Glenn Mitchell

MITCHELL鈥橲 MUSINGS

The thing I find striking about the spot where the Vernon Civic Arena used to be mere months ago is how underwhelming it is now.

I do understand that when you take an iconic building that served this community so well for nearly a century and demolish it, you鈥檙e going to feel a bit of a loss. And that鈥檚 part of it for sure, but it鈥檚 also that it physically loomed so large on the landscape and now it鈥檚 just dirt and maybe a couple of rocks.

You鈥檇 never know an arena was once there or could even fit in that spot, which that looks like it could house maybe a Tim Hortons or 7-Eleven tops. I鈥檓 always amazed when a building comes down how small the actual footprint was.

Sure, the world鈥檚 worst parking lot is still there to bring back memories (potholes that could swallow sub-compact cars) and North America鈥檚 hardest-to-find visitors centre is still standing complete with a sani-station, apparently a bonus for all the RVs that finally find the visitors centre. So that helps mark the spot.

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But there鈥檚 something missing, and I鈥檓 not here to rail against the politicians who ultimately decided to kill the Civic, although the fact Penticton, 琉璃神社 and Kamloops still have their original, functioning arenas means someone dropped the puck along the way sometime.

It would be too easy to say it was wrong to flatten the place, not to mention more than moot at this point, as I personally know the challenges and costs of keeping it going (try being the timekeeper in a close playoff game and the power to the box suddenly goes out and you have to remember how much time is left in the game).

But that doesn鈥檛 mean I can鈥檛 salute the place and share some memories that attempt to explain the fondness for the ol鈥� girl (is that sexist or no?).

It鈥檚 funny, I鈥檓 sure I wrote an obituary for the Civic some 10 years or so ago in this very space but her time on death row was much longer than anticipated as the governor couldn鈥檛 quite pull the trigger鈥攗ntil now.

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I鈥檓 not quite as old as the Civic but I remember many, many highlights with great fondness: the Vernon Essos/Vikings/Canadians/Lakers and players like Tom Serviss, Wayne Dye, Don Murdoch and so many others; the playoff runs that went through places like Weyburn (Red Wings), Saskatchewan; the seats ringing the rink; the concession under the stands where you fought through the smokers to get a hot chocolate; the Boy Scouts jamborees with the 鈥榗huckwagon鈥� races; Tebo鈥檚 Toddlers; public skating to Revolution by The Beatles on a Saturday afternoon and the green Martian outfit we passed down to wear to the masquerade skate every year.

Then there was watching John Manjak skillfully manoeuvre the Zamboni into the spot under the announcer鈥檚 booth after clearing the ice; Rienie Holland dutifully and happily manning the scorekeeping/timers box for literally thousands of games over the years; watching my kids learning and enjoying how to play hockey so much better than me three decades earlier; 6 a.m. practices; trying to find the heater that works; April Wine鈥檚 Stand Back tour; Lakers owner Mel Lis in his corner box for games; overflowing raffle tables for tournaments; parent meetings during practice and Carnival Pee Wee Tournaments.

And don鈥檛 forget the Midget rep dressing room so we didn鈥檛 have to transport gear any more; grads; figure skating shows like It鈥檚 A Small World featuring Murray Mitchell; lacrosse, including a couple of national championships; a Centennial Cup on home ice; 50/50 raffle ice cream buckets; the smell of sweat, wood, ice, spit, popcorn, coffee and pee that combines to spell arena and even he time my dad tested my eyesight by asking me what I could see across the rink that led to me getting glasses (okay it鈥檚 not all good)鈥�.

Anyway, you get the idea, because with all these events and memories鈥攁nd you all have your own too鈥攇o the people you shared them with. A sense of community indeed.

I鈥檓 not sure what the city fathers and mothers have planned for this site, in fact I don鈥檛 think they know yet either. But maybe it would be appropriate to have a plaque鈥攕mall is fine鈥攕aying: 鈥淰ernon Civic Arena, 1938-2018, She Did Good.鈥�

letters@vernonmorningstar.com
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