Looking back with Hughie and Judy Matheson
Three senior citizens sat down recently to reflect on Brookfield history and changes over the years. As one of those involved, I found it very interesting.
“One of my earliest memories, there was always sports at our house,” Judy Matheson, 80, recalled. “One of my brothers was always the stick boy for the Elks hockey team, they were always getting sticks ready in our kitchen. Hockey gear was always hung up over the registers to dry out. Hockey, ball and sports was a big part of growing up in Brookfield.”
Judy recalled at age five or six going to Brookfield Elks’ baseball games.
“I went with my mother (Marge) and Ada Carter,” she said. “I remember I couldn’t see over the wooden part of the backstop.”
Next our conversation went to 1955 when the baseball field was changed over to allow for playing softball.
“We had to rebuild the backstop and Ernie Colburn and I sawed down large trees to use for poles,” Hughie Matheson, 83, said. “We put them up by using a block and tackle fastened to a big spruce tree out back. I remember digging loam on my father’s property without him (Tom Matheson) knowing. I dug it out of the ground and our horse ‘Old Pete’ hauled it down to the ballfield.”
As we continued to reflect back, several former community businesses came into focus. Gone are several gas stations which were once located in Brookfield, they include the Irving Garage once located near Brookfield Lumber, Lawrence Wynn’s Texaco, Wynn’s Auto Body, Bertram Carter’s Fina, John Lindsay’s Garage, Lloyd Flemming’s White Rose, Freddie Johnson’s Auto Body, the B.A. Garage at the northend and Charlie Sutherland’s Toyota.
Other businesses which no longer exist were recalled. Named were the Sunrise Restaurant, Hardy Wright’s Canteen and Barbershop, The Farmer’s Co-op. Hickman’s Store, Wood Brenton’s Grocery Store, the Vic and Gerald Burrows Poolroom, Fred Ross’s Canteen, Brenton’s Ice Cream Parlour, Belanger’s Store, E.S. Best’s Paint Store, Like Watson’s Meat Market and Geordie Sutherland’s Sawmill.
There are Brookfield businesses that operated during our early years, which are still around. They include the Sunrise Motel. Brookfield Lumber, Geordie Hamilton’s Esso (now Roop’s Esso) and the Brookfield Bakery. Of quite a number of dairy farms located in Brookfield or close by during the 1950s, few remain.
“The old train station was moved to the nearby B.M.C. (Brookfield Men’s Club) Park,” Judy said. “We’re fortunate to have the railway station and heritage centre, this park is used for a number of things including Canada Day celebrations. We are also fortunate to still have the post office in our community.”
Mention was made of the heavy traffic that came through Brookfield on Highway 2 during the days before the Trans-canada Highway. A busy weekend at times saw bumper to bumper traffic. The Trans-canada Highway was built in the 1960s.
Gone are once familiar schools, the old Brookfield Hall, the Brookfield Memorial School, and the Brookfield Rural High School. They have been replaced by the very modern South Colchester Academy (and junior high school) and the Brookfield Elementary School.
The Matheson interview took place on a recent Saturday morning, it lasted an hour and 45 minutes. Although sports history raised its head a couple times, it was not the main topic. In reviewing my notes later, I was reminded, though, that we had quickly revisited the success of a couple of Brookfield Elks teams.
One was the Elks of the 1959-60 Truro District Hockey League; this team went undefeated in league play and in sweeping the Antigonish County District Hockey League champions and The Halifax Suburban Hockey League winners to lay claim to the Nova Scotia Rural Hockey Championship. Over the years this team has been on occasion singled out as the most successful Brookfield Elks hockey team of all time.
In fastball some 20 years later, the Brookfield Elks won the 1980 Canadian Senior Men’s Fastball Championship at Gordie Howe Park in Saskatoon, Sask. A team that displayed great team spirit, the Elks came through with clutch hits, they hustled, were strong defensively and they received outstanding pitching. This team would be the undisputed best Elks fastball team ever.
And although my notes did not tell me so, two key sports figures were an important part of both teams. Terry Henderson and Hughie Matheson were key players when the Elks completed their undefeated hockey season in 1960. It was Terry Henderson who coached the Elks to their 1980 national fastball title in Saskatoon and the team’s manager was Hughie Matheson, who was also an assistant coach.
Next week — we’ll go back almost exactly 50 years with Hughie and Judy Matheson.
During a disappointing time for quite a few young kids, we’ll revisit March of 1972. The sun came out and shone down with a lot of strength, forcing an outdoor Brookfield Hockey School to “swim” or go home. All was not lost, though; a man came up with an idea.
Our upcoming column: “Let’s build a hockey rink.”
Worth Repeating is a weekly column touching on stories from the past, life experiences, and events from the present day. If you have a column idea, contact Lyle at 902 673-2857.