70 Years Ago

It was a day similar to today whereby there had been some rainy weather followed by a cold snap. The small creek across the road had been dammed up by the local people and the pasture which was home to the cows was now a small lake running from Brooklyn Avenue to the dam. The water was frozen overnight and was as smooth as glass.

I awoke on my birthday and looked out the window to see this rink extending for a third of a mile and was so excited I immediately dressed for the first day of hockey this year. I pulled on my warm clothes and Detroit Red Wings sweater and wrestled with my old second hand tube skates. Dad filed the blades and inserted some extra padding at the ankles to help me from going over on my ankles.

Without breakfast I bolted out the door and crossed the road. Several others had the same idea so we were able to skate on that clear, clean ice and be the first to mark the sheet with bold strokes. I fell as I jumped on to the ice as did we all but recovered and with home made hockey stick skated the whole length of the ice surface. We raced each other and shouted with happiness for this was the opening of the hockey season down on the what we called the bog.

We set up teams and with Xmas close behind us there were plenty of Toronto Maple Leaf sweaters and a few Montreal as well. I had on the beautiful Red Wing sweater as I was becoming a fan of that team. Two years later when I was ten Gordie Howe became my hero and has remained so up to this day. I had to be called in for lunch but never took off my skates. I quickly ate my corn bread and molasses and returned to the ice.

All day we played hockey but Mom called me in for supper and after the hot stew which we loved I was presented with a chocolate cake with real boiled icing for my birthday. Dad gave me a new home made one piece hockey stick and I was just about the happiest eight year old in Cape Breton.