It’s such a different world now.
The thought of not having some kind of sports day in Warfield would never have occurred to the residents there when I was a kid in the unincorporated area it was then.
Every Victoria Day (May 24th, period) was celebrated enthusiastically, despite the fact there was no recreation department, and little in the way of facilities - no formal parks of any kind in Upper Warfield and just the “cinder rink” on which to host such an event.
Yes, I know, it was/is actually a slag surface. People from here encountered it everywhere, all the time - although perhaps never in quite the concentration as on that rink - and somehow here became the Home of Champions - in sports, education and artistic pursuits - anyway.
Residents would pack their party lines (the first teleconferencing) and organize an event that always turned out to be enjoyable for all ages.
The Co-Op and neighbourhood groups would co-ordinate the manpower and, voila, a good time - a parade including many kids on decorated tricycles and bikes, sprint racing, sack races, three-legged races and other such novelty competitions, bingo, food and music all appeared, rather magically for us kids - was had by all.
Everybody knew that after the end of the day movie and bonfire (right under the high voltage power lines that hung over the “park” - the reason the space was open in the first place) everyone who had been in the neighbourhood of the festivities would need a good wash, at least of the their lower extremities, to remove the “rink tan” that coated sweaty legs, but it seemed a small price for the fun benefits.
The same thing happened - minus the rink tan part - in winter, when the then-skating rink became the site of a winter carnival, also including music and a movie.
There was no hall, never mind a swell covered barbecue spot, just good intentions and the commitment to carry them out. Didn’t require a council, or a recreation commission, and nobody got paid, but it happened, every time.
Sad to see it is such an afterthought, 75th anniversary or not, these days.
• The NHL got what it surely desired, a matchup of teams representing the two largest and wealthiest markets in America in the Stanley Cup finals.
When I turned on Game 1 part way through the first period, my first thought was, “I wonder if Kreider has taken out Quick yet?” Then the announcer stated the officials had warned the teams not to do any such thing as went on in the Eastern semi-and-finals.
Hard not to become a bit of a conspiracy theorist when such things mattered not a whit when it was Pittsburgh and Montreal involved, but, it is now the NHL’s dream teams on display and so no scandalous events will be allowed to detract from THAT matchup.