tion won the first ever Island Intermediate DD title. In 1974 Souris finished second in the strong Charlottetown- based Metro League, and in the Island playoffs defeated Tignish to win the provincial Intermediate D title.

In 1975 two Souris squads competed in Metro leagues and the Spartans won a Maritime Junior tournament. The next year the Spartans finished third and lost out in the last game of the playoffs to the Tack Room Cee Bees. In 1977 the Souris BIuefin-Dodgers became the first team from outside Charlottetown to win the Metro League playoffs, beating the first place finishers, Bevan Bros., four games to two in the finals.

The Souris M & G Royals won the Island Intermediate A title in 1979, and went on to win the Eastern Canada ti- tle in that category.

Among the outstanding softball competitors who played on these teams were Randy Cheverie, Gussie, Gerald and Mike Clinton, Ronnie MacAuIey, Bryan Sutherland, Mike and Allan MacCormack, Eric and Mike Macintosh, Shane MacLure, John and Peter McQuaid, the Outhouse brothers, Eric Conway and Herbie Macln- tyre, some of them former hardball stars.

During these years the Souris Recreational Softball League also flourished, with eight to 10 teams in com- petition. Two of them in 1979 won provincial honours, Triple C the Intermediate DD title, and Rollo Bay Rams the Midget championship.

Basketball has also been a popular high school sport for many years. In 1975 the Souris Boys Senior A Spartans coached by Dave MacDonald and captained by Roddie Fisher won the Island Interscholastic cham- pionship, and in 1978-79 the girls’ team cocaptained by Theresa McInnis and Irene Morrow captured the Island title.

In the 19303 boxing flourished in Souris. Big George Leslie held the Maritime Heavyweight title for a time, Danny MacCormack was Island Lightweight champion, and Joe Rice fought in the United States. Other notable Souris boxers in the 19303 were Charlie MacDonald and Neil Cheverie. Stanley Paquet in later years was a talented boxer who did not take up the sport seriously.

Harness Racing is almost the national sport in Prince Edward Island, and it has a large following in Souris. Crowds of more than 2,000 persons have been com- monplace at the Hilltop Driving Park, and plans are un- derway for a new racetrack, perhaps in 1981.

In track and field 16 year old Mike Fitzpatrick is already top rated in the Maritime Provinces.

Despite the strong tradition of participation and fan in- terest in these sports, there has been a growing realiza- tion in Souris that diversification in recreational activity is needed in the town. In order to develop new programs the Souris Recreation Department has been established and a full time Recreation Director appointed. A full range of facilities for these programs already exists. There are four halls — St. Mary's, the Knights of

Souris once had a citizen’s band, shown in this old photograph.

Columbus, the Legion, and the Senior Citizens — a Curl- ing Club, and the schools, library and arena already described for indoor activities such as bingo (already a favourite Souris diversion) curling, skating, dances, broomball and friendly get-togethers. There are two ten- nis courts, both with basketball hoops, ball diamonds at Joe’s Place and the two schools, a new crafts centre, boats for hire for tuna and deep sea fishing, and within easy reach of the town, cottage areas, a fisheries museum at Basin Head and a railway museum at Elmira, trout and salmon fishing streams, a bird sanctuary at Black Pond, provincial parks at Red Point and Campbell’s Cove, small game hunting in season, hiking and cycling trails, picnic places, and good landscape and rustic architecture for sketching and painting.