9. RUSSELL LOCKER PLANT PERSONALIZED SERVICE BEEF ORDERS HOME DELIVERY GROCERIE GEORGE EASTMAN; PROPRIETOR put the boards on their flat, braced them and this gave it sufficient strength for a great many years. The community was canvassed and $2,000.00 was raised. The lumber was purchased in car lots at wholesale prices (we had a station here then) and spikes bought by the keg. About 20 people were hired at $1.00 per day and there was also volunteer help. The total cost was $10,500.00. This rink contained a skating area, a curling area along one side, two dressing rooms and a place for a restaurant. The first day of skating was Christmas Day 1912 and the first day for curling was Jan. 10, 1913. Admission for skating was 10 cents. It was found out later that the building was sitting on quick sand; the footing tilted and even sank into the ground. About 1937 or 1938, to offset this the roof was lowered but in 1941 during a heavy snow storm the roof collapsed. That was the fate of the rirst rink. It has often been said, if that old rink could talk many an interesting story it could tell. Many a romance started in that same rink and a few fights toc. Russell then belonged to what was known as "The Lower Ottawa Hockey League". It comprised teams from Aylmer, Hull, Finch, Chesterville and Russell. Remember that was before the days of ploughed roads. To travel the boys from Aylmer and Hull would either come out on the evening train at 5 o'clock and stay overnight and go back on the 10 o'clock in the morning or very often a special train would come out; not only to Russell but to Finch also. Russell and Finch travelled the same way. There are some very interesting stories of the pranks played on those excursions. I remember of hearing of one in particular. Before the train stopped at Pana the boys kept shouting "Russell next stop" and one man got off and had to walk the rest of the way home. (Pana was a small station about 4 miles north of Russell on the border between Osgoode and Russell Townships.) Very often when the Russell players went to Finch they would go a. a aren ee ee ee ee ee ee eee!