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| Last updated at 5:08 PM on 25/06/08 |
From Pride of Detroit to pride of Harbour Grace 
BILL BOWMAN
The Compass
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| CLEAN SWEEP - Workers with the department of Transportation and Works were out in force last week, cleaning up Harvey Street. As part of the old C.B. Highway (Route 70) through Harbour Grace, the road remains under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, which is responsible for its maintenance. While it will not be resurfaced in time for the Stanley Cup motorcade planned for July 1, some patch paving is being carried out, and all potholes will be filled in preparation for the big event. So no worries about losing Lord Stanley's Cup in a pothole! Harvey Street will be a major part of the motorcade route from Tilton barrens to St. Francis Field. (Bill Bowman photo) |
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It was wings that first caught the attention of the world's press, and focused it on Harbour Grace - wings of the many monoplanes which used a plateau northwest of the town as a hopping off point in their quest to conquer the Atlantic Ocean.
During the roaring 20s and hungry 30s, when aviation was still in its infancy, airplanes were so rare that, instead of numbers they all had names - romantic names like Liberty, Century of Progress, Lady Peace and White Eagle.
Between 1927 and '36 those were the wings that caught the winds of change and the focus of the news wires of the world on Harbour Grace, and sent it soaring into the headlines around the globe and into the history books. What happened here put the town into the cockpit of aviation history, and never again would it take a backseat to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, or New York or any other town on the North American continent.
Thousands of people cruising along the Veterans' Memorial Highway every day pass by Newfoundland's first airfield without even knowing it exists - without knowing just how much history haunts that place.
And here's a historic coincidence that's almost too much. The first airplane to use the Harbour Grace airfield as a take-off point was called, <I>The Pride of Detroit.<I> It landed there in August, 1927, the year after the Detroit Red Wings first laced up skates as the Detroit Cougars in 1926.
More than 80 years later and in another century, a young man from Riverhead, Harbour Grace comes along and skates into the history books.
At precisely 12 minutes after midnight Thursday, June 5, 2008, Newfoundland time the final buzzer went in the Detroit Red Wings' 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, making Dan Cleary the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to win the Stanley Cup.
He was the first Newfoundlander to play in a Stanley Cup final since Alex Faulkner, now immortalized as the first person from this province to play in the NHL, skated for those same Red Wings 45 years ago.
A crowd watching that final game at the S.W. Moores Memorial Stadium, where Cleary got his start, went wild. In the hours and days that followed Cleary became his team's most interviewed player, and Harbour Grace Mayor Don Coombs became the most sought-after mayor for interviews from international media outlets.
The venerable old Silas Wilmot Moores Memorial Stadium, opened in 1958 and named after former premier Frank Moores' father, is this year marking its golden anniversary. Alex Faulkner played for the legendary, multi-Herder Memorial Trophy winning Conception Bay Cee Bees under its rafters in the early 1960s, before becoming the first Newfoundlander to play in the NHL.
Dan Cleary never played for the Cee Bees senior team. But older brother, Neil has helped his team bring home three consecutive Herder Memorial Trophies. And kid brother Dan is bringing home the Stanley.
Bringing it home
Now that Dan Cleary has fulfilled his dream of winning the most prestigious prize in hockey, there is only one more thing left to do - bring it home to Riverhead, Harbour Grace. And he'll do just that a week from today.
Next Monday, June 30 the Stanley Cup will arrive at St. John's International Airport. Before coming to Harbour Grace, Cleary will take the Cup to the Janeway Children's Hospital and Confederation Building for some official welcoming ceremonies.
An organizing committee has been meeting almost daily to iron out final plans for the big day in Harbour Grace. The public part of the day will get underway at 12 noon with a motorcade lining up on Tilton Barrens near the Pine Grove Lounge. Beginning at 1 p.m. the motorcade will begin to make its way along the 7.6 kilometre route to St. Francis Field. It will proceed east along the main road to Riverhead, through Riverhead via Fisherman's Road and back to Harvey Street, where it will head east along Harvey to St. Francis Field.
The official ceremonies on the Field are scheduled to get underway at 2:30 p.m. with greetings and Cleary addressing the crowd.
Following the speeches, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the public will be given an opportunity to have their pictures taken with the Stanley Cup. Those wanting photos taken with the Cup have been advised to bring their own cameras.
Meanwhile, a program of family fun activities will be ongoing at the field from noon to 6 p.m. Greeley's Reel and Mid Life Crisis will be on stage to entertain the crowds throughout the afternoon. The ceremonies are scheduled to wind up at 9 p.m. with fireworks.
A complete schedule of the day's events can be found inside our special souvenir supplement on Dan Cleary and his rise to the top of his game, which can be found inside this week's Compass.
Cup fever has become contagious in Conception Bay North, spreading to neighboring towns, some of which have already re-scheduled, postponed or cancelled their own Canada Day festivities to allow their citizens to help Harbour Grace share its moment in history.
While Harbour Grace is no stranger to history, neither is it foreign to handling large crowds.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles drew a fine crowd to the same Field back in the summer of 1983. And then there was the Summer Games of 1992, held at the same site, which also drew large numbers.
But perhaps not even royalty could draw the numbers expected to flock to the Conception Bay town on July 1, Canada Day to see the Stanley Cup and the young man who made it all possible.
Whatever the turnout, Don Coombs is confident they are ready to handle it.
He can't wait.
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24/06/08
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Michael Ryan from Kitchener, Ontario writes: Well I do wish I could be there. If only the scheduled celebrations could have been held later in the month? Oh well, perhaps when Danny brings it back next year (& holidays are scheduled earlier in July due to plant shutdown) I will get my second chance to have a photo next to Lord Stanley's Cup. My first time was on an afternoon I had to make do by going to the Hall of Fame and do so. Well my heart will be there (and spirit as well) at the grounds of my former high school on July first. Please make (as I am sure you will) all of us Newfoundlanders and Labradorians proud to show our pride. Good Luck D.C. (as in Danny Cleary) and to the other D.C. (Don Coombs). Show the outside world how proud Harbour Gracians area. THANKS! Way to go me ol' co'k!
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| Posted 26/06/2008 at 5:20 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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