A longtime resident of Uxbridge, Ted Barris has written professionally for 40 years - for radio, television, magazines and newspapers. The "Barris Beat" column began in the 1950s when his father Alex wrote for the Globe and Mail. Ted continues the tradition of offering a positive view of his community. He has written 16 non-fiction books of Canadian history and teaches journalism at Centennial College in Toronto.
Engraved into our history
If you had to define what a sports tournament is, one of my hockey buddies, Dave Connell, would probably describe it as a rollicking good time. A couple of months ago, for example, he staged his annual Rag-Tag Oldtimers Hockey Tournament. During the morning-long tourney at the local arena, a few make-up men's and women's teams played some recreational hockey, enjoyed a lunch at a local restaurant and, as usual, had a lot of laughs. They also raised enough proceeds to make donations to the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank and the Cottage Hospital Foundation.
But something else happened that day. “We ended up with a bit of money left over,” Connell told me a few weeks ago. “So, we decided to do something a little different.”
As often happens before and after in rec hockey dressing rooms, some of the players talked about the recent passing of one of their own. Retired firefighter Vern Willis had died of a heart attack at his home in Port Perry back in February. An avid Blue Jays fan, a rabid rollerblader and classy rec hockey player, Pill (as he was known) had given his family, community and friends much to remember.
And yet, Connell said, it seemed an oversight that there wasn't something tangible to keep his memory alive here in Uxbridge. Why not some sort of marker, Connell thought, some kind of memorial placed near one of Pill's second homes - the Uxbridge Arena? For that matter, why not recognize a number of men who have participated or supported community hockey, but who have died recently?
“That's how the memorial stone idea happened,” Connell said.
A memorial stone to commemorate those hockey enthusiasts will be unveiled, at 1 p.m. this Sunday, May 30, in front of the arena. The engraved stone will recognize six local men who participated in local recreational hockey - as players, coaches, organizers and fans - and who consequently raised the profile of the fun side of hockey in this community. In addition to Vern Willis, the stone will honour the memory of Tom Reeves, Will Peddie, Brent Bonner, Geof Gaston and Bryan Petry, all devotees of the game of our lives.
Tom Reeves gave a lot of his life to hockey, both as a coach in house league, and as a player with his peers. He and Dave Smith actually organized the Sunday night rec league and later the Sunday morning SOFA league. Meanwhile, Will Peddie's hockey days date back to the origins of the Blackhawks of the 1960s. When he died on the arena ice in the SOFA league, some said he had been playing recreational hockey in one form or another for more than 50 years.
Almost from the moment we heard that Brent Bonner had died in a car accident in 2004, I can remember many of his pals - on and off the ice - planning some sort of commemorative organization. Initially to raise funds for a young deceased father's son Benjamin, the Bonner Boys went on to stage hockey, golf and baseball tournaments, a New Year's dance, and even a dunk tank at the fall fair.
“Our friend has passed, but his memory will live on through the actions we take everyday,” the Bonner Boys website promises.
Members of Geof Gaston's oldtimers' hockey family, the Oilies, watched helplessly last year as a throat cancer Geof had beaten initially, came back. It took away a terrific husband, father and granddad, not to mention a hell of a great defenceman and supportive teammate.
Similarly, and just as suddenly, Bryan Petry's Islanders teammates faced his passing due to cancer this past year. A video at his funeral reminded mourners that Bryan had been a diehard Boston Bruins fan, an avid outdoorsman and a steady volunteer behind the scenes for Sunday night adult rec hockey in this town.
A memorial stone, Dave Connell was quick to point out, can never replace the six men named on it. But it will provide a constant, tangible proof their contributions continue to be enjoyed. Going right back to his Rag-Tag hockey tournament, Connell said the initiative has enjoyed plenty of favour. Jersey’s restaurant provided the lunch that day and many of the groups and organizations associated with the six men named offered support, including the Oilies, the Islanders, the Bonner Boys, Williamson Motors, Foxbridge Golf Club, Mill Run Golf Club, Wooden Sticks Golf Club, Canterbury Golf Club, Zehrs and an agent of Remax Scugog Realty.
To help make the memorial stone a living memorial, Dave Connell says he'll welcome any and all who knew and shared time - on and off the ice - with these six men, to show their support by celebrating the unveiling at the arena - this Sunday, May 30, at 1 p.m.
