Following up on the previous post on my 52 Ancestors Blog about the school I attended, this one is about the rink where I spent many hours as a child learning to skate and socializing with the Oak River, Manitoba community. My school classes skated and curled and the building was well used during the annual summer fair and other events. The sources for my writing today are the local Blanshard history books as well as the little blue-covered booklet pictured written by Harold Griffiths (1903-2009). Thanks to his great-nephew Garry Bridgeman and his wife Grace for sending it to me along with clippings about the rebuilding. They knew how much I would enjoy them and put them to good use!
Discussions to build a new rink began in 1948 when a group of local people raffled off a car and were able to raise $6000, according to Mr. Griffiths' book. There was an airplane hangar being sold from the former RCAF station at Neepawa for that exact amount and plans began.
The first men’s curling club in Oak River was organized in 1900. They used a temporary rink until 1914 when a building was built to be the curling rink in the winter and the agricultural exhibition building in the summer. It was built north of present #24 highway on the agricultural grounds where it has always been since. Outdoor hockey facilities were used for both men’s and ladies' clubs forming just after the turn of the century. According to 1984 Blanshard history book, the 1914 building had a waiting room and 3 sheets of curling ice encircled by a 14 foot wide sheet of skating ice.
Demand for more modern facilities after WW2 led to construction starting in 1948 with disassembly of the hangar and transporting all the bits and pieces to Oak River. Doors, windows, roofing, siding, lights, switches, gyproc and wires made their way over the 54 miles in 14 days with volunteer trucks and labour. Art Glinz is credited with keeping all the materials organized and storing them in the old school which he had purchased as well as in Tom Paxton's barn. Mr. Griffiths describes the dangerous job of lowering and moving the huge beams that would be the ribs of the facility. An engineer was hired for a while but there was a lack of funds to keep him on. Volunteers worked away at the process over the next 3 winters.
The Oak River Memorial Rink opened January 10, 1953 and it was built at an estimated cost of $30,000. The skating ice was 72 x 178. With a wooden dance floor over the ice surface, it held 500 people with standing room for 500 more. The dance gardens in Oak River were famous and many people I have met over the years would associate my hometown with dances. Famous entertainers like Don Messer, Mart Kenny, Tommy Hunter and Frankie Yankovic stopped in Oak River in the 50’s. I have been told that Fred Glinz was the organizer of these dances for years and other performers included Marty Robbins, The Trashmen, Bobby Curtola and Bill and Sue-On Hillman. At one time the dance floor featured a rainbow mural as well as stars suspended overhead. The 4 sheets of curling ice were converted to artificial in 1967 for a cost of $14,000. The waiting room in the main rink seated 200 people.
If you were ever there, take a walk with me through the main doors, past the ticket booth and you see the back of rows of dark red velvet theatre chairs facing out on the skating ice. Dressing rooms with mint green painted doors and cupboards are to your left and down the hall to your right was an office and washrooms leading to the waiting room. The lunch counter stood on your right and the curling ice viewing area to your left. One memory I have is of curtains around the snake pit during bonspiel time, to keep young eyes out of the liquor being served I suppose! The "snake pit" also was in the basement and you brought your own bottle too at one time! The snap of brooms on the ice and boom of contacting rocks were sounds heard while sitting on the wooden two layer benches covered with carpet. The trophy cases must have been on the east wall but I don't really recall. I do remember the record player in the waiting room that needed to be restarted to keep music going to the skating ice between games of crack the whip and pom pom pull away! Mr. Glinz with his hands behind his back in his muskrat coat and hat with long bladed skates created his own breeze when he glided past. The hockey scoreboard was a sought after job especially during the Tournament of Champions weekend. After going up a ladder to the box, flood light bulbs were moved along a series of holes in a board to indicate the score. Cleaning the ice with push scrapers before the age of zambonis kept the kids active during inermissions.
In 1977, renovations to the waiting room and new lunch counter cupboards were made. Four dressing rooms were in the basement. Due to declining numbers in 1984, one sheet of curling ice was no longer used. It became a pretty intriguing skill to make use of the hump of ice (perhaps caused by the roof leaking) on the right side of the sheet #4 to bank your shot off!
The new rink opened November 5, 1988. I'd be pleased to hear your memories at ssimms@escape.ca
Thanks to Alvina, Lyn, Louise, and Nicki for sharing your memories that I've added to the post.
