tion which numbered 100. Several of the teams achieved a high degree of success against Island competition.

A relatively new sport to this area is cross-country skiing; since about 1975 this has grown to be a very popular winter pastime. Stanhope is blessed with the availability of trails in the National Park,

as well as many old lumber trails, which provide variety and shelter when the wind blows. The value of this winter activity is not only that

it allows one to enjoy the beauty of the winter scene, but also it is an excellent form of physical exercise, and one which can involve the whole family.

Rinks and Hockey

An open air rink was built on land owned by Eph MacMillan, Cove head, in 1933, by the communities of Stanhope, West Covehead and Covehead Road, to serve the recreational needs of the young and old of these areas. With donations of materials and labour from concerned citizens, an ice surface of approximately 170 by 75 feet was surrounded with board fence; a building was erected, for changing from boots to skates, heated with a wood-burning 45-gallon drum. There was also a building for horses with 8 stalls; and a building to house the 32-volt generator, car engine and 6 batteries, which supplied the lighting for the complex. A pitcher pump was also included in this latter building, but the water, being too sandy, was not used to flood the ice surface, but only to water the engine housed therein; and even then it often had to be thawed‘with a kettle of water from Frank Auld’s before the pump could be used.

The hockey team which emerged from this rink was known as the Covehead Red Wings, and teams bearing this name represented this area until 1951. In the early years, some of the players on this team were: Charlie Russell, Warren Farrah, Eric, Lorne and Lloyd Mac- Millan, Elmer and Anson MacLauchlan, Dawson Hughes, Ira MacDonald, Leigh Chappell, Frank Maye, Lewis Kielly and Orr MacCann. There were first and second teams, school teams and girls’ teams. Some of the lasses on the girls’ team were: Ivy Hughes, Gertie Bovyer, Beth MacLauchlan, Jean Misener, Mabel Robison, Margaret Hughes, Elaine MacCallum and Jessie Marshall.

Equipment was made for the first team by Mrs. Ashley Mac- Lauchlan, and this meant knitted sweaters and stockings and padded hockey pants. No helmets were used, and not everyone had gloves. Sticks could be bought at Frizzell’s store for 35¢ each; tape cost 5¢ and pucks were 10¢ each. Admission to the rink was 10¢ for those over 16 years and 5¢ for the under 168. Charlie and Gertie Bovyer were in charge of the admission for most of the years that this rink was in

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