SC Rewind: Old Track Roll Call

In this week's Rewind Robert Smith recalls the time when small town racetracks were commonplace, existing in almost every community across the land. He is asking for reader's input in identifying those precious few that are still left. Also welcomed are special recollections of those places that have passed on but still remain as cherished memories.

Shown above is typical scene from yesteryear's harness racing at a small town track. This photo was taken at the once popular Fountain Park located in New Hamburg, Ont. For many years the Canadian Pacing Derby was held there in front of huge crowds (London Free Press Photo)

Well within the memory bank of those who follow this website, many have seen a tremendous change in the rural landscape of our land from coast to coast over the past couple of generations. The transformation has been subtle yet steady; always the old giving way to the new. Whenever someone returns to an area after a long absence, they usually see quite a difference.

Country crossroads where a quaint old Church once stood, often only a commemorative plaque now marks the spot where local residents once worshipped and celebrated life's special events. General stores, often with adjacent Post Offices, have given way to more modern times and now remain as just a memory. In many instances,even the small settlements they once served have faded away as well. I am always pleased when I see even a sign that shows where a once proud community once stood.

Many of us can recall when people gave and received directions based on a building, a corner store, or maybe even just a curve in the road. Modern GPS systems have taken a lot of the fun out of travelling which often included stopping and asking a stranger for directions.

One-room schools once dotted the rural countryside; the place where several generations of the same family learned their three R's. They may seem simple by today's standards but they did the job for many years. Part of the rural school design ensured that a student could easily walk to school, thus the child was always close to home. Fifty years ago many of those great edifices also passed into history. A few linger on as a reminder of the past, either converted into homes or relegated to farm outbuildings. Most have not survived the wrecker's ball.

Small gas stations where people met, exchanged stories and the proprietor filled their vehicles with gasoline are no longer around. The old station pictured above was located in London, Ont. The Supertest Oil Co. at one time had many stations across Ontario and is remembered for its long-time involvement in harness racing as a sponsor and promoter of a series of colt stakes that date back to 1944.

As recently as a couple of generations ago, virtually every small Town and even some villages had a racetrack as part of their heritage and history. Slowly but surely nearly every one has vanished. Some have been converted to create an extension of the Town Park, while others have become subdivisions. Only those who lived during the era of small town tracks remember how important they were. A while back I devoted a Rewind to remembering where a lot of the old tracks were located. The list which certainly did not include all tracks, did however show about 265 different locations across Canada from 60 years ago.

Not all of the old tracks were just closed down, at least one was flooded out. Before the Second World War, Island Park Raceway was located on an island in the Saint John River. This raceway was flooded out by the Mactaquac Head Pond, and was replaced by the Connell Park Raceway in 1967. In 1999 the original grandstand was replaced with a new grandstand.

This painting, titled "Derby Day New Hamburg" was done in 2007 by Waterloo-born artist Peter Etril Snyder. It evokes a special time in local history as well as a memorable era of Canadian harness racing. (Reproduced with Mr. Snyder's permission)

I would invite the audience to write in via the Comments feature and tell of an old track that is still around, whether in use or not. I know there are still a precious few. Just how many are left?