• Home
  • Stories
    • News >
      • 2022 Local Government Elections
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails
Connecting Albert County

culture and
​heritage

The Old Elgin Rink

28/2/2020

0 Comments

 
By Loris Geldart 
About 1947, just after the war, some of the younger folks in Elgin convinced a few older ones that we needed a nice outdoor rink on which to play. As luck would have it, plans were soon developed and the project underway.
As I recall, one of the local sawmill operators, Mr. Hartley Mitton, donated a considerable amount of lumber. A suitable piece of land was levelled and construction began. Older men, including Aubrey Smith, Alvin Steeves, Paul Graves, Benjamin Steeves, and a young man named Ian Colpitts provided guidance. They, along with the able assistance of many of us lads, soon raised the side boards, erected two dressing rooms and equipped them with wood stoves, and built a warming area for spectators. Pumps were placed in a nearby brook. Before long, a nice sheet of ice was made, and the red and blue lines were painted on it.
At that time, there were no TV sets to occupy our time and the smartphone hadn’t been invented. Most of our spare time was spent in activities like coasting and plying our skis on the abundant hills in our area. The new rink gave us a comfortable place to play hockey or just skate to music. Soon, teams of hockey players from other villages arrived for games and we all know how competition fires up youngsters. For the senior crowd, skating to music was popular.
I can still recall the high piles of snow that chose to fall on our play surface. Snow blowers were not in vogue, but a timeless old instrument called a snow shovel was the best means of dealing with snow. I can recall reporting for work early Saturday mornings to share the joy of piling snow up over the boards with great haste so we would be ready for the afternoon juniors’ hockey game and the Saturday night games for the older crowd. One winter there was such a large amount of snow that the banks surrounding the rink reached several feet above the boards. This made the rescue of errant pucks almost impossible until spring!
Today, it is hard to imagine the many hours of labour that went into the care of the old rink. I cannot recall anyone ever complaining about it. If I ask anyone who experienced it, they always dwell on the fun and friendships that prevailed. On one or two winters, hot water was hauled from the school nearby for the Elgin version of the Zamboni.
After several years of operation, someone wiser than the rest came to the conclusion that water pumped up to the top of a hill had a nasty habit of returning to its source. Plans were made to move the rink to the property down by the old racetrack that usually flooded in the fall. That was a great improvement and made life a bit easier. Also, by then, the rink was well established as a center of the community. Younger hockey players had come on board and we had improved our performance to the point where we even managed to win the odd game! About this time, I became a working man so my career as a hockey player was pretty well over. However, many of the younger boys went on to become very capable players and enjoyed short careers in higher leagues in Sussex, etc.
About the same time as our rink operated, similar rinks were set up in other communities. Petitcodiac established a rink where the Kiwanis building now sits. Teams from Edgetts Landing, Alma and Salisbury were frequent visitors to our rink and great memories remain of our hockey battles. The local team was aptly named the Elgin Aces. If you grew up in the Elgin area, you are probably familiar with some of the lore from the old rink. I sometimes ponder whether the current generation would care to forego their new heated rink for a place like our old rink. I know it is great to enjoy all the new facilities but I always return to the thoughts of all the fun we had on the old Elgin rink!
Not too many of the old boys who shared the fun of those days are left to remember all our great moments but I still remember them well. Lifelong friendships began there. In my idle moments, I sometimes reflect on an event or an individual and it always brings a smile to my face. I know those days are long gone now but I still think we could learn some valuable lessons about life if we could bring back some of the old ways and learn to enjoy the simpler things in life.
p.s. I know many pictures still exist of the old rink and I think it would be nice to amalgamate them into one book. Anyone interested?     LG
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Culture & Heritage

    ​Connecting Albert County would like to thank the following supporters & advertisers:

    Platinum supporters
    - Bennett and Albert County Health Care (BACH) Foundation  
    ​- Albert County Pharmacy
    - CR Yardworks & Equipment
    ​​- Hon. Rob Moore, MP for Fundy Royal


    Gold supporters
    - CBDC Westmorland Albert 
    - ​Albert County Funeral Home​​
    - 
    Grass Roots Community Economic Development Cooperative

    Silver supporters
    - 
    Albert County Chamber of Commerce 
    - Crooked Creek Convenience 
    - East Coast Kids Child Care & Learning Centre
    ​ 
    - 
    Fireside Home Heating
    ​ 
    - 
    Foods of the Fundy Valley​
    - The Garden Guy (Micheal McBurnie) 
    - 
    Hon. Mike Holland, Minister, MLA-Albert 
    ​
    - 
    The Old Church Farmers' Market​
    - Village of Hillsborough
    - Village of Riverside-Albert

    Bronze supporters

    - Broadleaf Ranch ​
    - 
    ​Chipoudy Communities Revitalization Committee (CCRC)
    ​
    - 
    Cape Enrage Fundy Log Cabin
    - Falcon Ridge Inn B&B
    - Friends of Fundy  
    - Fundy Highlands Motel and Chalets
    - 
    Fundy Mud Pottery 

    - Jeff MacDougall, SouthEastern Mutual Insurance 
    -​ Village of Alma


    If you would like to support Connecting Albert County, visit our Advertising page or Donation page. With your support, we can continue to share the news of rural Albert County.

    Comments
    We welcome comments to our blog postings. Please provide your email address and name with your comment, and respect our content guidelines.

    Archives

    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

    Categories

    All
    150th
    200th Anniversary
    27th Battalion
    60th Anniversary
    Abiel Peck
    Aboiteaux
    Aboriginal
    Abraham Gesner
    AC175
    Acadian Culture
    Acadian Expulsion
    Acadian Resistance
    Acadians In Albert County
    ACTA
    Activities
    Albert County
    Albert County 175
    Albert County Cancer Walk
    Albert County Exhibition
    Albert County HIstorical Society
    Albert County Historical Society
    Albert County Museum
    Albert County NB
    Albertite
    Albert MLA
    Alma
    Alma Fire Department
    Amalgamation
    Anniversary
    Armistice
    Armour Transportation
    Art
    Artisans
    Artists
    Arts
    Arts And Crafts
    Association Heritage NB
    Atlantic National
    Baby Shower
    BACH Foundation
    Back In The Day
    Bagpipes
    Ball
    Banners
    Bar Mitzvah
    Bat Mitzvah
    Bay Of Fundy
    Beausoleil
    Bible
    Board Game
    Broadleaf Ranch
    Brownies
    Buy Local
    Caledonia Mountain
    Camelia Airheart!
    Canada 150
    Canada Day
    Cannon
    Cape Enrage
    Car Show
    Carve
    Carving
    CCGS Captain Molly Kool
    CCRC
    CEDC
    Celebration
    Celebrations
    Celtic Music
    Cemeteries
    Ceremony
    Chase The Ace
    Childhood
    Childhood Memories
    Children
    Children's Book
    Chocolate River Publishing
    Christmas
    Christmas Parade
    Church
    Classic Cars
    Community
    Community Groups
    Community Spirit
    Connecting Albert County
    Corporate Events
    Covered Bridge
    Crooked Creek Adventures
    Crooked Creek Convenience
    Culture
    Curryville
    Curryville Community Center
    December
    Devil's Loft
    Diamond Jubilee
    Donald Bishop
    Donate
    Donations
    Don Coleman
    Dorothy Brzezicki
    Dr. Black
    Dream Team Canada
    Dr. Tingley
    Dykes
    Elgin
    Embroidered Cards
    Event
    Events
    Exhibit
    Exhibition
    Exhibitions
    Experiences
    Fair
    Female Sea Captain
    Fibre Arts
    Fiddle
    Figurine
    Fishing
    Fishing Boats
    Flag Ceremony
    Fleet Launch
    Folk Festival
    Follow The Goose Butt
    Foods Of The Fundy Valley
    Friends Of Fundy
    Fundraising
    Fundy Ceilidh
    Fundy Guild
    Fundy National Park
    Fundy Park
    Fundy Quilt Show
    Fundy Royal MP
    Fundy Strategic Tourism Plan
    Fundy Studio Tour
    Fundy Sugar Woods Festival
    Garden
    Gardening
    Gardens
    Gary Steeves Insurance
    Gender Reveal
    Ghosts
    Ghouls
    Girl Guides
    Girls
    Goblins
    Government
    Grass Roots
    Grindstone Island
    Growing Up In Albert County
    Guides
    Harp
    Harvey
    Harvey Hall
    Headstone
    Heritage
    Heritage Awards
    Heritage Fair
    Hillsborough
    Hillsborough Baptist Church
    Hillsborough Elementary
    Hillsborough Farmers Market
    Hillsborough Kiwanis
    Hillsborough Public Library
    Historical Society
    History
    Holmstrom
    Hopewell Cape
    Hopewell Cape Museum
    Hopewell Hill
    Hurrr
    Ian Duncan
    Icebreaker
    Investment
    Irish
    Jerusalem Marketplace
    Joseph Broussard
    Kiwanis
    Lewis Steeves
    Life Membership
    Lifetime Membership
    Lighthouse
    Lobster
    Local
    Local Author
    Logging
    Lois Snider
    Maple Sugar
    Market
    Members
    Memorial Banners
    Memories
    Molly Kool
    Molly Kool\
    Molly Kool Award
    Monarchy
    Monument
    Mount Pleasant Events Centre
    Museum
    Music
    Nature
    NB
    New Brunswick
    New Brunswick Railway Museum
    Newcomers
    Nominations
    Oaks
    Octopus Garden Cafe
    Outdoor Activities
    Paddle For A Cause
    Parade
    Pathfinders
    Peace Park
    Peck Colonial House
    Petitcodiac River
    Pierre Thibodeau
    Pirates
    Plant
    Platinum Jubilee
    Poem
    Pottery
    Prime Minister Bennett
    Programming
    Progress
    Project
    Queen Elizabeth II
    Quilt
    Quilt And Fibre Arts Show And Sale
    Quilting
    Quilts
    Quilt Tour
    Raffle
    RA Fire Department
    Railroad
    R. B. Bennett
    R.B. Bennett
    RB Bennett Centre
    Remembrance Day
    Repairs
    Rersurgo Place
    Restoration
    Restore
    Rising Tide Festival
    Rising Tide Trails & Tunes Team
    Riverside Albert
    Riverside-Albert
    Riverside-Albert Fire Department
    Riverside Consolidated School
    Riverview Arts Centre
    Riverview Arts Seniors Connect
    Role Model
    Royal Theatre
    Rural
    Rural Fair
    Rural School
    Salem & Hillsborough Railroad
    Salmon River
    Sara Liptay
    Sawmill Creek Covered Bridge
    School
    School Closure
    School Garden
    Scrub
    S&C's Ice Cream
    Sea Shanty
    Season
    Seniors
    Shepody
    Shepody Days
    Shepody Food Bank
    Shoe Tree
    Sistema
    Small Businesses
    Soap Box Derby
    Song
    Songwriter
    Sparks
    Spinning
    Spring Activities
    Steeves 150
    Steeves Family Reunion
    Steve Arsenault
    Stories
    Summer
    Tablut
    Tales-from-the-creek
    Tartan
    Teledrive
    Tele Drive Albert County
    Tele-Drive Albert County
    Thank You
    The Incredibly Truthful Diary Of Nature Girl
    The Welsh Tornado
    This Is My Canada
    Thomas Calhoun
    Tickets
    Tides
    Tourism
    Traditions
    Trail Ambassador
    Trains
    Update
    Urban/Rural Rides
    Variety Show
    Veteran
    Veterans
    Victory Campaign
    Video
    Viking
    Vimy Ridge
    Volunteer
    Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tours
    Walk For Hope
    Weaving
    Wedding
    Welcome
    Wellness
    Westmorland County
    Wilson
    Winner
    Winter
    Woman's Institute
    Workshops
    World War 1
    Yoga
    Young Adult Fiction

    RSS Feed

CONTACT
ADVERTISING
CALENDAR
PUBLICATION

SiteLock
Copyright © Connecting Albert County, 2021 | Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada
  • Home
  • Stories
    • News >
      • 2022 Local Government Elections
    • Learning & Literacy
    • Food, Farming & Fishing >
      • Recipe Collection
    • Culture & Heritage
    • Wellness
    • Environment
    • Opinions, letters and reflections
  • About Us
    • Donate
  • Jobs
    • Job Posting Submission Form
    • Job Postings
  • E-magazine
  • Calendar
  • Albert County
    • Community Directory
    • Churches
    • Living in Albert County
    • Our Villages
    • Attractions
  • Ads
  • Trails