most other purposes. Some people in the East End recognized that this land directly opposite King George School would be ideal for a rink. And at a June 9, 1931 special meeting of City Council, Alderman Hughes present- ed on oral request from the East End Community Club for the City to level the south part of the block for this purpose. After some discussion of the request, Aldermen Young and Davis moved the following motion:

That the matter of grading and levelling the Southern portion of the Tank Block be left in the hands of the Chairman of the Property Committee to get the work done in co-operation with the Parks Board as a relief measure, at a cost not to exceed $200.00.

The motion carried.

The grading and levelling was done before the start of winter in 1931. Before the rink could be flooded, however, it was necessary to provide a shelter where people could change into their skates and warm up after a stint in the frosty air and sharp winds. Therefore, on December 7, 193], Mr. Sidney Broomhall appeared before City Council on behalf of the Community Club to request the use of one of the buildings iocated at the bathing beach on 16th. Street North for use at the rink during the winter months.

’Mr. Broomhall advised Council that the Community Club

would pay the cost .of transporting the building to the rink and would return it in good shape to the beach in the spring. With these assurances Aldermen Patterson and og|es'59 moved: ‘

That one of the dressing rooms at the Bathing Beach be loaned to the East End Community Club for the winter

months, the same to be moved by the City at the expense of the Club. ' .

Council approved this action.

With the land ready and shelter secured, the commun- ity Club hired Bob Johnston - who had filled in for Mr. McCormick at the rink on the hospital grounds - as manager at the handsome salary of $25.00 a month. Then, in early January, 1932, representatives of the Community Club - probably Sidney Broomhall. 'Bob Johnston and Mr.

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WA. Woods, Principal of King George School - met with the School Board to seek funds for flooding the rmk. The rink was flooded and the School Board provided coal and wood to heat the shelter. _ .

There were no board fences aroun this»; first nnk on the new site; iust some board edging to Contain the water, and heaped-up snow cleaned from the ice surf-ace. Consequently, the skaters were exposed to the biting winds from the west and north. Despite this, people of all ages spent many happy hours skating - children, With snotty noses, dressed in breaches, macklnaws, scarves and v winter helmets, and adults dressed in mole-skin or wool trousers (sometimes with overalls over them). heavy sweatersormackinawsand an assortment of head gear. Or gathered around the “pot-bellied" stove, where they would Warm their hands and feet, and talk, laught and lust generally “fool around." Apparently, one of the things the children did in the “shock” was to iump from the benches, grab the rafters and swing by their arms. Occaslonally, they would miss and end up banging their heads, elbows or some other part of their body on the floor. Naturally, this practice was not encouraged by Mr. Johnston and the adults who were there skating.

Skating ice facing West.