Views from Section 8 - The Chippewa Street Barn

"Views from Section 8" is a new column written by Don "Butch" Turcotte. The former Trappers Junior "A" coach and father of former NHLer and Skyhawks Assistant Coach Darren Turcotte will be chiming in with his thoughts here on BayToday.ca. Enjoy!

You have heard the expression "Wait 'til we get you in our own barn". Time and time again hockey players use this expression after a humilating defeat. Well today's topic is about the barn on Chippewa Street known to you as the Memorial Gardens.

Since my arrival to the city of North Bay in the fall of 1969, I am proud to say that I have been one of the most frequent visitors to the Gardens. The visits include participant (coach and volunteer) and spectator. There may be one other person that has frequented the 'Barn' more than me. That would be Francis "Frank" Corbeil. Frank is currently the city's Facility Manager and you can catch up with him at the Gardens as his office is next to Skyhawk office in the southwest corner of the building or outside that entrance puffing on a Export A. A little more about Frank follows...

I have been a spectator to the following:

1.MUSICAL ATTRACTIONS

a) "It's not Unusual" Tom Jones

b) "The Gambler" Kenny Rogers

c) "Snowbird" Anne Murray

d) "Folsom Prison Blues" and "I Walk the Line" Johnny Cash and wife June Carter Cash.

They all (except Kenny) appeared on stage at the north end of the building prior to the renovations that now include the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame and above that the Press Box. Kenny had his own revolving stage situated at the center ice area.

I remember Anne Murray's opening address to the audience. She had performed the previous night in Sault Ste. Marie. She was 7 months pregnant at the time. "I was in the Soo last night and flew to North Bay today and the airline (Grey Goose, Voyager, Bearskin,?) had no washroom facilities." Everyone started to laugh. I wondered why? Had to ask the wife why everyone was laughing.

2. O.H.L. CENTENNIALS (More on them and Bert Templeton in a seperate article).

3. REMEMBERANCE DAY ACTIVITIES

4. 3-RING BARNUM AND BAILEY CIRCUSES

5. NIPISSING DISTRICT ASSOCIATION (N.D.A) HOCKEY

6. N.D.A. EAST-WEST HOCKEY

They were originally Friday night events. I remember returning from and O.P.J.H.L. North Bay Trapper game (in the mid-70s) and Frank Corbeil, at the time, was a Gardens employee. He had lined up the empty liquor containers ('mickies' to me) on the outside dasherboards to show me the results of the night. Must have been 250 of them. I guess that was a reason for an afternoon change for the E-W event.

7. NORTH BAY JUNIOR SKYHAWKS ( N.O.J.H.L.)

I have been a participant for the following events

1. N.D.A. HOCKEY and E-W

There was a game that I coached for the Barons in the early seventies when someone near our bench threw a chair on the ice. Of course 99% of the crowd (the games averaged over a thousand in those days) thought it was me. Wrong. Frank Corbeil was my student manager-trainer, at the time, and didn't like one of referee Hector Valade's calls so out went the chair. Frank , being a senior at the time, was suspended from my club for the remainder of the season.

Yes, those were the days, when the Wildcats (Jim Ralph and Rodger Ettles), Trojans (Peter Randle, Dick Ouderkerk and Stan Courtney), Raiders (Jerry Larmer and Erik Jarvi), Braves (Gene Nesterenko), Patriotes (Sam Jackson), Bears (Dave Brennan and Garry Meehan) and Barons (Ron McGonigal and myself) locked horns.

2. MIDGET AAA AIR CANADA CUP (more on this later)

3. ONTARIO PROVINCIAL HOCKEY LEAGUE NORTH BAY TRAPPERS (more on this later)

4. NORTH BAY MINOR HOCKEY McDONALD'S AND WINGATE LOTTERY CUP AAA TOURNAMENTS

Yes, I can say that I own a share in the BARN. Fond memories and hope that I have shared some of them with you.

THUMBS

Spending less time in section 8 has allowed me build up the Labreche Forum. It measures 24' by 48' (you figure out the metric conversion yourself) with boards and lights. Anyone know where I can find a used, cheap Zamboni? This past Friday, had the pleasure of hosting the 4 Jane Street boys (AJ Shiverdecker, Ian Wilson, David Ciminelli and Travis Bradshaw). They were joined by the local regulars from Marshall Park school who happened to be out on a PA day. As I was doing a little bit of shovelling (Americans do no know what end of the scraper to use) I turned around and there was a free-for-all. I gave David the decision and his fisticuff record now stands at 1 and 1.

On Saturday after the Bears were eliminated from the Carter Cup, a few of the boys, Mitchell Rogerson, Devan Turcotte, Tom Casey and Paul Lalonde came over for a couple of hours. It was their turn to play shinny with the locals.

Nice to see the Turk back helping out his 'other sons'. His two weeks hiatus gave him time to put his thoughts together. You can bet there will be no pucks bouncing off the boards or the glass from him during instructions.

Would be nice to see some Trapper games at the Gardens.

Hats off to Artie Gabor and the 50th Annual Tomahawk BB tournament. Remarkable!