Fenelon Falls wins the Stratton Cup!

In the early days of Canadian Hockey there was more than one Silver Challenge Cup named after a prominent politician-donor. Fenelon Falls iced a remarkably successful team at the start of the twentieth century, winning an Ontario Championship four times and the Stratton Cup three times. The whole community gathered to celebrate their local sporting heroes, with a banquet at Northey’s Restaurant (later J’n’B’s).

At this time hockey teams consisted of six skaters plus a goalie, and the names of the positions have since changed.

From the Fenelon Falls Gazette, March 14, 1902

March 14, 1902

On Thursday of last week our hockey team went to Norwood to play the final Trent Valley League game, and, as they won by a score of 9 to 7, thus retaining the championship and possession of the Stratton Cup. It was decided when the welcome news of their victory came, to give them a right royal reception on their return. They remained in Peterborough over Friday to witness the first of the final games in the intermediate series of the OHA between that town and Galt, which was won by Peterborough and came home on Saturday by train due here at 11:45 am. When our victors in many a “strenuous” fight arrived, it might have “warmed the cockles of their hearts” to see the crowd that had assembled at the station to do them honour; and after they had with difficulty made their way to the carriage awaiting them, the village band played a selection, and then headed the long procession of rigs that followed it to Dickson’s hall, where the chair was taken by Mr. Thomas Robson, who made a brief eulogistic speech, as, also did Mr. J.H. Carnegie, M.P.P., Rev. John Garbutt, Rev. R.C.H. Sinclair, Dr. Gould, Dr. Graham, Dr. Mason, Mr. T.H. DeCew and Mr. W.T. Junkin. The reception was a grand one, and so many flags, big and little, were displayed, and so much enthusiasm was evinced, that the celebration of the relief of Mafeking [relief of a siege on British forces during the Boer War] was recalled to mind. The Stratton Cup, the outward and visible sign of our team’s achievement, was carried to and from the railway station on Mr. W.L. Robson’s delivery wagon, and after having been exhibited in the hall, was returned to the window of Dr. Gould’s drug store, where it is still to be seen. We are too old to take much interest in athletic sports, but we take a deep interest in everything that effects the name and fame of our village, and are proud of our share of the glory that accrues to it as possessor of the Champion Hockey Team of the Trent Valley League.