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Wamper, just finished listening to the four part Gord and Graeme Gair interview that you and Bobby Grainger did and just want to say you fellows did a great job. I appreciate the time and effort you gentlemen do to capture the recollections of these greats.

A minor thing I’d like to question that you mentioned a couple of times was that the 1932 2nd Mimico team (the Canucks), along with the Fergus Thistles where Senior B teams. I’ve spent some time researching the Niagara Falls entry that was grouped with Fergus, Mimico Canucks, and Toronto Native Sons that season, and I believe they were really considered Senior A teams.

It seems to me that the O.A.L.A. originally drew up a schedule for a six team Sr. A league (Toronto Nationals, Toronto Marlboros, Hamilton, Mimico, Orangeville and Brampton). But when additional centres such as Niagara Falls wanted in on the latest craze of box lacrosse, this created a scheduling nightmare for the two Toronto teams who had to share home dates at Maple Leaf Gardens not only with each other, but also with the two Toronto teams of the professional box circuit.

That led the O.A.L.A. to create a second group or division that consisted of the “newest” additions, and the winners of these two divisions would ultimately meet to determine the Ontario Senior A champions. The second Mimico team seemed to be a late addition to this small group to give them one more team.

The Niagara Falls Cataracts of 1932 are of some interest to me as the Niagara Falls Review did a terrific job covering this new team and new sport, and they put together a really competitive squad. They were beaten 2 games to 0 in the group finals to Fergus, but both losses came by only a single goal (5 to 4 in Niagara and 11 to 10 (OT) in Fergus). The Thistles then met Mimico M’s for the Ontario title in what was another close series and it went to the eventual, first box Mann Cup winners, the Mountaineers.

I guess my real interest in this Niagara team compels me to affirm that they were indeed senior A.

Take a look at the following (I liked the descriptions of the spirited Fergus supporters in the report of the final against the Mounts), and thanks for all the great work you and Bobby are doing.

THE NIAGARA FALLS EVENING REVIEW

TUESDAY APRIL 26, 1932

NIAGARA FALLS -- The Niagara Falls Senior Box Lacrosse Club will be grouped with Native Sons, Oshawa and Fergus. That was the decision of a special meeting of the O.A.L.A. senior committee held in the offices of President W.J. Blainey, at Toronto yesterday.

To Gene Fraser and Pat Haffey, who represented the local entry at this meeting, it was shown that it was impossible to insert the Falls club into the schedule already drawn up and including the following six clubs: Toronto Nationals, Toronto Marlboros, Hamilton, Mimico, Orangeville and Brampton.

From a Toronto standpoint, it would be impossible to work-in more games at the Maple Leaf Gardens as two professional clubs and two senior amateur collections are already taking practically all of the time that the Gardens management can assign to lacrosse.

Along with Niagara Falls, Native Sons of Toronto, Fergus and Oshawa, have all applied for senior berths. Hence the action of the governing body of taking the easiest way out and grouping those four clubs together.

The winners of this group will play-off with the Big Six winners at the conclusion of the schedule seasons.

President Blainey expects to be able to make a definite statement regarding the organization of the new four-team group, in a few days.

THE NIAGARA FALLS EVENING REVIEW

TUESDAY MAY 10, 1932

The grouping problem of the Niagara Falls Senior Box Lacrosse Club is finally settled. A letter from Gene Dopp, secretary of the O.A.L.A. informs the local management that the Niagara Falls entry has been grouped with Native Sons of Toronto, Oshawa and Fergus, with a strong possibility of Hespeler securing a fifth berth in the loop.

A schedule meeting will be held at the Prince George Hotel, Toronto tomorrow night and Niagara Falls will be represented.

THE NIAGARA FALLS EVENING REVIEW

TUESDAY MAY 12, 1932

The second O.A.L.A. Senior Box Lacrosse loop officially came into being at an enthusiastic meeting in the Prince George Hotel, Toronto, last night. The new group will comprise five teams, as follows: Niagara Falls, Native Sons, Oshawa, Fergus, and Mimico.

All five teams were represented at the meeting and all claimed to have lineups of championship calibre. Mimico’s entry gives that centre two teams in the senior series. According to Pete Johnson, manager of the new entry, there is an abundance of high-class material at the lake shore town.

Niagara Falls will play a double schedule with all teams except Oshawa, where only a single schedule will prevail. The season will open at Fergus on May 20 with Niagara Falls. Mimico will provide the first opposition at the Falls Arena on Wednesday May 25.

Native Sons, Mimico and Oshawa will play their home games at Sunnyside. Thus in their seven road games, Niagara Falls will make five trips to Toronto and two to Fergus.

A best two-out-of-three playoff will be staged between first and second teams. In this series the team finishing first shall have the choice of dates and will get the third game, if one is necessary. A playoff between the two group winners will then follow.

BY PAT HAFFEY

THE NIAGARA FALLS EVENING REVIEW

TUESDAY JUNE 21, 1932

Owing to the withdrawal of Oshawa from O.A.L.A. Senior Group No. 2, some changes in the original schedule are being made. On Thursday night of this week, the local entry will journey to Toronto where they meet Native Sons at Sunnyside Stadium. This game was originally salted for Sept 20th. Other changes are due to follow, as the default of the Motor City team leaves the Fallsers without a home game until the visit of Fergus Thistles on July 20th.

THE NIAGARA FALLS EVENING REVIEW

TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 1932

TORONTO – Fergus Thistles, accompanied by a band of staunch supporters and emboldened by a “undred pipers and a’ ” invaded Maple Leaf Gardens last evening for the third and final game with Mimico for the senior championship of the Ontario Amateur Lacrosse Association. Despite the vocal encouragement of their supporters, to say nothing of the lusty “blawing” of the pipes, they suffered a 4 – 3 defeat by the Suburbanites, whose sustained attack in the second, third and fourth periods, was too much for the Thistles.

Both teams showed the strain of the heavy schedule which they had been through, and failed to put up the speedy, stirring struggle which was expected of them, but little fault could be found with the display of the players in the third and fourth periods in which fast, aggressive lacrosse was the order of the evening.

Fergus scored the lone tally of the first period. Each team notched one in the second frame. The third stanza saw Mimico score two to go in front to stay. The teams broke even in the final chukker with one marker each.

Mimico—T. Harrison, goal; Ryding, McCallum, defence; Kingdon, rover; Scott, M. Murphy, Campkin, attack; Brydson, Gair, J. Murphy, D. Harrison, McLean and Brown, alternates

Fergus—Graham, goal; Joe Bergin, J.F. Bergin, defence; Thompson, rover; J. Simpson, M. Simpson, Richardson, attack; Ritchie, Henderson, Wells, Lovell, L. Campbell and N. Russell, alternates.

Referee—Charles Querrie, Judge of play—Percy Warr.