Part 2: The early 1900s
Part 3: The Depression and post-war years
Part 4: A 1970s explosion
Part 5: The people
Winnipeg was again without a roller rink for the last half of the 1920s but venues returned just as the Depression started and was a source of cheap entertainment through some of the city's darkest years.
River Park (June 1930 - September 1939)
July 5, 1934, Tribune
Roller skating returned to River Park in 1930 for a for a much more successful run than it enjoyed in 1895.
The
large auditorium on the park grounds was converted for roller skating
and it opened on June 21, 1930. With 31,000 square feet of space, it was billed
as the largest skating rink in Canada or the U.S.. H. J. Fuches, the manager
of the new rink, ordered all new fibre-wheeled skates for the venue.
Being
part of a larger park, the River Park roller rink didn't get much mention in the daily papers
but it did allow it ot bring in some big name performers. These ranged from the
more classical Velma McMahon, a Canadian skating champion, to the quartet of
Everett McGowan, Betty Lee, Ruth Mack, and their roller skating dog.
July 12, 1932, Winnipeg Tribune
While the Depression negatively impacted many local businesses, River Park saw some of its biggest crowds. The city's parks, both public and private, offered a cheap escape for individuals and families during these dark times.
The Winnipeg Tribune, for example, hosted a series of public morale-boosting sing-along nights in city parks in the early 1930s. A couple of these events in Kildonan Park were said to have attracted 20,000 people.
River Park had its share of big events as well.
In 1932 and 1937, the city's Orangemen ended their 4,000-strong annual march at the park where they were joined by their families and friends for a day of picnics, sports, and music. One of the city's 60th anniversary parties was held there in 1934 and attracted 12,000 people during the day and another 21,000 in the evening. An annual picnic and sports day for the unemployed and their families attracted nearly 20,000 people by the 1937 edition of the event.
The roller skating rink charged ten cents for admission and fifteen cents for skate rental. The fees collected at River Park's concessions and attractions subsidized the free visitors.
There were various special events held at the rink. The most ambitious came in the summer of 1939 when it hosted "Winnipeg's first roller derby". This wasn't the bump and grind version we think of today, but rather a cumulative distance race held over six days.
From Monday, August 21 to the following Saturday, entrants skated from 8 pm to midnight in 45-minute blocks with a 15-minute rest break in between. Their mileage was tracked and the winner that night received a cash prize. The cumulative winner got a silver cup courtesy of McKinney's Jewellers and a free trip to the New York Worlds' Fair from Greyhound bus lines.
There were 31 entrants to begin. That was whittled down to 12 by the half-way point due to lack of fitness or injuries. In the end, only eight completed the derby. The top three were Thor Sigurdson (3042.5 miles), Bill Lindop (3006.5), and Violet McBeth with 2725.
River Park Roller Rink being dismantled, 1940. (Archives of Manitoba)
Sadly, that was one of the last big events held at River Park's roller rink.
It does not appear to have opened in the spring of 1940 and the building was dismantled that October and reassembled on the U of M grounds as the drill hall for the Artillery Training Centre.
River Park's days were numbered as well.
In September 1941, the Winnipeg Electric Co. offered to sell the 19-acre park to the city for a new housing development. The price they settled on was $40,000. It was a controversial decision as some wanted a large portion of the 19 acres to remain green space. The pressure for new housing in the city was just too great to allow for that.
Winnipeg Roller Rink (September 1934 - 2007)
Winnipeg's most iconic and longest-lasting roller skating venue opened during the Depression.
The Winnipeg Rink at Langside and Portage was an ice skating
venue that dated back to around 1908. The venue was sometimes used in the summer months for large events - everything from political rallies and religious sermons to kennel shows.
That changed in November 1933 when new owner/manager Sydney J. Shaw announced that after the hockey season a floor would be installed so that it could host roller skating from spring to fall.
The Winnipeg Roller Rink opened on May 16, 1934 at 8:30 pm. It had a floor "second to none" that included a soundproofing layer under the wood to absorb the sound of the wheels. Music was provided by "electronically transcription" rather than a live band.
September 20, 1934, Winnipeg Free Press
Shaw had a different marketing approach than his predecessors in that he advertised heavily in
the U of M's student newspaper and some of its annual yearbooks using slogans like "The most
fashionable amusement" and "Skate your way to health". He also offered discounted rates to student groups.
This appeal to youth paid off in that The Manitoban began reporting on
events at the rink and many school clubs hosted their carnivals and
year-end wind-ups there.
Shaw, who was the honorary president of the Winnipeg Roller Skating
Club, left the city in 1938 to take a job as manager of a rink in Toronto. In his absence, the rink became a full-time roller rink starting in the winter of 1942 - 1943.
Through the 1940s, the rink ran a small ad on the cover page of the Tribune's Saturday comic section to target the next generation of youth. It also offered special group rates for war service organizations and a night of roller skating became a regular routine for many service men and women.
By 1963, the rink was a family affair as his wife, Florence, and eight-year-old daughter were both instructors.
The Shaws moved to Victoria, B.C. in the mid-1960s where Sydney Shaw died on April 7, 1966. His legacy, the Winnipeg Roller Rink, would continue on for decades to come.
Civic Auditorium Roller Rink (1938 - ?1952)
July 15, 1938, Winnipeg Tribune
The construction of the Civic Auditorium was a Depression relief program that provided employment to hundreds of local builders. It opened to great fanfare in 1932 and was the city's main concert hall with space for the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the forerunner to the Manitoba Museum.
In March 1938, "a group of amusement men" led by Mr. Triller approached the Winnipeg Auditorium commission with a proposal to lease the basement for five years as a roller skating rink. (This was likely Mesho Triller who managed the Furby Theatre and Times Theatre.)
An agreement was reached and a wood floor was installed by Winnipeg Lumber and Fuel Company. The venue opened on July 15, 1938.
Auditorium Rink used for car show in 1940s
The Auditorium held a number of in the lead-up to Christmas in aid of the Christmas Cheer Board. After this, the rink rarely advertised and was rarely mentioned in the daily newspapers.
The odd special event, like a 1945 skating carnival by U of M students, were noted in The Manitoban. In 1950, newspapers reported that police had to be called after a disturbance was created by some teen-aged "hooligans".
The only way to tell that the rink was still open was to read the bowling scores.
The Auditorium Roller Rink had a team in the local commercial ten-pin bowling league and it was usually at or near the top of the standings. The final mention of the team comes in the March 1953 bowling league final, which means the rink was still around until late 1952 or early 1953.
A couple of years later, the Winnipeg Arena opened and took over as the city's main sports and concert venue.
1 comment:
I cannot wait to read about the Disco Explosion!
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