Postcard Memories is a series of historic views, stories and photos of Innisfil, a trip down memory lane on a Saturday morning.
As early as 1905, young boys from Bell Ewart were playing broom ball on Lake Simcoe.
All that was needed to play? A cut-off household broom, a ball and rubber boots!
In 1950, the Innisfil Broomball League was formed. One of the first teams consisted of the Ayres boys from Stroud, Wayne, Clayton and Vernon.
Games were played at the open-air rinks in Lefroy, Painswick and Stroud.
In 1972, the Federal Broomball Association of Ontario (FBAO) was established, with six regions, as well as provincial, national and world-level competitions.
In the early 1980s, as many as 10 teams competed locally, with teams 'Pauleyanna Sports' and 'Ken Winter's Sanitation' declared the winners. As neighbouring areas joined the league, there were ladies and co-ed teams created.
In 1989, due to a growing interest in affordable winter activities for youth, the Innisfil Minor Broomball League started, based out of the South Innisfil Community Centre in Lefroy. Over 30 people from age five to 19 paid a fee of $10 each and learned how to play broomball.
By 2009, the numbers had grown to over 70 members, with age divisions for peewee, bantam, midget and juvenile.
In 2017, the cost to play was $225 per season. Modern equipment now includes helmet, mask, shun pads, gloves, an aluminum stick and gripper shoes.
Broomball requires hand-eye coordination and the ability to stickhandle and run fast. One of the key benefits of playing the game is enhanced cardio fitness. It has been dubbed the 'poor man's sport' due to its affordability back in the day, but since then, prices have gone up, especially for ice time.
Justin Gearing of Lefroy signed a contract with the Ottawa Gamblers team in 2016.
One of the young boys from Bell Ewart who played broomball in the early 1900s was Bill Ruffett. Years later, his daughter Betty, son-in-law Harry Squibb and grandchildren would become key supporters of broomball in Innisfil. Betty and Harry, along with their eight children were fully involved in the growth and promotion of the sport.
And although Betty didn't play, she served as local treasurer, then regional secretary, and 16 years as provincial vice president. In 1988, she became the first female to be inducted into the Federation of Broomball Associations of Ontario Hall of Fame. Harry was inducted in 1990. They were both inducted into the Canadian Broomball Association Hall of Fame in 2000.
Harry played until he was 77-years-old. Their daughter Debra and her husband Mike Doohan have now taken over leadership of the sport in Innisfil.
-from the Innisfil Historical Review 20th Anniversary Edition from the Innisfil Histrocial Society
