Summer 2016
TBPL Newsletter

Members of the 94th Overseas New Ontario Battalion, while in training prior to mobilization, had an opportunity to contribute to the war effort in a uniquely Canadian way – hockey. During the 1915-1916 season the Thunder Bay amateur hockey league was made up of three teams: the Fort Williams, Port Arthur Shuniahs, and the 94th Battalion. The Fort William Daily Times Journal and the Port Arthur Daily News-Chronicle covered the season in great detail and inspired soaring support for the players of the 94th. Lauded as a “battalion of sportsmen” (FWDTJ December 14 1915), the 94th was seen as a neutral team due to players recruited from across Port Arthur, Fort William, and other cities such as Kenora. As the season progressed, the 94th improved its combination play and came together as a true team. They won two out of eight seasonal games; following which they played two additional games against the “old timers” hockey team of Port Arthur. Newspaper reports regularly made mention of gripping games and “real hockey”.  A more detailed account of this story is in development through the World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project and will be accessible through the Life in Thunder Bay / Sports section upon completion.