Now all that is left is destruction —

An odd tree remains here and there;

And for the next few years, up West

There will only be trunks — stark and bare.

Some say it was set on purpose — Others say this is not so;

But whatever the truth of the matter, It is surely a deathly foe!

—Janice Millar, 1961

SPORTS

During the winter, ice sports continue to be a main source of entertain- ment. Prior to 1945 there was a senior hockey team in each of Lots 11, 12 and 13, playing against each other in open-air rinks. The problem with these rinks was that they were open to the elements and the weather caused many games to be cancelled. When a rink was built in the Mount Pleasant Airport hangar following the war, the best players from each of those three senior teams joined to form the Mount Pleasant Bombers.

They played in the Senior League for a number of years.

In the 1950’s open-air rinks continued to operate in some communities. The rink in Northam was located across the road from the Northam School. A rink was located at Park Corner on the Ellerslie Road, near where Hutchinson’s Wheel to Wheel Security is presently located.

After the demolition of the hanger in Mount Pleasant in 1960, the com- munity began to consider plans for a new closed arena. The projected cost of this new facility using the standard steel rafter of the day was prohibi— tive. Carman MacNeill, a local merchant, contacted Robb Engineering in Amherst, Nova Scotia to see what could be done. A new lightweight steel truss rafter was designed at a fraction of the cost. The Tyne Valley Community Sports Center, which proudly opened its doors in 1964, was the first building to be constructed with a rafter of this design. Following the success of this construction, this type of rafter was used in many more buildings throughout the Maritimes.

The new sports center became the focal point of hockey for the sur— rounding 22 school districts. With the opening of the new rink, a new sen—

106 ROOTS & BRANCHES