The History of the Elmdale TC
Come learn the history of the Elmdale Tennis Club on May 16th at our History of the Club Wine & Cheese Event. Past/current/new members and non-members are invited to come share their stories of the club.
Kip Murchison: Court master from 1945-1952 and Club President 1955.
John Hartin: President/board member: 1960s-70s.
Bob Lister: Member, board member: 1959-1970, Club Champ multiple times.
Al Samson: Club President many times starting in 1962. Club Champ multiple times.
The club history book will be released. Here is an excerpt from the book:
As well as being a place for children to grow up and play pranks, adults also found creative ways to have fun.'
A History of Fire
The clubhouse caught fire June 30th 1970. Although no one is certain how it happened, the Ottawa Journal reported that “police have charged a man with arson in connection with a fire early this morning that destroyed an Elmdale Tennis Club changing shack. Charged with arson is Yvon Smith-Doiron, 28, of 978 Larkin Street. The 12.30a.m. blaze destroyed the shack at Holland and Byron Avenues.” (June 30 1970) The fire occurred in the middle of an NCTA tournament but matches continued on at Elmdale uninterrupted. (Ottawa Citizen, July 2 1970)
Board President John Hartin remembers getting a call in the morning: “What they figured had happened was some homeless person had broken in and fallen asleep on one of the couches and had a cigaret and caught the couch on fire and burnt the whole place to the ground. It was a mess. We arrived to look at it – all of us kind of converged. Was it arson? I don't know. I think it might be more a drunk that fell asleep. The place was locked, but there's locked and there's locked.”
Gil Scharfe receiving lifetime membership award 1970
Since the Club was using the land in agreement with the Board of Education and Fisher Park High School, there was an application to the city of Ottawa to relocate two portables from Hilson with the intention to convert them to clubhouses at the end of the season. (City of Ottawa records October 7, 1970)
During the summer there was a decision to give life-time memberships to a few people. John Hartin explained: “We decided that we should grant life-time memberships to some of the people that had worked so hard. I was one that received it, as did Bob Lister, Al Samson, Jean McInnes and to Gil Scharfe. We gave Gil an engraved beer stein which was rather appropriate for him. He was in tears. He was a trades labouring guy and suddenly the club recognized him as somebody that matter in their life. He was in the center of the court and we gave him a beer in his beer stein and he was all of a sudden a member of the club. The club lived or died by their grounds keeper. West Ottawa and The Ottawa always had horrendous problems with their courts. We did all we could to hang on to dear old Gil and make him a member of the club.”
Dale Power vs Harry Fritz 1979 - Elmdale Open
To show off and make use of their brand new courts, there were some high profile tournaments held at Elmdale over the following few years. In 1979 the Elmdale Open was sponsored by Coke and named the Coca-Cola Ltd. Invitational. With a total prize money of $2,700, the tournament drew Toronto's Harry Fritz, the number 1 ranked player in Canada and number 2 ranked Dale Power in the men's draw. Dale Power won the tournament, winning $700 and Harry Fritz was a finalist, receiving $350. (Ottawa Journal, June 29, 1979 and July 9, 1979)
Of the tournament, manager Ken Dick remarked: “The final was being televised and in an attempt to make the courts look dark green and in pristine condition, I over-watered the courts by mistake. This proved to be a great advantage for Dale Power because it slowed the courts down and played to his advantage. Dale went on to defeat Harry Fritz for the first time in his career and a few weeks later Dale defeated Fritz again in the Canadian Championship final. Dale and I have enjoyed many a beer and conversation about that match in the years since.After Dale won match point, Harry Fritz took a tennis ball and hit it over top of the fence, over top of Holland, I think all the way over to Parkdale out of disgust!”
Here is a quote from Kip, who's attending:
"1939 brought the start of the war which affected the club in a few ways. Many younger men left to go over seas such as President Harold Barnett who went to England November 1939 and returned June 1942. Boys' Club Champion from 1937, Yale Carter, was too young to fight but after attempting three times to stow away he was successful and fought with the artillery and air force. As well as men, there was also a shortage of rubber which led to a shortage of running shoes and tennis balls." More than the lack of tennis balls; Kip Murchison remembered having holes in his shoes: “You couldn't get new running shoes cause there was no rubber. The rubber was rationed because of the war.”
“Tennis balls are at a premium these days and one Ottawa merchant who received a shipment on Saturday reported that his stock was sold out within an hour.” (Ottawa Citizen, May 22, 1943)
"Last season...efforts of league officials were thwarted by the meagre supply of tennis balls available in Ottawa at the time." (Ottawa Citizen, April 26, 1944)