Item
Courier
April 1/1971
Plans for Waweig Tourist center
Courier
April 29/1971
Bill O'Neill dies. Great Great Grandfather established grocery business in 1823.
Wiliam Charles O'Neill, general manager of the Sir James Dunn Arean, died suddenly of a heart seizure late Friday evening here. He was an outstanding citizen, businessman, and ardent champion of sports and for young people, and promoter of his hometown. He was 65.
The eldest son of Alphonsus B. and Alician Frances (Brooks) O'Neill, he was born in St. Andrews October 13, 1905, and was a life-long resident of this community. He graduated from the Charlotte county Grammar school and attended St. Francis Xavier University, graduating with a B. A. in 1926. He returned home and joined the family grocery business which was established in 1823 by his great-great-grandfather, later, he operated O'Neill's Restaurant in part of the family building on Water Street. He owned and operated the St. Andrews Bakery until it was sold to Lanes Limited. With the late Edward S. Finigan as partner, they operated the Marina Theatre here and showed movies in Pennfield and Deer Island. In 1929 with a group of six other local citizens, (all dead now) the St. Andrews Amateur Athletic Association was formed and Bill became secretary and continued as such until the Sir James Dunn Arena opened in 1962. He was the worker, the planner, the manager of all the developments over the years – the unpaid manager of successive local rinks until the present arena. First hockey at the McKinney building on Water Street (the back end of which is now the Taylor garage); then an open-air rink with bleachers on a corner of the O'Neill block on Sophia Street. Then he sparked the first arena on the site built by community effort in 1932 and when this burned on Christmas night 1939 he pitched in and it was built again by the citizens. The first organized hockey team was the Arenas which later became known as Senators and Bill played goal for a number of years. The Sir James Dunn Arena stands now as a monument to his dedicated interest, energy, and optimistic approach, for he put St. Andrews on the North American sports map with the promotion of Sumer Hockey Schools here. The 1971 school will run eleven weeks and accommodate more than 2500 students. The players come from all provinces of Canada and from 21 of the states of USA.
Mr. O'Neill served four terms on the St. Andrews Town Council and several terms on the St. Andrews School Board. He was the unpaid Chief of the St. Andrews Volunteer Fire Department for eight years. He played on the St. Andrews Band for 50 years and helped to reorganize it on several occasions.
He was instrumental in bringing Barbara Ann Scott to the old arena on two occasions and Sonja Henie for an appearance also. It was after Barbara Ann's first visit that Bill helped organize the first Figure Skating Club. To raise funds for maintenance and artificial ice following World War Two, he promoted special entertainment and the appearance of big name bands – Blue Baron, Tex Benicki, Charles Speviak and others at the present Arean where Guy Lombardo will appear for the second time on May 19th. He was an outstanding citizen.
He is survived by two brothers, John A. O'Neill of St. Andrews; and Dr. James H. O'Neill of Montreal; and two sisters, Mary, Mrs. R. Vaughan Thompson of Woodstock, New Brunswick; and Carmelita, Mrs. Henry P. (Harry) O'Hagan of Vancouver. Also one aunt, Miss Julia O'Neill, nine nieces and a nephew.
He rested at his home 58 Frederick Street, until Monday morning at ten o'clock, when high mass of requiem was celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church of S.t Andrew, and interment was in the Catholic Cemetery of St. Andrews.
A Tribute
By Rose Haughn
Shocked is not the word – unbelieving is more like the reaction which greeted the news that Bill O'Neill had died suddenly on Friday evening about eleven o'clock having returned from a trip to Saint John that evening. That he was one of the outstanding citizens of our generation and St. Andrews' most active promoter is a fact known far and wide. It seems impossible that one will go the Sir James Dunn Arena and not meet Bill with his quick smile and active participation in all events going on there. He talked to the engines and equipment to keep it operating. He knew how much food to order for the Hockey School; he baby-sat the Figure Skaters by opening doors at odd hours; he encouraged the bowlers, sympathized with the curlers; policed the dormitory, you name it and he did it. But many of us remember Bill as the goalie for the Senators in the hey-day of local hockey; and others remember the time he risked life and limb with Fraser Keay, Mike Gilman and the name of the fourth personalities me, to build stripped down old cars and play "auto polo" at a KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS PICNIC WHICH USED TO BE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMER. ALSO, with Mike Gilman he helped convert old "touring cars" to make the first fire engines the town every had. Also do you remember the fun we had at the "Street Dances" on summer evenings. These too were organized by Bill and he often took the mike to render solos in a surprisingly pleasing manner. These are the things on the lighter side which his friends will remember, the few instance when he took time to enjoy himself and have bit of fun.
We also pay tribute to him for his writing ability for he was correspondent for the Courier for several years and wrote several pieces of poetry, in particular one about arenas, all of which appeared as "Anonymous."
On Monday morning the church would not hold all those wishing to pay respect and say "farewell" to Bill, champion of the young people and of sport locally and friend to young and old alike.
Courier
Aug 5/1971
St. Andrews—an authentic 19th century town. "neo-Highlands architecture of the old CPR Hotel"
LG: The Hon. Hédard Joseph Robichaud (1911-) Born in Shippagan, New Brunswick. Appointed 8 October 1971 at age 60 until 12 November 1981.
Courier
Nov 25/1971
New Public Library St. Stephen. CP Train station.