HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-03-11, Page 6Page 6 - Goderich Signe-Star, Wednesday, March 11; 2009
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EDITORIAL
YCW :holds a special place in
• the -heads of 'hockey heroes
When Nip. Whellitoni and Lome Wakelin, manager of the brand new artificial ice arena
M Goderich, organized a one -day hockey tournament for peewee age hockey players in
1950, the first of its kind in the world, they could never have imagined that it would endure
over 60 yews. •
Endure indeed.
This weekend, the Goderich Lions Club will drop the puck on the 60th rendition of the
biggest little peewee hockey tournament in the world as Young Canada Week Peewee
Hockey lburnament unfolds in a number of divisions over nine days of play.
Steeped in tradition and nostalgia, the tournament grew from humble beginnings, a one -
day offering designed to give peewee age hockey players the opportunity to compete in a
friendly competition. The lcical tournament featured 12 teams from a 50 -mile radius and
they competed for the Reg McGee Trophy$
After a full day's play, the team from Lucknow emerged victorious, winning four straight
games, scoring an impressive 31 goals, 12 of them by 11 -year-old phenom Jack Chin,
while allowing a single goal in the final game that finished late in the evening.
The first ever peewee hockey tournament in the world was off to an inauspicious start.
And little did organizers know, that it would become the preeminent hockey tournament
in the world and feature some of the top players to reach the National Hockey League.
Goderich wasn't quite on the hockey map yet, btit in 1951 the tournament grew to 26
teams the second year and organizers were forced to offer play in three divisions over four
days.
In just its third year, and gaining a reputation as the finest .of offerings in the day, Young
Canada Week expanded to 37 teams and a week-long fonnitt by 1952 and given the
unprecedented growth of the tournament the Lions Club was asked. to get involved and
tuy Emerson, of the Lions Club, long regarded as one of the tournament's most ardent
supporters and a tireless worker, came on board. •
From that point on, Goderich became the coveted peewee destination for teams from
across North America. In 1954, 46 teams registered, including Winnipeg, and the tourna-
ment attracted media attention from all areas of Ontario; Quebec and Manitoba and
included reports from the Globe, Star and Telegram, the top Toronto papers. Goderich's
Young Canada Week was the worldwide, star attraction in. peewee hockey, revered as the
'biggest little hockey tournament in the world:
One of the most novel ideas to celebrate Canada's Centennial year in 1967, played out
in Goderich as 100 hockey teams, representing players fleom across Canada. including the
popular St. John's Newfoundland team, played and stayed in Goderich, a testimony to the
organizational abilities of the local Lions and the commitment of the community who took
on billets, fed thousands& hockey players and watched hundreds of games,
This event truly identified and, personified the community spirit much in evidence in
Goderich.
Travel anywhere in Canada and at the montion of the word Goderich, strangers will
quickly identify with the tournament, the year they played or the all -consuming effort
peewee -age players made to play in Goderich; '
• .As former NHLer, Nick Libett, formerly of Stratford and a standout with the Detroit Red
Wings offered; playing in Young Canada Week in Goderich was the dream of all hockey
players. . ' •
The town and its dedicated volunteers, made dreams come true for many young people
across the country. They will always remember their trip to Goderich.
Today the mention of thetournament and Goderich still conjures up fond memories and
provokes nostalgia in thousands of people. This town and this tournament will always hold
a special place in the hearts of people.
For 60 years, it has been a petty special tradition. (DS)*
~twee
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'Column conjures memories
of a meeting with Gandhi
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To the Editor;
.Katrina l3os's mention of Gandhi remind-
ed me of my Aunt Nancy Catford's meeting
with him.
She lived in England but had been work-
ing in Hungary in January 1940 as part of a
Quaker iroup working for helping Polish
refugees. •
They had to leave due to the deteriorating
war conditions...As she put it, "The journey
out that had • taken three days resulted in a
trip home ,of three months,' (via Bulgatia,
Iraq, India, and Africa).
In September 1940 after two of them had
attended a meeting of Congress she wrote
the following account of their meeting: "An
Indian friend came and told us that,in spite
of its being Gandhi's day of silenceme could
come and speak to him. We were led up to
this great figure of Indian political and spiri-
tual life. He was sitting on a mat on a plat-
form, having for the moment finished his
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daily spinning, which he and many other
Congressmen were carrying on, while the
speeches had taken place. He looked very
small and ,brown and rather ugly, with a
spectacled and wizened face and no teeth, it
was only when he smiled that one could
realize something of the enormous hold he
had on his followers and even those who in
so many ways disagree with hi:ne His sinile
seemed to hold more pure kindness and love
of humanity than any 1 have ever seen. It
was worth coming many miles to get one of
Gandhi's smiles and a warm handshake. I
was at'first stumped with what to say, but he
wrote and asked us what the folk were like
in Hungary and also wrote that he was sorry
Ile could not speak to us, but as Quakers we
should be able to understand silence."
• Patrick Capper
Goderich
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