Prince of Wales Rink

The Prince of Wales Rink, more commonly known as the Prince's Rink, was a domed wooden ice arena located on Factory Lane in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, that operated for over 42 years. It was named in honour of Edward, the Prince of Wales and the eldest son of Queen Victoria. The historic Prince's Rink hosted the first thirty-eight St. John's senior hockey league championships (Boyle Trophy) and the first seven all-Newfoundland hockey championships (Herder Memorial Trophy) before the building was destroyed by fire on November 28, 1941.

Construction

On December 11, 1898 the foundation for the rink was laid near the old Newfoundland Railway terminus at Fort William. The land was previously owned by the Reid Newfoundland Railway. Robert G. Reid Sr. deeded the land in exchange for shares of equal value in the new rink management company. The Rink followed the size and design of the Montagnard Rink built in 1898 at Montreal. Two Reid Railway engineers, Fred Angel and W.H. Murray, drew up the plans for the new rink. The wooden structure was built by Campbell and Company and Horwood Lumber Company and was completed in less than two months. Planks recovered from a ship wreck were steamed, curved and bolted to form the dome roof.

Opening

The rink opened on Saturday January 28, 1899 with 200 and ^[1]

First Hockey Game

The first hockey match played on the new rink's ice surface was a game arranged by the newly founded city hockey league between native Canadians and native Newfoundlanders on February 1, 1899.^[2]

Ownership

In the summer of 1933 the owners stated that the 30-year-old rink would not open the following winter and subsequently put the rink up for sale. The Guards Athetic Association of St. John's purchased the rink and hired Arthur Johnson as manager.

In 1937 a new company, the Arena Rink Company Limited, was formed and took ownership of the rink and retained Arthur Johnson as manager. The major shareholders were two influential St. John's Businessmen, Chesley Crosbie and Chesley A. Pippy. They changed the name of the rink to 'the Arena'.

Newfoundland's First Artificial Ice

The Arena Rink Company installed an ice-making plant shortly after taking ownership to lengthen the hockey and skating season. In August 1937 Newfoundland's first artificial ice surface was tested.

Rink Managers

Over the 42 years of operation there were five rink managers: James P. Fox (1899), Frank Donnelly, Charles Bulley, P. E. 'Neddy' Outerbridge, Arthur Johnson (1933-1941)

November 1941 Fire

On Friday November 28, 1941 the Arena was catering to a private skating party that included military personnel. At 7:20 pm fire broke out in the boiler room and very quickly the wooden structure was completely engulfed in flames. A spectacular blaze lit the city on a night with a mandatory wartime blackout. The primary ice arena in St. John's and the adjacent curling rink burned to the ground.

References