O Canada How I Love Thee

Growing up in Canada is something I will always Cherish!    (Just writing this sentence brought tears to my eyes immediately)

This morning at work, one of the ladies was wearing a really cute outfit and I could just picture her on an ice rink.

This took me back to Chatham Memorial Arena.

Chatham Memorial Arena

Our church has a Church Skate every year, I think there used to be 2 or 3 a year. I hope they're still doing them. Those are some of my favourite memories! We use to rent out an arena just for the church. So many wonderful memories. A few sad ones too (Russ: had a heart-attack on the ice and died).  If I had all the money in the world - I would fly back there just for a church skate. It was cheap for us too, because in Canada EVERYONE owns their own skates so you don't have to pay to rent them.

Thames Campus Arena

So many pictures are flashing through my mind and I wish I could describe them all, or had them on video. In my mind they are as clear as watching a DVD. Over the years we rented out different arena's but most of my memories are at the Chatham Memorial Arena.

Chatham Memorial Arena

My memory takes me back to sitting out in the hallway, with the elementary school like hooks for your coats and benches to sit on to lace up your skates. I remember making hot chocolate in white Styrofoam cups. I have memories with people too; the Loney's, skating around paying attention to where on the rink they boy I liked was, skating really really fast with my cousin's in and out of the slow skaters.... the little ones in the "shallow end" with tiny little chairs to hold them up. 



This webpage has a lot more information on the town I call home! We have a lot of really cool history including:

1. War of 1812 - Shawnee Indian Chief TECUMSEH
2. Rev. Josiah Henson (Uncle Tom's Cabin), and John Brown, both abolitionist working with the "Underground Railroad"
3. Geoffrey O'Hara - Song writer: wrote "K-K-K-Katy my Beautiful K-K-Katy" sung in the trenches of world war one. 
4.   Fergie Jenkins - signed up by the Phillies in 1962, traded to the Cubs from 1967 to 1972.
5. Shae-Lynn Bourne - Ice Dancer with Victor Kratz - 2 time Olympians, and 4 times World Bronze Medallists. Invented Shae-Crusher. 
6. Michelle Wright - most awarded artist in Canadian country Music history. She has over 30 major music industry awards to her credit, and a string of 23 top ten hits. (She was raised by my Grandpa's cousin who I grew up calling Aunt and Uncle)
7. Dave Gagner - NHL Player for the New York Rangers
8. Doug Anakin - Olympic Gold Medal Winner in 1964
9.