The Village Squire, 1981-05, Page 16Daytripping by Dean Robinson
It was Mary Webb who wrote. "The
past is only the present bcome invisible
and mute: and because it is invisible and
mute. its memoried glances and its
murmurs are infinitely precious."
That's how one is likely to feel after
dividing a day between two buildings on
the grounds of Exhibition Place in
Toronto. One of the buildings. just north
of Exhibition Stadium and east of the
Queen Elizabeth Building, houses
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the
Hockey Hall of Fame.
The other. just a short walk away on
the Lake Ontario side of the Stadium. is
what remains of the storied Stanley
Barracks and it's now the Marine
Museum of Upper Canada.
It really doesn't matter what building
you tour first but you might like to
ail schedule a lunch break in the form of a
picnic on the grassy slopes overlooking
the lake or slip into The Ship Inn. a
restaurant in the basement of the marine
museum. Modelled after an 1850 water-
side tavern. it's open from noon to 4
p.m., Monday through Friday. It has a
varied and moderately -priced menu
(minimum order $3.25 excluding
beverage) and a liquor licence.
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is both a
shrine and a museum of sport. Each year
it recognizes outstanding achievements
by Canadian athletes. amateur and
professional. It also displays an amazing
array of sports equipment. memorabilia,
trophies. medals, photographs and
biographical sketches which tell the story
of Canadian sport.
In two well-designed galleries, visitors
,can learn about the 300 men and women
who have been inducted to the hall. as
well as better understand the more than
40 sports in which they excelled.
The feats of Louis Cyr. Nancy Greene.
Bruce Kidd, Georges Chenier, Bob
Hayward, Anne Heggtveit, Johnny Long-
den, Elaine Tanner, Barbara Wagner and
Robert Paul take on new meaning.
In a colourful and interesting
supportive role are historic bicycles and
tricycles. Olympic medals, skating
uniforms, boxing gloves (those used by
George Chuvalo against Muhammad Ali
and Ernie Terrell, for instance). antique
if canoes and curling stones, Ned Hanlan's
rowing shell and the S.T.P. Lotus which
carried Bill Brack to three Canadian
driving championships. That memorable
ordeal by Marilyn Bell back in 1954
comes graphically to life with the large
blackboard which coach Gus Ryder used
to convey messages to his Lake Ontario
swimmer. When the 16 -year-old showed
signs of faltering as she neared the
Toronto shoreline Ryder grabbed the
chalk and scribbled "15.000 WAITING".
4,
PG. 14