Unveiling the Sporting Legacy: Historic Sports in Paris, Ontario

Curling

The first organized sport in Paris, Ontario was curling. In 1843, a group of 23 Parisians, mostly Scots, formed the Paris Curling Club. Unlike some other Canadian clubs, the members of the Paris Curling Club decided to use stones instead of weighted wooden blocks. They commissioned John Smith of Paris to chip out 12 stones, which they purchased at $3 each for a total of $36. Once the stones were ready, they began practicing on Watt's Pond. After a few practices, the Paris club challenged a newlyformed club from Galt and emerged victorious. This initial victory marked the beginning of a series of triumphs for the Paris Curling Club.

Cricket

Another early sport in Paris was cricket The local cricket club played numerous matches with teams from as far away as Toronto and achieved many victories In 1879, one of its members, Henry Oliver, was chosen as a member of the all-Western Ontario team that traveled to London, England to play against Daft's 11. Cricketers in Paris played on the river flats on the east bank of the Grand River until the new “Riverview Park” was built on the Capron estate below Homestead Road in 1885

However, cricket's popularity declined after World War I due to enlistments and subsequent floods that destroyed the playing field.

Lacrosse

Lacrosse was a favorite game among Parisians as early as 1865. Matches of lacrosse in those days were grueling tests of endurance The teams would decide before a match whether they would play two games out of three, three out of five, or four out of seven. A game was won when a goal was scored, and matches could last from 30 minutes to three hours with no timeouts or player substitutions. On July 1, 1880, the

Paris Brants played against Gibson's Six Nations Warriors, resulting in six successive victories for the Six Nations. Lacrosse remained popular until the late 19th century

Roller Skating and Bicycling

Roller skating gained popularity in Paris after 1880. A roller-skating rink was opened in December 1884, located in the Fall Fair Exhibition Hall, which stood on the present Syl Apps arena site. Bicycling was also popular around the same time, with the flourishing Paris Bicycle Club. Ralph Axton, a member of the Paris club, achieved notable success in local races and won several championships between 1896 and 1898. Continued on page 17