Alex Delvechio Day June 14 1970

I still have this button some 41 years later

Alex Delvechio's #10 is retired

On June 14 1970, Thunder Bay was invaded by Detroit Red Wings,and the NHL. They were here to honor Fort William native, the Captain of the Red Wings, Alex Delvechio. "Mr Hockey" Gordie Howe,Sid Abel,Gary Bergman,Ned Harkness,Lefty Wilson,Doug Barkley were some of those attending the big day. Several NHL teams sent reps or sent telegrams, as did the Premier of Ontario and the Prime Minister. A parade took place Sunday afternoon,you were able to go right up to the cars as they slowly passed by along the route. As a kid turning 11,it was an incredible thrill to walk up and shake hands with Mr Hockey! I got his autograph for my neighbor who loved the Red Wings. Gordie had his hand in a cast but still signed and shook my hand. Really awesome!

Delvechio played his first NHL game with Detroit in 1950-51, his only that season. He became a regular in the 1951-52 season through the 1973-74 season playing only 11 games that season. Alex played on the famed "Production Line" with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay,taking over from Sid Abel. Delvechio was the Red Wings Captain for 12 years,the second longest,he played in 13 NHL All-Star games,1489 (Regular Season) games playing his entire career in Detroit. Scoring 404 goals,747 assists for 1151 career points. He was a three time Stanley Cup winner in 1952,54 & 55, three time winner of the Lady Byng award,and inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977. After retiring from playing,he twice served as coach of the wings,then GM before leaving hockey in 1977.





Burton Cummings in Thunder Bay May 22/2011

Burton's rendition of "When you wish upon a star"

Returning to Thunder Bay for the first time since "Rockin the Fort" with Randy Bachman in June 2006, Burton played the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and as usual delivered the goods. What a voice the man still has! Starting with a video of pictures to the tune of "Pretty Pictures" from his recent "Above the ground" Cd, Burton took the stage to "No SugarTonight/ New Mother Nature". Performing other classic's from The Guess Who, such as "Laughing" "Albert Flasher", "Runnin Back to Saskatoon", and dedicating "These Eyes" to the late Guess Who producer who recently passed away. Telling how Jack had showed great faith in four guys from Winnipeg, mortgaging his home to take them to NYC to record "Wheatfield Soul". Jack Richardson produced all of The Guess Who albums for RCA. Performing his solo classic's "Stand Tall", "I'm Scared" and an extended version of "Break it to them Gently" with its nostalgic homage to the music that inspired him. The show stealer was of course the extended version of "American Woman", where Burton proved again he can steal an audience at any time! Having played here numerous times through the years, Burton told how "The Guess Who" played here just before Christmas about seven years straight, then returned home to Winnipeg driving all night to spend Christmas at home, and flattered Paul Schafer mentioned in his book that he had attended all of them. My son's attened the show with me ages 11 & 13, great music crosses all age lines. Burton, you are truly a Canadian treasure, look forward to the next return to TB!

Bob Hope @ Fort William Gardens September 10th1978

 

We grew up watching Bob Hope on tv as kids, all of his specials on NBC. On Sept 10th 1978 Bob Hope came to Thunder Bay, at age 75 to perform. Hope started the show saying "he was glad to be in Thunder Bay in our beautiful garage". The sold out show was special for me as I was able to treat my parents to the show. I truly enjoyed watching the legendary Bob Hope, and it was made even more special as my mom passed away that fall. Hey Bob, Thanks for the memory....

The SURF Ballroom Clear Lake Iowa

“A long long time ago,I can still remember How that music used to make me smile…, But February made me shiver,with every paper I’d deliver BAD NEWS on the doorstep,I couldn’t take one more step. I can’t remember if I cried,when I read about his widowed bride But something touched me deep inside THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED” February 3, 1959

Don McLean "American Pie" 1972

This was ten months before I was born. I first recall being exposed to Buddy Holly. There was a commercial for a compilation of his music on tv, my ears perked up and I became a fan from that point on. I've always loved the early R&R, Buddy, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Everly Brothers.... Don McLean's fantastic epic "American Pie" nurtured that love of the music and made it grow further.

Travelling to Knoxville Iowa for sprint car racing we'd pass by Clear Lake, where "the music died" that Feb night so long ago. We finally stopped to visit the SURF Ballroom in Clear Lake Iowa where that final concert was played. Dion was on that tour and talks of it on a 2003 DVD and a recent CD release. If you really want a good movie, watch "The Real Buddy Holly Story" that Paul McCartney did.

Brush with Greatness

Randy Bachman of The Guess Who & Bachman Turner Overdrive after "Rock the Fort" in 2006. Had my day of Rock & Roll" helping set up the BTO show at the Fort William Gardens in 1976.

Sprint Car Legend Steve Kinser, voted the Greatest Sprint Car Racer of All Time. Have met Steve several times through the years of chasing sprint cars. In 1981 at the Knoxville Nationals I wandered through the stands after the Saturday show was in the books. I came across Steve and Gary Patterson there pulled out a couple of Coors from my case, and Steve told me how they went around that place. He would know, he had won his second Knoxville Nationals earlier that night.

" King Richard" Petty at Richard Petty Fan Club meeting at Michigan in 1990. Richard signed every autograph request and posed for pictures with everyone that asked. The most gracious of all racers, if he charged for his autograph (like today's greedy SOB's) he'd be the richest man on earth.

Mario Andretti at Indianapolis in 1990. A guy I was chatting with said he'd asked Mario for a picture, but he said he couldn't stop. A short period later, Mario came out of Gasoline Alley, walked up to the guy asking if he was the one who wanted the picture. I took the picture for him and got one with Mario as well. It shows the true greatness of Mario, after eveything he accomplished in his career, it was still important to him to pose for a picture with a fan. Think some of todat's spoiled brats could take a lesson from him?

The Greatest of them all, "Supertex" AJ Foyt, in his garage at Indianapolis in 1990. Sometimes you just get lucky, the security guard I'd been talking to let me into "Gasoline Alley", he said take your time and get your picture with AJ. Walking through Gasoline Alley on the fabled grounds of Indy was incredible, the stories that place has written. First pass by the Foyt garage had them working on the car,do not bother them! Second pass I saw AJ, asked if I could take a pic, then asked for one together. Put my arm on his shoulder like we were best of friends.

Through the years I've had the pleasure of meeting some that have achieved greatness. Above are are some pictures with some of them. I've also met Burton Cummings many times when he was in Thunder Bay, my older brother Bruce knew them from their visit's here, before "These Eyes". When in Las Vegas for the 1982 Formula 1 race, I was crossing the street by Caesar's Palace, standing next to me was former World Champion Niki Lauda, we said hello shook hands and crossed the street. I subscribed to National Speed Sport News for several years (before the internet), in 1989/90 I sent a couple of clippings to its editor, Chris Economaki. After each submittion I received a post card thanking me for the submittion from Chris. I had the ultimate honor of him mentioning my submittion in his "Editor's Notebook" column. These are a few I've been lucky enough to meet, some neat people who have accomplished far more than I, and have taken the time to say hi or shake my hand.

Fort William Gardens

Playing a parents/kids game with my sons in 2010

March 6 2011 marked the 60th anniversary of this Grand Old city landmark. Opened in 1951, the Fort William Garden's has hosted numerous memorable events. For myself I cannot think of a building in Thunder Bay that hold's so many memories. Through the year's,I've attended numerous hockey games,junior,senior, exhibition,and my son's minor hockey games. The Westfort Hurricane's, Fort William Canadian's, Port Arthur Marr's were the first game's I recall attending with kids being warned to keep their noses away from the board's. The Fort William Beaver's vs Port Arthur Bearcat's in their final year's. Thunder Bay Oldtimer's vs Montreal Canadian Oldtimer's circa 1970, Frank Selke Sr was here with the team. The Thunder Bay Vulcan's (featuring Bill Goldthorpe aka Ogie Oglethorpe in Slap Shot) whipping the OHA Jr team's in exhibition game's, Thunder Bay Twins being the dominant Sr hockey team in Canada. I recall attending the Christmas show in the 60's with "George the Porter" & "Suzy Snowflake", attending a Rodeo with my Dad sitting on the west side. Numerous version's of the annual Shrine Circus I attended as well as the Sportsman Show,World of Wheel's Car shows, Roller Skating, etc. Of course concerts were attended ,my first I believe was Lighthouse in 1974. I saw The Bee Gee's,The Stampeders ,Sha Na Na ,Dr Hook, Alabama ,Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Burton Cummings, and The Guess Who in 2000 (the last time FWG was sold out). When Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) played the Fort William Gardens in June 1975 I had my "Day in Rock & Roll",working on the "Local Crew" helping set up the show. We started unloading the trucks around 11am working continuously right up to show time at 8 pm. Then it was security duty backstage after during the show,a unique experience. I took my parents to the Bob Hope show in Sept 1978, made even more memorable as Mom passed away that November. For the past four winters, my son's have played at the Fort William Gardens in the Northwood Hockey League. Remember how rare it was to get to skate there?
Through the years many big names played in the Fort William Gardens,Liberace,The Bee Gee's,Lighthouse, The Who, Hermans Hermits, The Everly Brothers, AC/DC ,Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Willie Nelson and so many other's. Adding to the list of big name performers at FWG. Bryan Adams returns in May 2012, And John Mellencamp makes a trip to the Gardens June 26/2012 Senior,Junior,NHL Exhibition games featuring Minnesota North Stars,Winnipeg Jets & Calgary Flames. Allan Cup Victories of Thunder Bay Twins,travelling European teams,"All Kids Night" with the Sr Beavers vs the Bearcats,and so much more I recall attending there. While its days are getting numbered, memories at Fort William Gardens will live forever.

Dave Nicholson has put together a page chronicling all the events at the gardens. http://my.tbaytel.net/pafwinfo/FWG.htm

CLE Fairgrounds

This 1959 picture of Barry Kettering #57 & Albert Massaro #88 taken by Jack Cummings represents the true meaning of the term "Saturday Night at the Fairgrounds" It was part of a box of CLE photos from 1957-58-59 given to me about 20 years ago by a former co worker.

The CLE Fairgrounds

by Jeff Caldwell

The fairgrounds was opened in 1890,located centrally between the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur Ontario. The fairgrounds was on both sides of the McIntyre River, with the race track being located on the Fort William side of the property. As with most fairgrounds, the highlight was the annual fair with a large agricultural focus, so it would be with the CLE as well, the first held in 1890 . Most fairgrounds also featured a race track varying in size of usually 1/2 to 1 mile in length, with horse racing during the annual fair(s) as a big attraction. While the 1/2 mile CLE track was originally intended for the horses, the automobile would take to the track as well, and become an added feature at annual fairs. The life of the CLE as an auto racing track would span a period of forty-seven years, from 1912 through the 1966 season, then it would return to the horses exclusively once again. Through that period there would be some great racing, stripped cars, speedsters, motorcycles, the IMCA sprints, through to stock cars and modifieds, they all tore up the CLE dirt. There would however be some down time as well, the great depression and second world war would shut down the racing for a time, but it always returned. All good things ,it is said must come to an end, the last races for the cars were the championship races in October of 1966,Jerry Lepinski took the final super modified race, John Asse took the late model race. In 1967 the horses returned with harness racing being the feature, the stock cars moved to Riverview and back to Murillo, the grandstand burned down and so ended racing at the CLE. The track is now but a memory of days gone by, but what a run it had!

In addition to the photos from 1957-58-59 ,I recovered a box of photos and negatives from 1954-55-56 at the dump moments before they would have been plowed under,gone forever. Sometime's you're in the right place at the right time!

Murillo Speedway

Photos courtesy of Russ Wanzuk

Murillo Speedway

by Jeff Caldwell

The Murillo Speedway like the CLE Fairgrounds was originally built for horse racing at the Murillo Fairgrounds west of Thunder Bay. Murillo was opened in 1891 as a 1/2 mile horse track, and its operation as an auto racing track, though over a number of era's was mostly part time. The first auto races at Murillo were in the 1920's featuring the speedster's of the Twin Cities Motor Contest Association as they split their events between Murillo and the CLE Fairgrounds, racing into the late 1930's at both tracks. The track would remain idle until the early 1950's when Barry Kettering and Tom Dow raced one another there in 1950 and 1951. The Lakehead Stock Car Racing Association chose Murillo as the site for their first race on September 5,1952 during the Murillo Fair, and held another two races there before moving the racing to the CLE upon finding Murillo track conditions not to their desired standards. In 1953 a non Lakehead Stock Car Club event was scheduled for the August 1st & 3rd Civic Holiday long weekend with racing scheduled for Saturday and Monday featuring drivers from Duluth, Minnesota. A new 1/4 mile track was built inside the 1/2 mile track and held up poorly during Saturday's racing and forced the cancellation of Monday's events. Once again the track would remain idle until the 1960's when the CLE track closed, it opened for weekly racing on Saturday nights. The track would operate in 1967,1968 and 1969 running Late Models and Hobby Stocks, and in 1969 the track closed for good. A tentative schedule was drawn up for 1971,but the season never happened. Though the track remains, the only wheels that have turned on it since those race days in the 60's,were "Chariot racing" during the annual fall fair, and the track has returned to the horses. In its lifespan from the 1920's to 1969 Murillo had its moments but was never a regular track but for a couple of years in 1967,'68 & '69 when it closed, more so it was a place to race when a track was needed to race on. It is though a part of Thunder Bay racing history and many got their first taste of racing there, and like all tracks is missed and fondly remembered. During the annual Murillo Fair in Aygust 1987,there was one more auto race on the track. On the Monday of the Fair, August 3rd, the ice racers of the Thunder Bay Autosport Club took to the track for two 8 lap heats, and a 15 lap fearure.