SC Rewind: Small Town Tracks

In this week's edition of Rewind Robert Smith takes a rather nostalgic look at the era of small town racing, a sort of combination history and geography session.

As recently as 50 or 60 years ago, the sport of harness racing still played itself out at small towns all across the land. If there had been Google Earth or its equivalent back then, there would have been concern of aliens at work with those strange circles appearing in so many communities. At the end of this piece I have listed over 250 locations across Canada where tracks once existed and I am sure there were many more. I believe that some of the original tracks trace their history back to the mid 1800's and many have played host to much of the community's history.

A typical scene from yesteryear small town harness racing. This photo of a large crowd was taken at Tillsonburg, Ont. July 18, 1951 [LFP Photo]

In those days people often dressed up for a day at the races. They arrived early and stayed until the last heat was decided and thoroughly enjoyed it all.

Race days at these small venues were often very special. Turf Clubs or other such organizations were formed to plan and oversee the races and much work and preparation went into making a good day of racing. Virtually all of these people were volunteers, and most were horse lovers and staunch supporters of everything to do with the sport. Many tracks saw action only at fair time which was usually from mid August until about Thanksgiving weekend.

Levi "Jiggs" McFadden, a veteran of the one-day meet era, accepts congratulations at Stratford in this 1955 photo. He was a winner several times that afternoon. He is pictured here with feature winner Richard Hal D and an unidentified presenter. [LFP Photo]

Certain towns were known for their spot on the calendar and although it was not set in stone, they had "dibs" on that date -- probably coincidental with a holiday weekend. The season opened on the 24th of May and went for about five months. Places like Strathroy and Orangeville raced on July 1, so no one in the area scheduled on that day. It was not unusual to have every seat in the grandstand filled and standing room only in the infield.

The small town track may have only been in official use one or two days a year, but their usefulness extended far beyond. In the small Town where I was born and raised a track once existed as part of the lovely fairgrounds where the annual fall fair has been held since 1854. The staging of harness races over the track I believe ceased in the late 1930's but the track remained for quite some time after. Today it remains but only to those like me who remember where it once was. It is just a wide path in spots and part of the entrance in another. Each time I attend the fair I can visualize in my mind how it once was, and even the passage of time has not erased the memory of riding around it in a cutter with my father's trainer.

Being adjacent to the High School grounds we used it for running, as in those days schools seldom had a decent track. It also had other uses. When my mother decided that she wanted to learn to drive a car, something she had not done in her earlier years, it found another use. By then in her late 30's or so, she turned to a neighbour lady to assist in her learning as my father wasn't the most patient creature on the face of the earth. Off they went for daily training sessions, complete with a stick shift and learning to use the clutch. What better place with no other motorists to confuse an otherwise difficult task?

Slowly but surely over the years and decades, our once quaint and useful tracks have disappeared one by one. Many have been consumed by urban sprawl, replaced by subdivisions or commercial ventures. Thankfully some have been converted into making the town park larger. The old wooden grandstands that were part of the facilities were replaced in the earlier years but eventually fell prey to neglect, decline and decay. Some were even consumed by fire and never replaced. A precious few remain as do a few old photographs and countless old memories.

A view of the track at Ridgetown, Ont. the scene of many race days. [Courtesy of Bev Snoblen]

Time passes. Things change.

If you have a story about some small town track memory or any recollections about this era I would encourage you to share it. Also if I have missed a track in my unofficial list it can be added.

A view of the New Hamburg Grandstand which was the scene of countless exciting race meetings (taken in 2005). After standing for many years as a reminder of its glory days, it unfortunately fell victim to an arsonist a few years ago and was completely destroyed. A new structure replaced it in 2009 and a narrow track still exists. (Courtesy of Terry Mullen)

A bevy of old race programs or score cards as they were called from various locations. Local businesses and individuals purchased a spot in the program to help finance the race day.

Ads for race days at the small venues were carried in the Canadian Sportsman. These notices invited fans and also advised horse owners of upcoming events including purse structures.

For discussion purposes I have assembled a list of locations where tracks existed in the 1950's. This is not to say there were not many more, it is just the best I could do. (In alphabetical order)

Ontario (146): Alfred, Alvinston, Ancaster, Apsley, Arnprior, Arthur, Avonmore, Aylmer, Azilda, Barrie, Beachburg, Beamsville, Beaverton, Beeton, Belleville, Binbrook, Blackstock, Blyth, Bothwell, Bracebridge, Brampton, Brighton, Brooklin, Brussels, Burford, Burks Falls, Caledon, Caledonia, Campbellford, Cardinal, Centreville, Chesterville, Clinton, Cobden, Cobourg, Coe Hill, Coldwater, Collingwood, Curran, Delta, Desoronto, Drayton, Dresden, Dundalk, Dungannon, Durham, Elmira, Elmvale, Emo, Exeter, Fergus, Forest, Gananoque, Georgetown, Glencoe, Goderich, Gore Bay, Grand Valley, Hanover, Ilderton, Ingersoll, Iroquois, Kemptville, Kincardine, Kingston, Lakefield, Lansdowne, Leamington, Lindsay, Listowel, Lombardy, London, Madoc, Manitowaning, Maramora, Markdale, Markham, Meaford, Melbourne, Merrickville, Milton, Milverton, Mitchell, Mohawk, Napanee, New Hamburg, Newington, Norwood, Odessa, Ohsweken, Oneida, Orangeville, Oro, Orono, Orr Lake, Oshawa, Owen Sound, Paisley, Palmerston, Paris, Parkhill, Penetang, Perth, Peterborough, Petrolia, Picton, Port Elgin, Port Hope, Port Perry, Renfrew, Richmond, Ridgetown, Rodney, Roseneath, St. Marys, Sault Ste. Marie, Schomberg, Seaforth, Shannonville, Shedden, Shelburne, Simcoe, Smithville, South Mountain, Spencerville, Stirling, Stratford, Strathroy, Sunderland, Sutton, Tara, Teeswater, Thorndale, Tillsonburg, Timmins, Tiverton, Tweed, Uxbridge, Wallacetown, Warkworth, Wasaga Beach, Wiarton, Williamsburg, Winchester, Woodbridge, Woodstock.

Quebec (35): Ayers Cliff, Bedford, Brome, Coaticook, Cookshire, Gatineau Pointe, Granby, Hull, Huntingdon, Jonquiere, Lachute, La Prairie, LaSarre, Malartic, Maniwaki, Ormstown, Quebec City, Quyon, Richmond, Rigaud, Rimouski, Sorel, St. Alexandre, St. Bruno, St. Hyacinthe, St. Jerome, St. John, St. Rose, Shawinigan Falls, Shawville, Sherbrooke, Three Rivers, Valleyfield, Waterloo, Wotton.

Manitoba (16): Brandon, Carberry, Carman, Dauphin, Deloraine, Glenboro, Holland, McCreary, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Pilot Mound, Portage La Prairie, Russell, Saint Vital, Swan River, Virden.

Saskatchewan (34): Beechy, Brock, Eston, Cabri, Fort Qu'appelle, Gravelbourg, Gull Lake, Humboldt, Indian Head, Kerrobert, Kindersley, Lloydminster, Lombardy, Maidstone, Melfort, Naicam, Nipawin, Nokomis, North Battleford, Pennant, Ponteix, Prince Albert, Regina, Rosetown, Semans, Spiritwood, Stoughton, Swift Current, Tisdale, Unity, Weyburn, Wilkie, Wolseley, Yorkton.

Nova Scotia (8): Bridgewater, Halifax, Inverness, Middleton, North Sydney, Sydney, Truro, Windsor.

New Brunswick (8): Buctouche, Chatham, Dieppe, Fredericton, Port Elgin, St. Anthony, Saint John, Woodstock

P.E.I. (5): Charlottetown, Covehead, Montague, Summerside, Vernon.

Alberta (3): Hanna, High River, Lethbridge,

British Columbia (1): Ladner

Newfoundland: No tracks listed.