Victoria Rink was Guelph’s curling house, and more
Site saw many uses over its years
my previous column, I described how the City of Guelph struggled to develop the Old Burying Ground on Baker Street after it was closed as a cemetery. Although the city had gained provincial permission to create a park there, it left the lot unoccupied.
Into this vacuum slid the Royal City Curling and Skating Club.
In 1888, George Sleeman, president of the newly formed Royal City Club, was tasked to find a central location for a bigger building. The empty Baker Street lot was at the top of his list.
The Guelph Curling and Skating Rink Co. was formed and leased a portion of the south end of the lot for its new facility. Strictly speaking, this lease was illegal since the provincial act of 1879 stipulated the lot was to be a public park, not a private club. Also, Guelph Township retained part ownership and had not agreed to the lease. In 1892, the township sold its interest to the city, and the province amended the law to allow development of the lot for any purpose.
The curlers got to work immediately and erected a grand new building on Baker Street. It was a frame structure with a brick veneer, 100 x 206 feet, two-and-a-half storeys tall. The curlers loyally named their new edifice the Victoria Rink.
In 1894, George Sleeman donated a $350, hefty silver-plated cup, to be known as the Sleeman Trophy. A plate on the trophy described its purpose: “This trophy presented by Geo. Sleeman, Esq., to the curlers of Guelph, for annual competition among the curling clubs in Ontario west of Toronto.” Close-fought bonspiels were staged each year. In 1898, the Royal City Club won a close final match against the Fergus club, after which a photo of the triumphant team with its prodigious prize was taken.
Recreational skating was also ofIn fered. The rink put on periodic carnivals, where patrons were encouraged to show up in fancy costumes and skate about to the strains of the 30th Battalion Band while onlookers admired their dress.
Naturally, hockey was also played.
The local squad, first the Victorias and then the Royal Citys, faced off against other teams from the region. Teams from the Guelph Collegiate Institute (GCI) and the Ontario Agricultural College also used Victoria Rink as their home base. Most shocking was a clandestine game played between a team of GCI boys versus girls, a match the Mercury newspaper huffed was a “burlesque” of hockey.
In warmer weather, the rink was home to a variety of events, many related to agriculture. No doubt the biggest of these was the annual Provincial Winter Show, featuring “fat stock,” that is, mainly cattle and sheep on the main floor and poultry in the upper rooms. Hundreds of animals and thousands of participants and spectators took in these events. Most notable was “Good Girl,” a Galloway cow that had swum two miles in the sea!
The Victoria Rink also received two celebrity visits in its early days. The first was by Lord Stanley, then Gov. General of Canada (and donor of the Stanley Cup) on Jan. 6, 1893. A curler himself, the Gov. General happily stopped by during his tour of the Royal City to chat with the surprised players and throw a stone for good measure.
The second visit was by Wilfrid Laurier, who dropped in on June 11, 1896, for a rally during his (successful) campaign for prime minister. Laurier enjoyed an ecstatic welcome from local Liberals. The Mercury estimated that 7,000 to 8,000 supporters jammed into the Victoria Rink to cheer for their chief! A thousand more were left standing on Baker Street outside. Banners reading “Welcome Laurier,” “The Tory party is doomed,” “Down with Tupperism,” etc. set the stage. The crowd basked in the leader’s sunny ways.
The Victoria Rink remained a centre for Guelph’s icy recreation and events.
Then, fire, the foe of many old wooden buildings, put in an appearance.