Special Features - Red Deer Arena Special
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Transcript of Special Features - Red Deer Arena Special
A SPECIAL PUBLICATION FROM
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THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 1
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SATURDAY, APRIL 9 9:30 AM - 6 PMParkland Mall
For more details visit reddeer.ca/letstalk
2016RED 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.
Join Mayor Veer & Red Deer City Councillors
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYORMayor Tara Veer
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.
Tara VeerMayor, The City of Red Deer
2 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST
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MAJOR EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF THE RED DEER ARENA:By Advocate Staff
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.
1953 — The first Red Deer Ice Carnival is held, netting the
sponsoring Rotary Club a $752 profit.
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.
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.
2012 and 2013 — Red Deer Optimist Chiefs win back-to-back Telus
Cups, the national midget AAA hockey title.
2013 — The Bentley Generals win the Allen Cup, the national
senior amateur men’s hockey championship. The tournament was
held at the arena.
THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 3
MEMORIES!
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.
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.Merci pour les souvenirs!
2019canadagames.ca
THANK YOU FOR THE
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A LOOK INTO THE FUTUREBy Advocate Staff
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.
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.
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ARENA MEMORIESBy 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.”
THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 5
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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.
NEW FOUNDATIONSBy Advocate Staff
6 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST
“The Red Deer Arena has been a staple for many years in the community and
has brought wonderful memories for the Swainson family for three generations”
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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
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
ARENA MEMOIRS
Jamie Sale
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
Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/ Advocate staff
8 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST
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
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.
ARENA MEMOIRS
“‘Come Skate With Me’ (The Skaters Waltz) – on the rare occasion I hear this on the radio and memories come flooding back of the spe-cial time I had in my late teen years and be-yond 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 new-ly arrived bachelor from Holland who hap-pened 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 pe-rimeter 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 Edi-tor. However, he also reported on local sports events for Calgary and Edmonton newspapers. He would have enjoyed the safety of the en-closed “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 attend-ed many games in ensuing years. Many local young men, and some recruits from neighbor-ing 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 Ama-zons 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 im-pressions — 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
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 9
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.
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.
2014: Red Deer Optimist AAA Midget Chiefs take on the Women’s
Team Canada at the Arena in Red Deer.
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”
“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!”
2013: Wyn Ledieu, Silver Cross Mother representatives, salutes
veterans during Remembrance Day services at Red Deer Arena .
“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 staffPhoto by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
Photo by ASHLI BARRETT/ Advocate staff
10 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST
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2810 Bremner Ave. [email protected] 403-342-0035
Red DeerBranch # 35
THE RED DEER ARENA has been special place for so many; it has been a place for us to remember.ememberce for us to reremember.
Thank You
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.
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
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 11
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EURO-MODE
“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”
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.
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
ARENA MEMOIRS
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
12 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST
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We look forward to the new arena and many more years of being side by side!
We have enjoyed the many years of being neighbors to the Red Deer Arena!
“Watching both of my boys play hockey year-after-year in the Arena is the epitome of hockey in Red Deer.”
“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.”
“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
ARENA MEMOIRS
THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 13
RED DEER MINOR HOCKEY4725 43 STREET, RED DEER | (403) 347-9960
www.reddeerminorhockey.com
GREAT
TIME!
WE’VE
HAD A
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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Don MacIntyre, MLAInnisfail-Sylvan Lake Constituency
#2 160 Hewlett Park LandingSylvan Lake, ABT4S [email protected]
Thanks for the
Great Memories
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!!”
ARENA MEMOIRS
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.
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.
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
14 THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST
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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
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.
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.”
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST 15
7840A-50 Ave., Red Deer, AB. T4P 3S7
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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 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.”
“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 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.”
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/ Advocate staff
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#RDARENA
Celebrate the closing of Red Deer’s historic arena
Red Deerians of all ages are invited to come together to celebrate the importance and
legacy of the Red Deer Arena, which is scheduled for demolition and redevelopment
in 2016. The arena, built in 1952, has served as a community hub for Central Albertans
for over 60 years and is an important piece of our city’s history. The arena will be
redeveloped and re-open in 2018.
WWW.REDDEER.CA/RDARENA
Celebrate with us!