Former Mount Allison Archivist Writes Book

From the open-air ice surfaces of the marsh and the ponds to the excitement of the town's first-ever built wooden rink, to the pure enjoyment of costumed carnivals and school sports events, skating has a fascinating history in the Sackville community.

And that history is brought to life in former Mount Allison Archivist Donna Sullivan's new book, Skating on Steel-Shod Feet: Rinks and Skating in Sackville, New Brunswick.

With dozens of illustrations and photos, as well as countless newspaper accounts and plenty of personal stories from local residents, Sullivan has pulled together detailed descriptions of the rinks and highlights of the many and varied skating activities that took place in those buildings over the years.

Sullivan says the idea for writing the book has been a concept that has been brewing for nearly 30 years, ever since the day she first saw a photograph of the earliest enclosed skating rink in Sackville - as she found out later, the structure was the Tantramar rink which was built in 1876.

In 1998, she wrote a brief sketch on the history of rinks in the area but she was too busy at the time to go much farther with it. But her interest in the subject had certainly been piqued, and others were also becoming more curious about when and how skating had got its start in the area and how it has evolved over the years.

When she retired six years ago, she planned to do just that.

It wasn't until about two years ago when Sullivan says she finally made up her mind to take on the momentous task of finishing the research. Having lived in Sackville most of her life, and having worked as an archivist at the university for nearly 30 years, was definitely an advantage, she admits.

She believes that anyone who has ever been skating - whether it's through hockey, figure skating, or simply playing on the pond - has stories to tell about "what it's like to be on blades, and on the ice; it can be very exciting and thrilling."

Sullivan has dedicated her book to members of both the Sackville Citizens Band and the Sackville Fire Department who, for over a century, have served the citizens of their community, "going well beyond their roles as bandsmen and firemen at the Sackville rinks."

Read full story: History of skating in Sackville brought to life (Sackville Tribune Post)