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64-762: The Petrolia Chiefs were founded in the 1960s as members of the Tri-County Intermediate League. In 1973, the Chiefs won their league but lost the Intermediate C provincial final to a team from Bracebridge, Ontario 4-games-to-none. Also in 1973, they changed their name to the Petrolia Squires as their league became the Western Intermediate C Hockey League. In 1976, the Western Intermediate C Hockey League merged with

128-487: A Men's League, Women's League, and Minor Ball, as well as slow pitch. The Men's fastball League has been running for some 35 years, and has produced 4 Ontario Intermediate Fastball Championships, and 3 Canadian Championships, with all local players. Plans are currently in place for a new Arena/Fieldhouse/Library complex that is now currently under construction with an expected opening of the facility in March 2023 Bracebridge

192-492: A full-time athletic director , OHA secretary W. A. Hewitt felt that the OHA should allow the director's involvement with the hockey team despite him being a paid professional. Hewitt proposed an amendment to the constitution which would allow the executive to scrutinize any coach and decide on the registration. The amendment was rejected by delegates who remained against any professionals in the OHA. Two years later, Hewitt brought up

256-528: A full-time coach, doctor, nutritionist, and athletic trainers . Ladds felt that junior hockey in Ontario needed to be more attractive to players, who were departing the OHA for leagues elsewhere in Canada. The OHA was governed by elected presidents from 1890 to 1980. From 1980 onward, a board of directors was elected, with a full-time employee to execute duties as the president. List of elected presidents of

320-600: A linesman and cut his eyelid. Brantford's suspension was related to a violent playoff brawl against the St. Catharines Falcons . In 1987, the Port Elgin Bears withdrew from a Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League playoffs series due to perceived on-ice violence by the Hanover Barons . The OHA investigated the incident, which received national publicity when Port Elgin's coach was supported by Otto Jelinek ,

384-664: A meeting in November 1890 to discuss the idea. On November 27, 1890, at the Queen's Hotel in Toronto, delegates from hockey clubs around Ontario formed the Ontario Hockey Association. The first executive was: In the beginning, the OHA had one league of senior men's hockey teams. This group included teams from Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, and London. In the first years, the schedule consisted of this group playing

448-619: A rock climbing wall, indoor track, eight-lane swimming pool and fitness studio. The town partnered with the Muskoka Limberettes Gymnastics Club to create a gymnastics facility in the same building. The Sportsplex is part of the same complex including the Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School and Rene M. Caisse Memorial Theatre. Bracebridge also opened a new 3.75 Million dollar softball venue called Peake Fields at Verena Acres. This facility supports

512-779: A series of elimination playoffs leading to a single-game final playoff. For the first three years the Ottawa Hockey Club was the champions, winners of the Cosby Cup . In 1894, the Ottawa team and the Association came to a disagreement over the venue of the finals, and Ottawa left the league. This was a schism that would lead to the forming of the Ottawa District Hockey Association, governing most of eastern Ontario ice hockey play. In 1892,

576-563: A total of $ 6,000. The team was forced out of Tilbury by the end of the 1993–94 season, relocating to Walpole Island and folding in 1999. The team was a part of an investigation and subject matter of an episode of The Fifth Estate . In 1997, parents of players on the Kingsville Comets spoke out against hazing and campaigned for its end. The OHA stated it must educate its teams and players annually on acceptable practices to prevent incidents and change future behaviour. Each team

640-668: Is a town and the seat of the District Municipality of Muskoka in Ontario , Canada. The town was built around a waterfall on the Muskoka River in the centre of town and is known for its other nearby waterfalls (Wilson's Falls, High Falls, etc.). It was first incorporated in 1875. The town is the seat of the district government and a centre of tourism for the Muskoka area and has several historical sites, such as

704-515: Is administered by the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board . Georgian College operates a satellite campus in the town with programming that supports the local labour market. Nipissing University operated in Bracebridge for over 21 years but chose to consolidate its operations in 2016 resulting in the closure of the local campus. The facility was purchased in 2018 by a private institude. In

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768-469: Is immediately adjacent to Highway 11, a major provincial highway that connects the community to Greater Toronto in under 2 hours, as well as to markets in Northern Ontario. Muskoka Airport , which serves general aviation and scheduled flights from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , is located 5 km south of Bracebridge. While rail service to Bracebridge has been discontinued, the community

832-477: Is not a charter member of the OHA, the OHL is affiliated with the OHA and Ontario Hockey Federation . The OHA was founded in 1890 to govern amateur ice hockey play in Ontario. This was the idea of Arthur Stanley, son of Lord Stanley , then Governor General of Canada . Arthur played for the Ottawa ' Rideau Hall Rebels ' and in the course of exhibition play against other teams in Ontario, convinced team officials to hold

896-480: Is serviced by coach bus line Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services that departs from the Bracebridge Quality Inn and takes passengers south to Toronto and north to North Bay. In 2016, the municipality launched Bracebridge Transit, a one-hour single-route schedule that gets residents around the urban core. Bracebridge Mobility also offers door-to-door service to individuals who are unable to access

960-464: Is the home of Santa's Village, a Christmas theme park, established in 1955. It was inspired by the town's location at 45 degrees latitude, halfway between the equator and the North Pole . In 2016, Bracebridge held its first annual Fire and Ice Festival. Local newspapers include Bracebridge Examiner , District Weekender , Muskoka Sun and Muskoka Advance . The first newspaper in Bracebridge

1024-417: The 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Bracebridge had a population of 17,305 living in 7,233 of its 9,053 total private dwellings, a change of 8.1% from its 2016 population of 16,010 . With a land area of 615.2 km (237.5 sq mi), it had a population density of 28.1/km (72.9/sq mi) in 2021. The Town of Bracebridge built a Sportsplex in 2006 which contains

1088-811: The Allan Cup . During the summer in 1989, the Metro Toronto Hockey League (MTHL) and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA), broke away from the OHA and formed the Central Canada Hockey Association, due to disagreement with an OHA restructuring proposal which would have limited their voting powers. The dispute ended when the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) was established, with equal representation for

1152-649: The Court of Appeal for Ontario overturned the decision which was then upheled by the Supreme Court of Canada . The OHA's position had been that girls could not play on a boys' team when equal opportunity existed to play on a girls' team in her geographic area. The OHA Senior A Hockey League ceased operations after the 1986–87 season, when it was reduced to three teams and the OHA was unable to find new teams. The league had become cost-prohibitive, and needed to cut costs and restructure senior ice hockey to compete for

1216-530: The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League or Western Ontario Athletic Association (at the Senior level), which are run outside of Hockey Canada's jurisdiction and are not affiliated. Hockey Eastern Ontario represents the part of Ontario East of and including Lanark County , Renfrew County , and Leeds County , but not including the town of Gananoque . Hockey Northwestern Ontario has control of

1280-908: The Lucan-Ilderton Jets 4-games-to-3, but fell in the Sr. AA Final to the Northern Champion Elora Rocks 4-games-to-2. In 2023, the Petrolia Squires moved to the Western Ontario Super Hockey League when the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League ceased to operate. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout Loses*, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Bracebridge, Ontario Bracebridge

1344-519: The OHA Senior A Hockey League without ever disbanding, and were the only Intermediate level team to have survived and still play in the OHA (not including Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League teams, who are not affiliated with the OHA). As of 2008, the Petrolia Squires have been a franchise for 38 seasons and only sat on the sidelines for one of those years. In the summer of 2008,

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1408-763: The Thunder Bay Twins embarrass the Squires 8-3. Game two had the Squires defeat the St. Boniface Mohawks 6-4 and in game three the Squires beat the Grand Falls Cataracts 6-3. In the semi-final, the Squires drew Grand Falls again, while the Twins drew the Mohawks whom they just defeated 5-4 in overtime. The Squires repeated their 6-3 performance over the Cataracts, but the Twins were shocked by

1472-720: The Allan Cup final by a score of 7-2. In 2002, the Southwestern Senior A Hockey League was recognized as the Ontario Hockey Association 's Allan Cup representative and was renamed the OHA Senior AAA Hockey League. In 2004, the league was renamed Major League Hockey. The Petrolia Squires were the only Ontario Hockey Association Senior level team to have been founded before 2000, were the only team to still exist from

1536-536: The Bracebridge and Gravenhurst areas. (See also: Central Ontario Radio ) Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association ( OHA ) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the province of Ontario . Founded in 1890, the OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association . Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with

1600-649: The Canadian Minister of State for Fitness and Amateur Sport. Port Elgin team officials were given one-year suspensions when the OHA found no evidence to justify abandoning the series. When 13 people from the Tilbury Hawks were charged with sex-related crimes in 1994, the OHA sought to eliminate hazing from and suspended the team's officials for one year. Team trainer Paul Everaert and captain Ed Fiala pleaded guilty to their charges and were fined

1664-588: The Clock Tower, Woodchester Villa, and the Silver Bridge, which joins Manitoba Street with Ecclestone Drive. The Silver Bridge was repaired in 2002. The character of the town of Bracebridge is shaped by its proximity to Lake Muskoka to which it is connected by 10 km (6.2 mi) of the Muskoka River, and by the promise of abundant water power afforded by the great waterfall at the foot of

1728-608: The Continental League, with early feuds with the Durham Huskies and the Lucan-Ilderton Jets . As well, the Continental League competed for the Allan Cup , the National championship. In their second season in the league, the Squires won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as league champions. They went on to meet the OHA Senior A champion Thunder Bay Twins in the Ontario Hockey Association final. The Squires won

1792-600: The Continental Senior A Hockey League was renamed the OHA Senior A Hockey League , as the original folded in 1979. In 1981, the Squires won the Robertson Cup as OHA champions by defeating the Hornets 4-games-to-1, they also gained a berth to the Allan Cup . The Squires travelled to Thunder Bay , Ontario to compete in a first-time round-robin tournament for the prestigious trophy. Their first game saw

1856-441: The Mohawks with a 4-3 loss. Petrolia beat St. Boniface 5-1 to win their second Allan Cup. The 1982 playoffs ended a little tougher than 1981, with the Squires requiring all seven games to defeat the Hornets. The Squires were also Eastern Canadian champions. Petrolia qualified for their third Allan Cup , but were up against a tough Cranbrook Royals team at Cranbrook, British Columbia . The Royal won games one and two easily and

1920-571: The OHA appointed Vern Stenlund as its first "master mentor coach", to improve the quality of coaching and the player experience in junior hockey. In 2007, the three Southwestern Ontario leagues opted to merge to form a 27-team superleague, the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League in hopes of eventually being promoted to Junior A and to attempt to prevent player poaching from the 37-team Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League . OHA president Brent Ladds led

1984-575: The OHA as Junior A Leagues. The three remaining leagues, the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League , Western Ontario Hockey League , and Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League , who had been more dominant than their Toronto-area sister leagues in the Sutherland Cup department, were left to their own devices. The Metro Junior A Hockey League (MetJHL) operated independent from the OHA as of the 1995–96 season, when it

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2048-508: The OHA had transitioned into being "a more nimble and responsive organization" than when he began; and was proud of his work to advance player safety and reduce on-ice injuries, which included increased penalties for rough play and certification programs for coaches and referees. Empowered by Hockey Canada , the OHA governs all Ontario senior and junior hockey not administered by Hockey Northwestern Ontario , Hockey Eastern Ontario , or Northern Ontario Hockey Association . This does not include

2112-441: The OHA hired George Panter as an assistant secretary, then later made Panter its business manager to oversee day-to-day operations. Hewitt retained his office at Maple Leaf Gardens where he kept the OHA's records, despite that a new office was opened across the road. Bill Hanley became the business manager in 1951, and Hewitt's role gradually decreased. The OHA established a permanent referee-in-chief position in 1952, and lessened

2176-597: The OHA in July 1982. The OHA and OHL disagreed on financial terms of affiliation, then the OHL decided to handle its own administration. The OHA and the OHL later reached an interim affiliation agreement, which allowed the OHL to compete at the Memorial Cup . In 1993, the Metro Junior B Hockey League and Central Junior B Hockey League , the OHA's two Toronto -area Junior B leagues, were officially recognized by

2240-574: The OHA on April 28, 1980, after a restructuring from an elected president into an elected chairman and an appointed president. He was to focus on the increasing business demands on the OHA, fundraising and publicity, and be a technical co-ordinator. He became the first paid full-time president of the OHA. He retired as OHA president in June 2012. He stated that when he began working for the OHA, he dealt with "three or four bench-clearing brawls [each] weekend", but that culture had changed over time. He felt that

2304-864: The OHA played home games at the arena, except for the University of Toronto teams. The trophy emblematic of Canadian Intermediate Hockey supremacy was the Hardy Cup . Only three teams from Ontario ever won the Hardy Cup (that ran from 1968 to 1990), two from the OHA: Georgetown Raiders in 1982 and Dundas Real McCoys in 1986. The third Ontario team was the Embrun Panthers of the Ottawa District Hockey Association . The intermediate classification

2368-559: The OHA, Northern Ontario Hockey Association , MTHL, and OMHA. The OHF was given the mandate to oversee hockey in Ontario, and be a review panel for three years to propose further restructuring if necessary. The OHA established bursaries as of the 1995–96 season, to counter the loss of players to scholarships in the United States. The OHA awarded the bursaries to students chosen to attend the University of Windsor , University of Waterloo , and Wilfrid Laurier University . In 1986,

2432-470: The OHA: W. A. Hewitt was named secretary of the OHA on December 8, 1903, to succeed William Ashbury Buchanan . As the secretary, Hewitt was the de facto referee-in-chief of the OHA. He spoke annually at referee meetings to review interpretations of new and existing rules of play, and sought consistency and more strict enforcement of the rules when dealing with dissent and physical play. In January 1948,

2496-684: The OHF include the Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Northwestern Ontario . The OHA controls three tiers of junior hockey; the "Tier 2 Junior "A", Junior "B" , Junior "C", and one senior hockey league, Allan Cup Hockey . In 1980, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League vacated what was known as Tier I Junior "A" hockey. The league is now known as the Ontario Hockey League . Although it

2560-675: The Ontario Hockey Association, concerned with growing violence in hockey, suspended the Streetsville Derbys and the Brantford Classics from playing in the 1986–87 season. The suspension of the Derbys had to do with a stick-swinging incident in the final game of the league quarter-final against the Nobleton Devils . A Nobleton player was struck in the back of the head with a two-hand slash, which also struck

2624-688: The Seaway Intermediate C Hockey League to create the Seaway-Western Intermediate C Hockey League. The Squires played one season with the league and then moved up to the Continental Senior A Hockey League . In that one season, the Squires won the 1977 league championship as well as the provincial championship by defeating the Bradford Comets 4-games-to-1. The Squires found strong competition in

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2688-536: The Southwestern Senior A Hockey League. The Squires are the only remaining team from the founding of the Southwestern League to still exist in modern hockey. Throughout the 1990s, the Southwestern League, led by Petrolia, struggled to stay alive and fought for recognition from the OHA and Hockey Canada to be declared the top level of senior hockey in the Province of Ontario . The Petrolia Squires and

2752-477: The Squires left the MLH and joined the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League . On October 11, 2008, the Squires travelled to Thedford to defeat the Thedford Dirty Dogs 8-3 to win their first ever WOAA game. Petrolia had a very successful first season in the WOAA, finishing with a 16-2-2 record, earning 34 points, enough for first place in the WOAA South Division and first place overall. The Squires were 2010 WOAA South Sr. AA Champions defeating

2816-405: The Squires made game three interesting but still lost. It took until game four until the Squires woke up and won 6-1, but it was too late as the Royals took game five 7-3 and the series to win the national championship. In 1986, the OHA Senior A Hockey League was reduced in size and declared Senior AAA. The Squires dropped to their local Seaway-Cyclone Senior B Hockey League. After two seasons in

2880-497: The Squires were invited to play in the World Senior Hockey Championships. During the event, the Squires lost to HC Kladno of the CSSR 5-3 and then tied the Soviet Union powerhouse Khimik Voskresensk 3-3. In 1980, the Squires were defeated in the league final by a new foe, the Cambridge Hornets . The Squires and Hornets would meet in five straight league championships. Cambridge would win three, Petrolia would win two, but each would walk away with another Allan Cup . In 1980,

2944-476: The area's water power. With the advent of steamship service on Lake Muskoka a few years later, Bracebridge prospered as the main distribution centre for the region. By 1869, Bracebridge was a village with a population of 160 in the Township of Macaulay, Victoria County . (In 1868 Macauley and six additional townships had been detached from the County and transferred to the new District of Muskoka, but were not withdrawn for municipal purposes until 1877.) The village

3008-436: The city of Sarnia, Ontario were awarded the 2001 Allan Cup . In the first game, the Squires defeated the Stony Plain Eagles 3-1. They then met and were massacred by the home-province rival Dundas Real McCoys 8-0. In their final round-robin game, a 2-2 tie with the Lloydminster Border Kings earned them a semi-final berth over the McCoys. In the semi-final, the Squires defeated Stony Plain 3-0 but fell to Lloydminster in

3072-460: The downtown. Early growth of the town occurred in proximity to the falls which powered the first factory. The arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway cemented the town's role as a transportation hub for the area. Modern settlement of the town began in the 1860s, beginning at first with a few log huts. The Muskoka colonization road had been completed to the first falls on the north branch of the Muskoka River by 1862. Entrepreneurs began to take advantage of

3136-426: The first town in Ontario to have its own hydro generating station. In 1971 Macaulay Township was merged into Bracebridge. The municipal boundaries of Bracebridge also encompass the smaller communities of Clear Lake, Falkenburg (ghost town), Falkenburg Station, Fraserburg, Germania, Lakewood, Matthiasville, Monsell (ghost town), Purbrook, Rocksborough, Springdale Park, Stoneleigh, Uffington and Vankoughnet. Bracebridge

3200-471: The gate receipts at the Arena Gardens. Hewitt argued that 35 per cent of a larger arena in an established part of the city would be more profitable than 50 per cent of a smaller arena under construction in a newer part of the city. Hewitt promised to negotiate a better deal, in exchange for the contract with Arena Gardens to be renewed on a year-by-year basis. The OHA signed multiple five-year contracts with Maple Leaf Gardens , in which all Toronto-based teams in

3264-419: The intermediate level was introduced. This was to organize teams of a lower standard than the seniors. The first champions were Berlin, defeating the Frontenacs 3–0. From 1893 to 1908, teams from the OHA could and did challenge for the Stanley Cup , including: As senior-level play became professional, Stanley Cup challenges by the amateur clubs ceased, having been banned from play against professionals. After

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3328-512: The introduction of the Allan Cup in 1908, clubs from the OHA would compete for that instead. The Ontario Professional Hockey League started to play in 1908 for senior-level men's pro hockey teams in Ontario. Champions of the OPHL would continue to challenge for the Stanley Cup. The senior-level men's league of the OHA is today composed of the six teams of Allan Cup Hockey . In 1924, the OHA voted to keep its ban on professional coaches in amateur hockey. When Queen's University at Kingston hired

3392-426: The issue again and argued that, "the original intention of this rule was to control the [professional] coach, not exterminate him". His constitutional amendment was subsequently approved in the late-1920s. When the OHA contract with Arena Gardens was up for renewal in the late-1920s, some executives preferred the Ravina Gardens where teams could get 50 per cent of the gate receipts, compared to only 35 per cent of

3456-406: The junior-level was introduced for play at a lower level. It was not age-limited to young men under the age of 20 until 1896, when the OHA introduced the 'intermediate'-level play bracket. In 1919, the Memorial Cup was introduced, first called the 'OHA Memorial Cup', and was first won by University of Toronto Schools (UTS). It became the national championship trophy for junior-level play. In 1897,

3520-431: The league, the Squires seemingly took a one-year leave from the Ontario Hockey Association for the 1988-89 season and returned for the 1989-90 Seaway-Cyclone Senior B season. In a time when all Senior teams systematically disappeared and never came back, the Squires refused to disband and came right back to action. In 1990, the Seaway Cyclone Senior B Hockey League merged with the Southern Senior A Hockey League to create

3584-406: The regular transit service due to mobility issues. The site of the Bracebridge station , with the waiting station, remains. Bracebridge is served by several elementary schools and two high schools: Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School , and Saint Dominic Catholic Secondary School . Public education is administered by the Trillium Lakelands District School Board , and Catholic education

3648-421: The series 4-games-to-2 and also won the Eastern Canadian senior championship as well, earning them a berth into the 1979 Allan Cup final. The Squires met the Steinbach Huskies in the National final. The Squires won game one 6-5 in overtime, then game two 7-3. The Huskies took game three 5-4, before the Squires came alive and won the next two 6-1 and 7-1 to win their first national title. To top off this feat,

3712-442: The study "Tomorrow's Game" to help teams manage their finances and volunteers, which began in 2006 as a survey of teams and leagues to assess priorities and gather recommendations. The study also proposed restructuring junior hockey as of the 2010–11 season, which would have reclassified teams from A to D levels, into a premier league and two developmental leagues. Teams in the proposed premier league would have been required to employ

3776-422: The workload on Hewitt. Hewitt retired in May 1966, then the OHA transferred the secretary's duties to Hanley and renamed his position from business manager to secretary manager. Hanley served as secretary manager until he retired in 1973, when he was succeeded by David Branch who filled the role until 1977. Brent Ladds was appointed secretary-manager of the OHA on July 6, 1977. He was appointed president of

3840-414: Was abolished in 1983 by the OHA. The top league, Major Intermediate A Hockey League was divided between the OHA Senior A Hockey League and the various Senior B leagues. In September 1985, the Supreme Court of Ontario ruled against an appeal for a girl to play in the OHA, stating that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was not violated since the OHA was a private organization. In June 1986,

3904-445: Was established on the Muskoka River. There were stages in winter and boats in summer from Barrie to Washago. The average price of wild land was $ 2 to $ 5 an acre while improved land was $ 10 per acre. By 1870 the village had a population of about 400, growing to reach a total of about 2,000 by the turn of the 20th century. The village was incorporated in 1875 and became a town under an Act of Parliament in 1889. In 1894 Bracebridge became

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3968-415: Was opposed to a ruling by the CAHA which gave jurisdiction over junior hockey in the province to the OHA. Several teams departed the MetJHL to join the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL) which was affiliated with the OHA. The MetJHL insisted on its own administration and was opposed to paying fees to the OHA. The MetJHL rejoined the OHA in 1997, then merged into the OPJHL in 1998. In 2001,

4032-443: Was required to have a youth worker serving as a prevention services co-ordinator; and handbooks were given to players annually which covered hazing, alcohol, drug use, tobacco, and sexual harassment. The OHA then requested that the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) include the education in coaching certification programs, and for it to be available to all hockey administrators. The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) split from

4096-418: Was the Northern Advocate begun in 1870 by Thomas McMurray. It was joined in 1872 by the Free Grant Gazette owned by E.F. Stephenson. The Advocate ceased publication in 1874 and was bought out by Stephenson. Competition resumed, however, in 1878 when Mr Gaffe and Mr Oaten founded the Muskoka Herald . Other radio stations from Barrie, Orillia, Huntsville including the surrounding areas can also be heard in

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