6 Friday, November 19, 2021brooklintowncrier.com The construction of Brooklin's first indoor arena, where generations of kids learned to skate as well as play hockey and lacrosse, was spearheaded by Dr. John McKinney in 1948. He formed the Township of Whitby War Memorial Committee to erect a structure in memory of Brooklin's fallen heroes. While the completed building was valued at $50,000, the actual cost to build it was closer to $25,000, all of it raised through a co-operative community effort. The majority of work was done by residents who volunteered their time and materials. For six weeks, Work Bees, as they were called, of 40-50 men worked on the project every day but Sunday while women provided them picnic suppers. Controlling costs To keep costs down, Dr. McKinney bought two large wartime shell storehouses, at a cost of $3,000 from the Ajax munitions plant, Defence Industries Limited. He, Heber Down and Joe Holdershaw signed a personal loan to buy the buildings as the committee had very little money at that time. On August 6, 1948, Brooklin residents began to dismantle the warehouses. Cattle truckers on their way from Toronto would pick up loads of lumber and transport them to the 67 Winchester Road site adjacent to the Brooklin Community Park. The electrical wiring was retained and, as nails were in short supply, volunteers spent hours salvaging them from the wood to be straightened and reused. The rusty corrugated steel roofs were sold and the money put into the building fund. Excavation started in October, on Thanksgiving Monday, and the cement footings were placed in early November. By the end of the month, 50 men had built and raised the trusses and nailed the rafters into place. With galvanized steel needed to cover the framework also in short supply, Michael Starr, the Mayor of Oshawa, found a way to get the metal and Bill Heron's flatbed truck was used to haul it to Brooklin. Only the carpenters were paid for their labour. These were local men who received 50 cents an hour. But, with their hearts in the work, they returned a percentage of their wages to ensure that the financial output remained at a minimum. Completion After eight weeks of back-breaking labour by the Brooklin community and district, the 28 by 64 metre building, with an ice surface of 23 by 53 metres, was completed. The basement was equipped with dressing rooms, toilets, a cistern and a furnace. A refreshment booth, wooden spectator seating, and the manager's office located on the main floor became the hub in which residents would congregate. The Brooklin Memorial arena officially opened on November 7, 1949. Over 2,000 people attended the inaugural ceremony to witness the unveiling of a building erected by a community with a desire to honour and remember the men and women who gave their lives in both world wars. In 1972, having not met newly introduced building codes, the building was demolished. However, that same year, a new arena was built on the site and was renamed the Luther Vipond Memorial Arena. Photos courtesy of the Whitby Library Archives Our First Arena By Jennifer Hudgins