Woodstock Museum seeks winter sports artifacts

Memorabilia could be jerseys, trophies, programs, plaques, pucks or pictures

By Mark Schadenberg

Canada obviously has a great heritage of winter sports, and at its own level, so does Woodstock.

The Woodstock Museum National Historic Site wants to recognize winter sports and in particular the dozens of connections to Woodstock. The show is set to run from mid-January to the end of March in 2014.

It’s an appropriate time to pull out the display cases and recognize hockey and figure skating locally as 2014 also marks the 100^th birthday of the Perry Street Arena (pictured). Even though that ice surface was closed and also torn down back in 1996, that building represented winter athletics locally. In hockey there was the Athletics, Warriors, Gems, Navy Vets and even a famed team named after the Eureka foundry.

Several top figure skaters and coaches called Woodstock home over the years, dating back to 1934 when the club was established. The Woodstock figure skating club is one of the oldest in Canada.

Winter sports also include skiing, curling, badminton, and many high school sports as well such as basketball and volleyball. In the Summer Olympics one of the competitions is gymnastics, but most of the training takes place in fall and winter months. Woodstock has quite a background in gymnastics as well. 

Anyway, the local museum is looking for artifacts or memorabilia to display. Don’t worry about security if you permit the museum to borrow something from your collection, most items would be displayed under lock-and-key.

Maybe you own something that once belonged to the old Oxford Ski Club, which today is Braemar Valley park for modular homes.

There isn’t a long tradition of developing NHL players locally, but there is Doug Shelton (pictured)

I would think there are dozens of old hockey trophies or jerseys, figure skating carnival programs, photos from the badminton club on Hunter Street, plus other similar items which could be donated (loaned).

Keep in mind, history can be something from 10 years ago. The Southwood Arenas at the community complex, for example, has twice hosted the provincial curling championships.

However, equipment from yesteryear or an ancient puck, a skating costume three generations old, or possibly a WCI high school basketball jersey from the time of the Second World War would all be pieces of history that could augment the pieces of the past.  

Scratch your chin and think about anything you may have, and then – don’t contact me – but call Adam Pollard at the museum and arrange to deliver or artifact to the downtown shrine of history.

Adam Pollard Collection/Exhibit Coordinator

Woodstock Museum NHS

City of Woodstock
Phone: 519-537-8411 ex. 2902
Fax: 519-537-7235

Emailto:apollard@cityofwoodstock.ca