RINK AND HOCKEY The rink in Freetown was called the Maple Leaf Skating Rink and operated in 1915. Fred Reeves was its president, Charles Taylor its secretary-treasurer and Dwight Beairsto its collector. Apparently, Dwight was also in charge of flooding the rink. Available records show that he got $12.00 for his services during

the winter.

The rink opened under these bylaws. One dollar was charged for season tickets and ten cents for a night of skating. Ladies and children were allowed to skate free. Tuesday and Friday nights were for playing hockey. Outside hockey teams were charged 50¢ for two hours of ice time.

The list of those who had season tickets in 1915 are: Charles and Donald Baker, Charles and Ernest Taylor, Von and Ward MacCaull, Ben and Ray Clow, Jarvis Trainor, Clayton Smith, Dwight Beairsto, Harry Crossman, Ray Lidstone, John Johnson and Fred Deacon. Fred. W. Reeves was given a season ticket for the use of his horses and equipment in starting the rink.

Little is known about the hockey teams in those days but legend has it that teams from Emerald, Margate and Kensington played in Freetown. One source recalls that Harold, George, Cecil and Horace Paynter took a keen interest in the rink for a few years and during this time hockey competition was quite keen. There were two or three Freetown teams, one from Emerald, one from Kinkora and one from Breadalbane competing. Basil Taylor, Edgar and George Reeves, Elmer Gauthier and Everett Francis and others operated the rink for a few years. Ray Lidstone, Jardine Stavert and William Rogers also kept it in operation for a time.

Operations lapsed in the late twenties, but in 1931, another group of young men reactivated the rink. The dressing rooms, board fence and pump house were renovated. A promenade was built and the gasoline engine replaced by an electric motor for pumping water. The renovators included Allan Clow, Morris Deacon, George Lewis, Cecil and Clarence Reeves, Ralph and Horace MacFarlane, Robert J ardine and CB. Matheson.

The rink operated quite successfully for a few years. Simmons and MacFarlane put up a trophy for the County Line Championship and hockey teams’ from Freetown and South Freetown, Emerald,

South Freetown “Rovers’j 1930 Standing left to right: Preston Wadman, Albert Stetson, Fred Reeves?, Wilbert Drummond. Front: Tommy Drummond, Fred Drummond, Basil Taylor, Wilfred Reeves.

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