Si Miller, Cornwall Parks and Recreation director, was ahead of the climate change curve in January 1967 when he recommended the city spend money on two outdoor artificial ice rinks.
Long before the climate crisis became a tick on the dreaded Doomsday Clock, Miller warned city council that milder winters were making outdoor rinks harder to maintain and that he didn’t think the longevity of outdoor natural ice rinks in city parks would improve. This was a time when every city park had a well-used outdoor rink, some fitted with flood lights.
Council was told that rinks in city parks had 25-30 days of life, tops, compared to 80 days of use just 10 years earlier. There was a time, back in the other century when Baby Boomers were growing up, that outdoor rinks were up and running before Christmas. Sometimes in the second week of December. Sans the brief traditional January thaw that lasted a couple of days, the rinks were in use until early March.
Miller said the paved/concrete pads for the artificial rinks could be used for lacrosse and tennis in the summer.
Council, with a keen eye on the bottom line, determined the $100,000 bill for each artificial ice rink was too expensive.
ALSO IN JANUARY 1967 – Canada’s 100th birthday party got off to a noisy start in Cornwall with a midnight torch lighting in front of city hall followed by a 100-gun salute, the ringing of church bells, the blast of police and fire sirens and factory whistles. St. Lawrence High School student Angela Gratton had been crowned the city’s Centennial Queen. City Hall played host to a New Year’s Day levee. … In a huge leap into the world of technology, Cornwall Police Department was equipped with walkie-talkies for officers on foot patrol. Before the devices, officers on foot patrol had to use direct-line phones in boxes on utility places placed throughout the downtown areas. … Newly-elected mayor Nick Kaneb said obtaining a community college for Cornwall was at the top of his 1967 priority list. Cornwall, Kingston and Brockville were bidding for the Eastern Ontario campus of St. Lawrence College of Applied Arts and Technology, as it was called. … With a shortage of housing in the city, Sylvania Electric (Canada) was searching for accommodations for employees brought to Cornwall to work at its new TV plant on Vincent Massey Drive. … Ruth Fowler, who started her 40-year teaching career in a one-room East Front Public School in Cornwall that was heated by a wood stove in the winter, was retiring. She was finishing her career as a math teacher at Osnabruck District High School in Ingleside. … Toronto Marlboros, the top team in the Ontario Hockey League, romped to an 11-5 win over Cornwall Gordon Refrigeration Royals in an exhibition game at the Water Street Arena. Gerry Meehan led the Marlies with four goals. Rick Plamondon had two for the Royals, while team-mate Bill Snelgrove led the penalty box parade with two minors, a fighting major and 10-minute misconduct, all in the first period. (Just another day at the office for Snelly) … St. Michael’s Academy student Suzanne Marion was crowned city campus winter carnival queen. Named princesses were Reina Dumont of General Vanier and Jeannine Rioux of Classical College. … Harry Youngs and The Nobelmen were playing at the Cornwallis Hotel Dundas discotheque. … Convicted of murdering 12-year-old Lynn Harper in Clinton, Ont., when he was 15, Steven Truscott turned 22 in Collin’s Bay prison. His death sentence had been commuted to life in prison. … Anglican Church and Roman Catholic leaders were meeting in Rome to discuss the possibility of a union. Key differences were the infallibility of the pope and celibacy of clergy. … Lancaster native Brian Gilmour of Boston University was rated as one of the top defencemen in U.S. college hockey. A senior, he had 110 points (31 goals, 79 assists) in his career with the Terriers. After college, Gilmour taught at General Vanier Secondary School and was co-founder of Huron Hockey School.
HERE AND THERE There was a time when Ryan Gosling let it be known that he was born in London, Ont. He stopped that when the city got into a nasty debate over naming a street after him. When the proposal was voted down, Gosling stopped making mention of his place of birth and instead talked about growing up in Cornwall. … I’ll take a humble humanitarian over a self-proclaimed activist. … After Bill Belichick and the Patriots cut ties earlier this month, there were reports that several National Football League teams were interested in the legendary coach. So far, no takers. One reason might be what they would have to pay him. He was earning $25 million a year to coach the Pats. … Gerry Campeau, a Cornwall Minor Hockey Association grad who played for the Royals in the 1969-70 season and then with St. Lawrence College Roadrunners, died on Christmas Day in Vermont where he lived.
TRIVIA One of North America’s largest grocery store chains was A & P. What did A & P stand for?
TRIVIA ANSWER In January 1969 it was confirmed that Lancaster resident/adventurer Ray Munro had set a world record when he piloted his hot air balloon “Pride of Cornwall” to a height of 25,500 over in the Northwest Territories in December. When Cornwall balked at pitching in with sponsorship money, Munro renamed the balloon.
QUOTED “October is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.” – Mark Twain
FINAL THING We haven’t kept track, but a guesstimate is that this scribbler has penned around 4,500 columns in a career that started in the sports playpen 55 years ago … and counting, God willing. Retired judge Gilles Renaud has a standing offer to collaborate in writing “The Book”, and maybe some day. In the meantime, starting next week we will add a Life-and-Times feature to Musings, using material that could be used in “The Book”.
