Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Tavistock & District Recreation Centre
1 Adam Street
Tavistock, ON N0B 2R0
Year Opened: 1996
Capacity: 600
Hockey in the Capital of Crokinole
Small-town hockey is just a little different. Tavistock, Ontario is less than a kilometre from Sebastopol. Sebastopol probably holds no significance to anyone outside of the immediate area, and even most Ontarians are unfamiliar with the conjunction of Line 29 and Oxford Road 59.
Sebastopol was the home of Eckhardt Wettlaufer, who was the maker of the earliest known Crokinole Board. For those not in the know, Crokinole is a disc-flicking game of dexterity combining elements of shuffleboard and curling scaled down to table-top size.
Tavistock is the nearest village and annually hosts the World Crokinole Championship. Part of the rural township of East-Zorra Tavistock, the village is also home to the Tavistock Braves, a Junior C hockey team part of the Provincial Junior Hockey League.
The Braves have been part of the fabric of the community since 1970, when they began as a Junior D team. When the Ontario Hockey Association reorganized in 2012 and eliminated the Junior D level, the Braves moved up to Junior C and became part of the PJHL in 2016 with the amalgamation of Junior C hockey in Ontario.
Servicing the community of just over 7,000, the Tavistock and District Recreation Centre has been a part of the community since opening in 1996. At a capacity of 600, the facility is home to the Braves, the senior Tavistock Royals, and also houses the Tavistock Curling Club.
Food & Beverage 2
For the game that was reviewed, concession options were very limited. What appeared to be a concession window on the main floor was not open during the game. There were vending machines with Pepsi products and small snacks. The Blueline Club, above the lobby on the west side of the arena, sells a very limited selection of domestic beer and spirits. Alcoholic beverages must be consumed in the Blueline Club and may not be brought into the stands. There are windows from the club that look out to the ice, so fans will not miss any of the action.
Atmosphere 3
The exterior of the Tavistock and District Recreation Centre is very simple. Light-coloured brick and siding with red accents in a simple rectangular-shaped building is what fans will find upon arrival. The parking lot is shared with the Memorial Hall, and in both cases, fans must drive through the fantastic Queen’s Park Stone Gates.
The gate was restored in 2016 and is a nod back to a time long past. Fans will notice the feed mill to the north, a reminder that Tavistock is a rural community surrounded by farming. Inside the Recreation Centre, fans are welcomed by temporary tables selling tickets, 50/50 tickets, and Chuck-A-Pucks.
The lobby has several trophy cases dedicated to minor hockey teams, along with championship team pictures posted above the windows. Of note in one of the trophy cases is a display with pictures of a training session held in Tavistock by Canadian Ice Dancing Olympians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Retired jerseys of Brent Loggan and Keith MacMillan, former Tavistock Braves who passed away at 18, are memorialized in the lobby also. Beside the wooden benches in the lobby is a crokinole board, a reminder that this is the home of the World Crokinole Championships every June.
Inside the arena, the ice surface runs from east to west, with the seating all on the north side. The seating consists of two sections of wooden benches with five rows and two sections with four rows of plastic arena seats. The standing room section is behind the seating. Behind the seating, there are trophy cases for the various Tavistock teams, including the Braves.
The Braves display has an impressive array of artifacts and championship team pictures. The rafters are littered with minor hockey championship banners, and the east side wall is where fans will find the Braves championship banners from both the Junior D and Junior C levels. The banners all feature the former logo of the Chicago Blackhawks, which has since been retired.
The simple score clock also hangs on the east wall. A curious aspect of the Tavistock Rec Centre is that there are no ads on the boards at all, and the top and bottom trim, which is normally yellow, is blue in Tavistock. Don’t be mistaken. There are plenty of local ads here. They just hang above the benches on the south side or are on the southeast glass, where there are no spectators to worry about.
The gameday production in Tavistock is very simple. The Rec Centre has a good PA system, and announcements are easily understood. Simple promotions, including a 50-50 draw and Chuck-A-Puck, are present also.
Neighbourhood 3
Tavistock is a village located between Stratford and Kitchener. For a small community, there are a surprising number of food options. Quehl’s, D&D Homestyle Cafe, Double D’s Roadhouse, and Madmash Brewery are all a short walk from the arena. The Rec Centre is also home to the Tavistock Royals of the OEHL, which is a Senior level of hockey.
Neighbouring towns of New Hamburg and Woodstock also have PJHL teams and are a short drive away. As far as other tourist type options, the Tavistock Fall Fair and World Crokinole Championships have annual spots on the calendar that probably won’t cross with the hockey season. For accommodations, heading out of town is probably necessary heading west to the Shakespeare Inn or east to the Newburg Inn.
Fans 3
Fan support is difficult to assess in the PJHL as attendance statistics are not consistent across the league and not readily consolidated. That being said it seems that Tavistock readily draws between 150 and 225 fans per game. The game that was reviewed saw 250 fans in attendance, no doubt due to the Braves hosting the rival New Hamburg Firebirds. This probably puts the Braves in the middle of the league. Fans in attendance are supportive but not over the top, not unlike most Ontario fans.
Access 4
Getting to the Tavistock and District Recreation Centre is not difficult. Tavistock is 15 km southeast of Stratford and 38 km west of Kitchener. The village is very small, just 2.25 km2, so there is not much of the village to get through. The Rec Centre is located at the end of Adam Street. There is free parking available at the Rec Centre.
There is some public transit that links the villages of East-Zorra Tavistock, but timing will probably be an issue for hockey. Interested fans should consult the EZTransit website for fares, maps and schedules. Getting around the Rec Centre is not terribly difficult and, of course, there are a number of stairs, which is to be expected. The washrooms in the facility are fairly small, but should not be a huge issue.
Return on Investment 4
There is tremendous value in PJHL hockey. Tickets for the Tavistock Braves are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Youth are $4 or free with a paying adult. Tickets must be purchased at the door. Drinks in the Blueline Club will go for $7 and parking is free. The product on the ice is good and fans will have an enjoyable evening of hockey.
Extras 3
An extra mark for the Tavistock Braves being part of the fabric of the community and the Recreation Centre as an East-Zorra Tavistock community hub.
An extra mark for Tavistock as the Crokinole capital of the world.
An extra mark for the Tavistock Braves giving fans actual physical tickets, something that is nearly extinct.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to be said for hockey in the Crokinole capital. The Tavistock Braves provide a good product and fans will enjoy themselves in a small town atmosphere. The Tavistock and District Recreation Centre is a good facility and acts as a hub for the village. Overall, an experience worth taking in.
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