Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens - Trenton Golden Hawks
- Dave Cottenie
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens
8 Couch Crescent
Trenton, ON K8V 1G8
Year Opened: 1957
Capacity: 950
Golden By The Bay
In the Ontario Junior Hockey League, there are a couple of franchises that are just a step above the others in nearly all facets. One of those franchises is the Trenton Golden Hawks. Established in 1996, the Golden Hawks are currently owned by Rod Finney, Sandy Smith and Shawn Hicks, and they put together one of the best experiences in the top Junior A league in Ontario. Originally the Port Hope Buzzards, the team would head east on Highway 401 to Quinte West in 2009. The military town of Trenton was incorporated as a city in 1980 and eventually amalgamated into the city of Quinte West in 1998. Almost half of the 43,000 population of Quinte West can be found in Trenton, which is most famous for the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Forces Base Trenton. The military theme permeates through the team and experience. Upon moving to Trenton, the team was named after the Golden Hawks, a RCAF aerobatic flying team.
Home for the Golden Hawks is Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens. Built in 1957, the arena is named after former Trenton mayor Duncan McDonald, who served two separate terms and helped the growth of Trenton from a town into a city. He died of cancer in 1982. The Memorial Gardens has two ice pads, with the largest featuring a capacity of 950. However, without a doubt, the most prominent feature of Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens is the retired RCAF F86 Sabre Golden Hawks which commands a presence in front of the arena.
Food & Beverage 3
Concession options at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens are about what one would expect in a venue of the OJHL. During the visit for this review, the menu monitors at the main concession were not working. Regular snack bar type items are available including pizza, fries, hot dogs , slushies, soda, coffee, tea, chips, candy and popcorn. Fans who wish an alcoholic beverage can head up to the Blueline Club above the lobby where, among other options, fans can find Golden Hawks Light Lager from Prince Eddy’s Brewing Co.
Atmosphere 4
The Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens is located in Centennial Park at the picturesque confluence of the Trent River and Bay of Quinte. Once getting past the visually amazing location, fans will immediately be drawn to the retired RCAF F86 Sabre Golden Hawk which sits on a pedestal in front of the arena. It produces the feeling of synergy with the city, arena and team by melding the air force motif throughout. The arena is very old and clearly had an addition to the entry added at some point. The lobby features a number of trophy cases and mementos to hockey in Trenton at various levels. A number of portraits of famous residents of the area can be found, including George Ferguson, Tom Tilley, John Garret and National Figure Skating Champion, Elizabelth Manley. Windows from the lobby allow a bit of viewing into the arena from a warmer location.
Inside the arena, it is clear that the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens is an old-school hockey barn. Curved, truss beams create the aura as well as holding the roof up. The ice is oriented from northwest to southeast and the centre ice logo is best viewed from the northeast side. The southeast end features the Golden Hawks championship banners including the 2016 Buckland Cup as OJHL Champions and the 2016 and 2017 Dudley-Hewitt Cup as Central Canada Junior A Champions. The northeast wall has the Golden Hawks Hall of Fame Banners which include Doug Whitney, the Huff Family, Jon Gibbons, John Williams and John McDonald, who were either supporters or involved in roles off of the ice. The seating bowl stretches in a horseshoe configuration, open on the southeast end, with five rows of plastic arena seats. The rows are numbered in reverse order, with ‘A’ being furthest from the ice, which is definitely unique. Protective netting surrounds the entire ice surface and a small, four-sided videoboard hangs above centre ice. Two simple scoreclocks also hang on each end of the ice.
The gameday atmosphere in Trenton is not terribly different from other teams in the league. The team is lead to the ice by five minor hockey flag bearers. Promotions are simple, including a 50/50 draw and chuck-a-puck, which must be thrown from the benches due to the protective netting. The speaker system is good and clear. A highlight would be when the Golden Hawks score and the videoboard shows clips from the movie Top Gun while blasting the Kenny Loggins classic, Danger Zone.
Neighbourhood 3
The Duncan Mcdonald Memorial Community Gardens is located in Centennial Park in the community of Trenton in Quinte West. The park is right on the confluence of the Trent River and Bay of Quinte for a picturesque location. There are a number of places for pre or post game food and drink that are not too far from the arena. Some options include Wahoo Bar & Grill, The Counter, Minsky and Moon Griddleats, Gogi Korean Grill, Tiger Chicken & Ribs and Tomasso’s. The Golden Hawks may be the only game in town, but there is plenty of hockey nearby. The Frankford Huskies play Junior C hockey on the other side of Quinte West. The rival Wellington Dukes are neighbours. However, the biggest hockey attraction is further east on the 401 where the Belleville Senators of the AHL play. Other tourist options in the area include the National Air Force Museum of Canada and the Trent-Severn Waterway. For fans who wish to stay in the area, the Travelodge and Ramada are good options.
Fans 5
The Trenton Golden Hawks enjoy some of the strongest support in the OJHL. At the time of writing, the Golden Hawks averaged 750 fans per game, which is second highest in the entire league. With a capacity of less than 1,000 at their home arena, a great fan atmosphere is created. Golden Hawks games have been known to squeeze 1,200 fans into the arena. Fans in attendance are loud and proud and supportive of their team.
Access 4
Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens is located in Centennial Park in the community of Trenton in Quinte West. It is between Couch Cres. and Ontario Street, one block south of Highway 2 or Dundas Street. This is 3.5 km south of Highway 401, so getting to the arena will not be difficult. There is parking on site that is free of charge. For fans wishing to take public transit to the game, there are buses available on Couch Crescent. Fans should consult the Quinte Transit website for fares, schedules and maps. Once inside the Duncan McDonald Gardens fans will find that it is an older building, and although not terribly difficult to maneuver, it does come with the challenges that older buildings come with.
Return on Investment 5
The Trenton Golden Hawks provide tremendous value for the sporting dollar. Tickets for the Golden Hawks are $15, with discounts for seniors, youth and children. Not common for OJHL experiences, tickets are for reserved seating as opposed to General Admission, and purchasing online ahead of time is probably a good idea. Parking is available on site for free and concession prices are what one would expect. The Golden Hawks also provide one of the best experiences in the entire league, which, when combined with the low investment, makes for a terrific ROI.
Extras 4
An extra mark for the RCAF motif that runs through the Golden Hawks experience.
An extra mark for the keeping of the classic arena, while making some modern improvements.
An extra mark for the amazing location of Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens on the Bay of Quinte.
An extra mark for the arena as a community hub.
Final Thoughts
In the OJHL there are few experiences that can top that of the Trenton Golden Hawks. The Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens provides a great experience in an old-school hockey barn that does offer some modern amenities. The location is picturesque and the RCAF motif makes it a real community team.
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