-cutting measure, the arena opened without an ice plant in December 1952. This meant the official ceremonies had to be postponed a week because of warm weather. An ice plant was installed a year later and the arena shared it with the Red Deer Curling Club.

A further controversy dealt with the arena’s location, which was built on the Red Deer fairgrounds. Some thought it was too far from the downtown core.

For many years, the main tenant of the arena was the Red Deer Rustlers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They burst onto the Alberta Junior A Hockey League scene in the 1967-68 season finishing first in the league before losing in the league final to the Edmonton Western Movers.

Alf Cadman brought the Rustlers to Red Deer as the team’s first owner and coach. He had wanted Red Deer to get a Western Canadian Junior Hockey League team (a precursor to the Western Hockey League), but lost the vote. Some players and the coach Buster Brayshaw left because of the WCJHL’s decision.

In their third season, 1969-70, the Rustlers won the Alberta Junior A Hockey League title and had a chance to compete for the Memorial Cup, the last season a junior A team could compete for the top Canadian Junior title. But they lost in the quarter-finals to the WeyburnRed Wings 4-2.

In the 1971-72 season Graham Parsons joined the Rustlers as a player, spending the previous season with the Ponoka Stampeders who had dissolved.

“Our rivalry was with the Rustlers,” said Parsons of his time in Ponoka. “We had a pretty good team in Ponoka and Cadmanran the Rustlers, there were some really good games and they eventually beat us. The year I came we had a pretty young team and did some unexpected things, getting to the (Centennial Cup) final in Guelph.

“The (Red Deer) arena was always packed.”

The Camrose-born Parsons came to Red Deer as a teen for a youth leadership conference. One Saturday night they went down to the arena to watch some juvenile hockey. Parsons said the arena was packed with fans.

Cadman was an owner or part-owner of the Rustlers for the majority of its existence. In 1979 Parsons was named general manager of the Rustlers. That year they won the 1980 Centennial Cup, a forerunner to the Royal Bank Cup.

That team featured a number of future NHLers include Brent, Ron and Rich Sutter.

Parsons’ association with the arena went beyond his time with the Rustlers, who were expelled from the league in 1989.From The early 1990s up until 2002, he worked with the Optimist Chiefs midget hockey team.

“I lived through the 1995 renovation,” said Parsons. “There were discussions on keeping it in the 1950s theme, and that’s what they did putting the theatre type front on it. The trouble is they kept the roof.”

Those Chiefs teams went to three Air Canada Cups (now known as the Telus Cup) in a row from 1994 to 1996. They wont he silver medal in 1994 and 1995.

“For people in Red Deer it has the history,” said Parsons. “So many people and so many characters went through there, but it’s fond memories.”

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NEW FOUNDATIONS

By Advocate Staff

Saying goodbye to the old barn will be emotional but the memories will live on in the new Red Deer Arena.

Keepsakes such as the old sign may be focal points in the replacement area when it opens in the summer of 2018.

Potential designs of the exterior will be revealed at the city’s Let’s Talk event at the Parkland Mall on April 9.

Shelly Gagnon, Recreation, Parks and Culture, manager said $21.5-million budget was approved for the project to replace the arena.

The new rink will be the same size with seating for about 1,300 patrons but it will allow opportunities to give the rink afresh, new look.

“Meeting new code alone will change the look of the arena, the size of the washrooms and the aisles,” said Gagnon. “The intent will be to replace what we have. It will be our spectator arena but the fact that it is new provides lots of opportunities for energy efficiencies and for investment in new technology.”

That may mean room temperature for the spectator areas, bucket seats, warm up areas for athletes and modernized change rooms. The city is also pursuing leed silver designation for the facility.

“We are sensitive to the history and the heartstrings attached to the old arena,” said Gagnon.

The city is currently working on a plan to auction off everything from the old benches, to the scoreboard. Details are expected to come following the final event on April 8 at the arena.

Demolition is expected to begin this spring, early summer.

A 2014-engineering assessment concluded the roof had one to three years left in its lifespan.

The city determined it would make more financial sense to replace the 1952-built arena as opposed to repairing it in 2014.

A Red Deer Arena Commemorative Event is planned for April 8 from 5 to 9 p.m. Everyone is invited to join in the fun for a night of reminiscing, dancing, skating and much more. Local historian Michael Dawe will share stories and there will be self-guided tours of the building. There’s also the chance to learn how an ice plant works or get your photo taken on a Zamboni.

The family-fun event is free to attend.

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ARENA MEMOIRS Jamie Sale

Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/ Advocate staff

2014: Red Deer Rebels mascot Wooly Bully and Hockey Hank mingle with Red Deerians during the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour festivities at the Red Deer Arena on Saturday. Red Deer was just the fourth stop of the tour, which will head to Burnaby, B.C. for the next weekend

I have so many memories of my nine years figure skating in Red Deer, between three arenas: Kinex, Kin City and, of course,the Red Deer Arena.

My very first day of can skate was in the Red Deer Arena, my first ice show and my first test day were all in the Red Deer Arena. That is where my amateur career started and a lot of happy times happened.

My most memorable moment was when the Lions Club sponsored an ice show highlighting pair skaters Isabelle Brasseurand Lloyd Eisler as well as World Champion Kurt Browning.

I was only nine years old and was asked to do a singles solo performance — what a thrill!

It was a fantastic production complete with coloured spot lights, entertaining music and a packed house.

My mom told me that she overheard Kurt say to his parents that I was a “little jumping rug rat” and great things were in-store for me. We both laughed and I think privately dreamed of what could be one day …

The Red Deer Arena will always be a place I reflect on with the best of memories — too many to mention.

Kurt Browning “If I am trying to think of something specific, I may have seen Jamie Sale skate as a young young girl for the first time while skating in a show at that arena. Other than that I just remember always being extra excited to perform there because I was in front of people from central Alberta. I was always more nervous.”

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2013: Skating arm-in-arm Anna Mae Jason son and Gerry Speers make their way around the rink at the Red Deer Arena. The avid skaters were taking part in the seniors drop in skating sessionwhich welcomed in skaters in the 50+ age group when the Silver Blades Skating Club takes to the ice

8 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST

ARENA MEMOIRS

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2013: Red Deer AAA Midget Optimist Chief team captain Quinn Brown hoists the Telus Cup during a celebration at the Red Deer Arena Thursday night. This past weekend the Chiefs captured their second consecutive national championship winning the Telus Cup by beating the Ottawa Jr. 67’s 5-0 in Sault Ste. Marie Ont. Sunday. The team was honoured in Red Deer Thursday with fans and family looking on from the stands.

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2013: Powered by the Jr. Generals AAA Spring Hockey team based out of Red Deer, World Pony Chuck Wagon Association drivers Cody Accuracy of Eckville, left, and Jerry Bremner of Westerose, Alta. Steer their wagons around a track at the Red Deer Arena. The two champion drivers went head to head in a race during the first intermission of the Evening game at the Canadian Men’s Senior AAA Allan Cup Hockey Championships with McCurrach edging out Bremner for the win. Two games were played in the Arena each day

“‘Come Skate With Me’ (The Skaters Waltz) – on the rare occasion I hear this on the radio and memories come flooding back of the special time I had in my late teen years and beyond at the Red Deer Arena.

Growing up in downtown Red Deer it wasn’t far to walk with girlfriends to skate on Wednesday evenings. We skated round and round to music, going one way for half the time and reversing for the other half. Some more advanced skaters practiced challenging maneuvers in the center of the ice. You could always catch the eye of that cute guy in Grade 11 English class. But, alas, here came the newly arrived bachelor from Holland who happened to be boarding at the house next door. It was too late to “run and hide”. Of course, he was an excellent skater and always asked me to skate. We not only skated around the perimeter of the rink, but around and around in dizzying circles. One song was enough. Talk about that vertigo!

Many hockey games were attended. Sadly my father, Ernie Wells, passed away in March 1952. At the young age of 45, he had been a Red Deer Advocate employee for 27 years as a printer, photographer, reporter and at the time of his death was The Advocate Sports Editor. However, he also reported on local sports events for Calgary and Edmonton newspapers.

He would have enjoyed the safety of the enclosed “press box” at the new arena. He had been a recipient of a nasty puck to the face at the old old arena. Dr. Carter quickly stitched him up and back to work.

Back to hockey again. My friends and I attended many games in ensuing years. Many local young men, and some recruits from neighboring communities were on the teams my father had been a player on in the Red Deer Junior Hockey Club of1927-1928, and had been the team manager of the famous Red Deer Amazons Ladies Hockey team in the early 1930s.

I remember so many faces and names from the early-mid 50s of young players who made our community proud. Some left lasting impressions — the Blades brothers (Leonard and Don). Don was a skilled skater. We called him Don “Barbara Ann”Scott, no disrespect. He could skate circles around everyone, he had flair! There were many other great players on the Red Deer Monarchs’ 1952-53 hockey team.

They were heroes.

The memories of this old arena, soon to be demolished, will have special memories for decades of hockey players, fans,figure skaters, Silver Bladers, special events, Remembrance Day’s, budding romances, volunteers, and so much more. Sixty-four years of cheers, tears and special times. Goodbye old arena. You served us well, and you will be missed. Thanks for the memories.”

Carol Turk

THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 9

ARENA MEMOIRS “Winning the Midget AAA Alberta Championships in 2002 versus Fort Saskatchewan. The Arena was packed to capacity and it was a memory that I will have forever”

Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/ Advocate staff

2015: Caileb Berge of the Bantam AAA Red Deer Rebels takes a shot on SEAC Tigers goaltender Dawsen Savage during Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League action at the Red Deer Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Rebels handily defeated the Tigers 12-2, with shots 56-23 in favour of the Rebels.

2013: Wyn Ledieu, Silver Cross Mother representatives, salutes veterans during Remembrance Day services at Red Deer Arena .

“I must have watched hundreds of games in the arena. Beginning as a small child, perched up on those cold, white wood bleachers while watching my big brother (Keith Lyons) play his seemingly effortless superb game of hockey. He was so good he got called up to try out for the NHL. Everyone who watched, played with/against said, “wow, he could be in the NHL.”However, he joined the army at 17 (with parental permission) because he thought it would please his beloved “Pop,” our dear dad. His three boys are still a little miffed about that. It even worked well for me at grade school — as a tiny, shy girl I became famous and admired by the boys in school for being related to such a good hockey player. The hockey games continued with my brother’s children, friends’ children, and now their children’s offspring. I have watched hundreds and hundreds of games all over Alberta. Our game – our hockey!”

“To be honest, and I know I’m not the only one, there are too many to pick a favourite.

I spent my entire adolescent years playing hockey in that rink, from atoms, all the way to junior B with the Vipers. In 2003-2004 the midget AAA boys put on an amazing show for the city, and many of those boys still live in town and are huge parts of the community.

I will always remember the insane high school section cheering on all our friends as they got through each round with ease all the way to the Telus Cup. I’ll also remember when our city hosted the Telus Cup, our old arena never looked so perfect. And lastly,I’ll certainly never forget getting hit into the concrete backed boards, which had absolutely NO GIVE. This hurt, but it made us stronger … This rink launched the careers of so many amazing players, I’m sad to see it go”

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2014: It has now been 100 years since the start of the First World War, 75 years since the start of the Second World War and 70 years since D-Day.

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2014: Red Deer Optimist AAA Midget Chiefs take on the Women’s Team Canada at the Arena in Red Deer.

10 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST

THE RED DEER ARENA has been special place for so many; it has been a place ce for us to remember. re emember

k n a h T You Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2016: With the most comfortable seat in the house Briella Sharp kicks back and puts her feat up as her brother Jaxon watches a hockey game at the Arena in Red Deer. The two were taking in the Jr. B playoff hockey action with their grandmother Cindy MacKenzie and their mother Shauna Sharp. Although they are from Red Deer the family was cheering on the Ponoka Stampeders as they took on the Red Deer Vipers in game one of a best of three playoff round.

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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2014: Red Deer Optimist AAA Midget Chief Carter Sawicki and Team Canada Rebecca Johnston fight for control of the puck during first period action at the Arena in Red Deer

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ARENA MEMOIRS “Winning the midget AAA Alberta championships in 2002 versus Fort Saskatchewan. The Arena was packed to capacity and it was a memory that I will have forever”

“Playing Red Deer Minor Hockey — especially my last year with the Midget AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs”

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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2015: Forward Sam Danchek of the Red Deer Indy Chiefs chips a puck past Calgary Stamps defense man Isaac Lutzko during Midget AA action at the Red Deer Arena Saturday evening. The Chiefs fell to the Stamps 4-3.in Ponoka.

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2015: Matthew Froehlick of the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs chases after Jack Langenhahn of the Knights of Columbus Pats during Midget AAA action at the Red Deer Arena

12 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST

ARENA MEMOIRS “Watching both of my boys play hockey year-after-year in the Arena is the epitome of hockey in Red Deer.”

“I think it was April 1972. I was working at the Arena that month — we had to prepare the rink for the next day’s Rustlers playoff game, with a team from B.C., after the rodeo had wound up. We had a problem — the rodeo organizers had dumped several loads of wood shavings on the ice surface (this was to make the clean up easy) and then many loads of black dirt over the shavings. A front end loader and trucks soon had most of the ice covering hauled away — except for the shavings that had froze to the ice! As it turned out there was an ancient gas fired ice shaving machine in the back end — it weighed half a ton, I am sure, and it got a lot heavier as the night wore on. Three or four of us pushed, pulled and maneuvered this beast around the rink all night — it takes a long time to cover 16,500 sq.ft. With an 18 inch wide swath. And of course the resulting mess had to be hauled out and then several floods applied to level the ice surface. The rink seating was very dusty and had to be cleaned as well, good thing some new help showed up at 7 a.m. I think the Rustlers won the game and series.”

Rich Roberts

“It’s a tie between attending the Allan Cup back in 2013, and watching the Bentley Generals win it all. Participating in my 5-year-old son’s initiation hockey league with Red Deer Minor Hockey. He doesn’t know it yet, but he is part of the wonderful history of the arena.”

“ Coaching in the longest game in history (I believe), five overtime periods between the Red Deer Elks and Red Deer Indy Chiefs in the Midget AA SCAHL Northern Final in Game 1 on March 6, 2015.

Red Deer Indy Chiefs went on to win 4-3 on a goal by Michael Kellough at 11:59 of the fifth overtime period. Total of138:01 minutes of hockey to decide the winner of that game. It was a game that was talked about throughout the hockey community even into 2016.”

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ARENA MEMOIRS I remember the last Remembrance Day that my Dad was able to go on parade with the veterans at the end of the service. He was about 96 years old, and marching one time around the rink with his comrades was tremendous physical exertion for him. At the end he was so proud and said “I did it!”

I also recall as a teenager in high school (1975-78) attending many Red Deer Rustler games and cheering our hearts out. Asa younger child, maybe in the early 70s I recall winning my very first bicycle of my own at a Rustler game. It was a bananas eat bike with a metallic blue seat.

Sweet!!”

Thanks for the

Great Memories Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2015: Suze Vanderlinde of the RDC Queens fends off Krista Wilson of the Olds College Broncos during the third period ACAC action Thursday night at the Red Deer Arena.

Don MacIntyre, MLA

Innisfail-Sylvan Lake Constituency #2 160 Hewlett Park Landing Sylvan Lake, AB T4S 2J3 403-887-9575 Innisfail.sylvanlake@assembly.ab.ca

VE ’ E W A HAD AT E R G !

TIME The Red Deer Arena has been an integral part of our history.

We’ve enjoyed our time at the venerable building and we look forward to making new memories in the new facility.

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Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2016: Red Deer College Queen Jade Petrie and SAIT Trojan Erin McLean clash at centre ice during first period action at the Arena in Red Deer.

14 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2013: Redwings vs Stony Plain Eagles- Stony Plain Eagle Justin Cox and Rosetown Redwing Chad Starling chase a loose puck into the corner boards during first period quarter final Allan Cup Canadian Men’s Senior AAA Hockey Championships action at the Arena in Red Deer Thursday night.

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

2015: Matthew Froehlick of the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs fends off Brandon Paziuk of the Knights of Columbus Pats during Midget AAA action at the Red Deer Arena

ARENA MEMOIRS

“I was there on the opening night in 1952, going to watch my boyfriend (who I later married) on the Red Deer Monarchs. Because I was his girlfriend, I got VIP seating to the event. I remember Bill Parsons gave a speech at the arena — the PA system was down, but he gave the speech to the entire arena anyway. I worked with him, and the next day at work he said ‘I knew they could hear me, from the way they were acting.’”

“ I watched hockey, played hockey and was a rink rat at the arena in and about 1953 t0 ’59 or ’60. As rink rats we scraped the ice for hockey games and public skating. We never got paid for the hockey games but we got to watch the games free. Public skating paid a little bit that we the rats would split between us. I also helped at times with shaving and painting the ice with Jim Blades. One time there was an ammonia leak which filled the arena with its odor and wasn’t nice breathing. Finally got it fixed.

My dad helped tear down the old A-frame arena on 49 street that was replaced by the new arena, I remember that because he brought home a whole bucket of very well used pucks for me. Too many memories to list here, but most were good ones.”

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2014: Red Deer Optimist AAA Midget Chief Jeffrey Dewit looks to redirect a shot at Team Canada’s goaltender Charline Labonté during first period action at the Arena in Red Deer.

“I have two memories from the arena. The first was working for the women’s national hockey team as a massage therapist prior to the Sochi Olympics. I got to meet Haley Wickenheiser!

The second was the almost five OT periods in midget AA playoffs in 2015. I worked as a trainer for the Elks and I can tell you both teams deserved a medal for that game. They left it all on the ice and came back one day later to play again.”

“As a youngster, we could skate for free on Saturday morning. We would come down the hill off Spruce Drive, cross the creek and go to the Arena.

In the ‘50’s, nobody could afford skating lessons, so there were always lots of kids there skating”

“ I attended the 1970 Kinsmen Sportsmen’s dinner at the age of 12 years.

The kids were not allowed to attend the main dinner but had A & W chicken brought in and then got to hear the speeches. The jokes of the day probably were not appropriate for 12-year-olds but meeting some of my sports heroes was a thrill.”

Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff

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