This article about the history of arenas in Newmarket comes by request. I’ve added it to my famous ‘book of inquiry’ as I share what I have learned and call on all of you to contribute any information you may have on the subject. I want to thank Mr. Copeland for his suggestion of the topic.
The earliest mention of a skating rink in Newmarket can be found in Ethel Trewhella’s History of the Town of Newmarket dating back to the 1870s. Located on the north side of Timothy Street, just east of the railroad tracks and extending about 90 feet, the structure was said to have been covered and the floor used in the summer for roller skating.
In 1897, a new rink was built on the west side of Main Street, midway between Huron Street (Davis Drive) and Simcoe Street. The timber structure, built by William Cane and Sons for $1,580, measured 79 by 150 feet, with a skating area of 44 by 150 feet. There was a six-foot gallery at the east end and the whole building was lit by incandescent lamps. The money to build it came from the sale of 1,000 shares at a cost of $1 per share.
The Main Street rink was torn down after the new hockey arena was built facing Cedar Street, beside the stream on the north side of Timothy Street. The new arena was opened in December 1922 and was named The Newmarket Memorial Arena to honour First World War soldiers. It initially had space for 2,000 and was built at a cost of $40,000 primarily financed by Andrew Davis, who was the principal shareholder and managing director/president of the famous local hockey team of the 1930s, the Newmarket Redman who won the Memorial Cup in 1933.
In 1944, Davis offered to sell the arena to the Town of Newmarket and the mayor at the time, Lowell Dales, and council jumped at the opportunity. In September 1944, a plebiscite was taken to spend $17,000 to acquire the arena. The vote took place Oct. 12 and the majority (544 to 102) approved the purchase. In February 1945, debentures were issued totalling $18,000 and the Town took possession of the arena.
Utilization of the arena was limited to a brief period given the fact that the ice surface was natural. In January 1949, a proposal to install artificial ice gained popularity locally and a fundraising effort was launched to raise $9,000. Fred Thompson, manager of the hockey association, was named chairman of the fund committee and the Town committed to a 50/50 split for the installation costs.
Approximately 8,500 feet of piping was laid and welded by local volunteers that October and by December 1949, artificial ice was in regular use. At the same time, an extension to the west end facing Cedar Street was made to provide space for the ice-making equipment, new dressing rooms, washrooms and additional seating.
We must remember that from very early times, the ice surface on Fairy Lake was the most popular place for winter sports with a crude shack some may remember on the west bank. Shinny was played in the centre of the pond and the rest of the frozen watercourse, all the way up to Mulock Sideroad, was used for free skating. Open air skating was enjoyed locally long after the arena was built and continued well into the 1970s when new facilities were built, and good old Fairy Lake pond was declared unfit for use. The winters ceased to be as cold, as well, I guess.
Over the years, there have been a plethora of new facilities built to facilitate winter sports in town. When the Millard Farm on Millard Avenue was obtained by the Town in 1951 for a housing development, 11 acres was set aside for a park. In addition, two acres were obtained from Charles Boyd in the Beechwoods area. In the 1960s, the park was developed into Haskett Park and I remember every year a public, outdoor skating rink was constructed and maintained. I also remember a similar skating rink at the Lions Club Park at that time.
In 1973, the Hollingsworth Arena on Patterson just off Davis Drive was Newmarket’s first NHL-size ice surface, added to the Town’s recreational inventory through a partnership with local developers, saving an estimated $300,000 if a debenture had been needed for its construction.
We will lose this facility in 2020 when it is decommissioned following its final hockey season. The name Frances Hollingsworth is sacred within Newmarket’s sports community and beyond, and hopefully a new facility will be endowed with the name.
In 1980, the population had reached about 29,300, and had increased by 6,000 in the period since the community centre and arena had been established in 1974. In September 1981, recreation commissioner Dan Shannon released a report stating: “The town’s decision to pursue construction of a multi-recreation complex is one of the most important steps the town has made in community development.” The report stated this was a total commitment with all research completed and only implementation remaining.
A series of convoluted events ensued, which I covered in my article on Newmarket’s parks. Finally, on March 20, 1984, council voted unanimously to develop the land and proceed with plans prepared by Smith & Milne Architects for a recreation building to be built in two phases. The first phase estimated at $3.7 million would include a 1,500-seat arena with room for an additional 1,500 seats, three baseball diamonds, two football fields and a parking lot for 750 cars. The second phase would consist of an indoor swimming pool and fitness centre.
On Oct. 29, 1984, the go-ahead was given to award contracts for a recreation complex with an expenditure of $5.9 million. The first main occasion to use the arena was on Dec. 26, 1985, when West Germany met with Czechoslovakia in a world junior ice hockey tournament.
In 1995, a supplementary arena was added on the north side of the complex at a cost of $2.2 million. It was to be the fourth hockey arena in town. The complex was named after Raymond J. Twinney, mayor from 1979 to 1994), in recognition of his contribution to the project it was dedicated and officially named “The Ray Twinney Recreation Complex” on Nov. 23, 1994.
In August 2007, the Town of Newmarket opened the Magna Centre on Mulock, a state-of-the-art recreation complex featuring an Olympic-size and three NHL-size ice rinks and the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame.
It is strange how history repeats itself. Recently, some new outdoor facilities, maintained by residents, are re-establishing the time-honoured tradition of the local outdoor rink. Thanks to these community angels, this generation is getting the chance to experience the joy of ice on your cheeks and nature as your setting. Bravo.
I welcome your suggestions of topics and when possible, I will try to respond with an article on NewmarketToday.
Sources: The History of Newmarket by Ethel Trewhella; The Newmarket Era; Stories of Newmarket by Robert Terence Carter, Newmarket Progress by the Pioneers by George Luesby
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NewmarketToday.ca brings you this weekly feature about our town's history in partnership with Richard MacLeod, the History Hound, a local historian for more than 40 years. He conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, as well as leads local oral history interviews. You can contact the History Hound at [email protected].
Editor's Note: This article was corrected Dec. 3, 2019 to remove an outdated reference regarding the Hollingsworth Arena, which will be decommissioned in April 2020. In May 2019, Newmarket council voted to retain the arena property, except for a small slice, and to redevelop it as green space for community use.
