Elmer McFadden Narrative
I played on the first Bantam team Elmvale had as an overage player in the league but not in the OMHA playoffs. There were no minor teams then until Cecil Townes formed a Juvenile team coached by Cecil French. It was just a league with the teams from Penetang, two from Midland and Elmvale.
"The following section of this Narrative is found in George Allen’s book “Chapters, The Sports Stories” Page 196
Although they practised on an open-air rink in Elmvale, they played most of their games in Midland which had an indoor rink. The Penetang rink was open to the winter elements, and the ice surface sometimes had to be scraped of about one inch of snow between periods. The lights were within striking distance of a hockey stick.
In 1951-53 Elmer played hockey for the Stayner Royals, a senior hockey team. After Elmer went to Schomberg, he played hockey in three bush leagues, then got married and his playing career came to an end. An administrative career was just beginning. A local shoemaker and Elmer started a house league of 12-14 year-old boys in nearby Nobleton. He was enlisted as a referee, a position he held for 15 years.
In 1955-56, Schomberg Lions sponsored a bantam team coached by Elmer; this was to be his first experience with the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA). In 1957, he was part of a group who formed Woodbridge Minor Hockey. He was the first president, a position he held for 13 years. The president and secretary made up the executive. The York Simcoe Hockey League was formed during these years. His interest in this league lead him to run for a seat on the OMHA executive, and he was elected on his first nomination. Again, with the OMHA, he found himself responsible for refereeing.
From 1970-80, Elmer was a director of the OMHA in charge of the York Simcoe League (which stretched from Steeles Avenue to Orillia) overseeing an increase from 85 to 233 teams. In 1980, when he became a vice-president of the OMH, he should have been relieved of league duties, but was assigned to supervise the Georgian Bay League. 1986-88 – Elmer served as president of the OMHA. From 1988-98, he remained active as a past president. In fact, Elmer made ten different trips to Europe accompanying teams on tour. His contribution to hockey has been such that in 1999 he was given the position of Life Member of the OMHA, a position shared with only three other living officers. He is justifiably proud of this recognition by the world’s largest hockey organization
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