Page 44 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 111

44 Issue #111 April 2022
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Stories And More About The People In Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry with Area Senior Robert “Rowdy” Gillard
By Jim Riddell
obert “Rowdy” Gillard is quite
Rwell known across the region
from his many years in sports and
municipal politics. He was born on
the family farm in December of 1942
on Shanette Road, located just south
of Williamsburg. When Rowdy was
four years old, his family moved to
High Street in Morrisburg, where he
attended Morrisburg Public School
through to Grade 8. In the winter,
streets often covered with enough ice
for the kids to skate on. “We would
skate down to the old canal, then
stick handle a puck all the way up to
to the head of the locks near Iroquois
and back. It was good for our hockey
development.”
After one year of high school in
Morrisburg, Rowdy took a summer
job at a farm just north of Iroquois on
the Flagg Road. “I worked at Howard
Locke’s farm. Howard and his wife
were great people, and they gave me
anything that I wanted. They had a
large family, but by that time most
of them had left the farm. I ended up
living there for a few years and going
to Iroquois High School.”
While attending Iroquois HS,
Rowdy played hockey, football,
and basketball on the school teams.
“There were fields on the Locke
farm with ice to skate on and trees to
go around, and a good maple sugar
bush. I arranged for a couple of my
teachers to come in and tap a few
trees - they tapped quite a few trees
and it wasn’t long before I found out
that they were selling syrup. When
I asked them where my share of the
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I played twenty-two games with the a player came up and cross-checked
Ottawa Jr. Montagnard’s before they me from behind. I turned around and
caught me. Several people knew who took him over the head with my stick.
I was, but no one said much.” I threw my stick into the crowd and
walked off. Lacrosse was not going
The following year Rowdy played to be a good fit for me.”
with the Morrisburg Jrs., sponsored
by Kingston Dunbrick, a brick In the fall of 1962, Rowdy began
manufacturing company which was playing hockey with the Kemptville-
owned by Fred and Dennis Hill. The Prescott Combines, a team made
Hill brothers along with their brother- up of players from both of those
in-law Allan Gordon, had started the towns as well as from Morrisburg,
business in Kingston, realizing in the Williamsburg, and Cardinal. The
mid-fifties that a second plant was Combines defeated the Ottawa
required to fill the demand created Montagnard’s, a team that was mostly
by the St. Lawrence Seaway project. comprised of former pros in the
Rowdy worked at the BP garage and ODHA finals, winning three straight
gas station which was also operated in a best of five series. They then
at that time by the Hill brothers. travelled to Moncton, NB, losing the
Photo Submitted Rowdy played some games that series 3 games to 1 to the Moncton
season with the Ottawa Primroses in Hawks in the Allen Cup quarter
the Ottawa-Hull & District league, a finals. The 1962-63 Kemptville-
syrup was, they told me that they had
already given some to the farmer. I connection once again made by the Prescott Combines were inducted
told them that was all very good, but golf club salesman. into the North Grenville Sports HOF
it was because of me that they gained Morrisburg was without an in 2017. The Combines were moved
to Morrisburg the following season
access to that bush and if I didn’t see arena for several years, as the old and would play in the newly formed
my share they wouldn’t be coming one, which had been built in 1895, St. Lawrence Senior League, playing
back. I got my syrup.” had collapsed under the weight against teams from Kingston,
of snow on February 17th, 1958.
At age 17 Rowdy was back living Lancaster, Ottawa, and Hull.
in Morrisburg, playing Juvenile Minor hockey was then played on
hockey and he would move up to the outdoor rink behind the school. On a Saturday night in fall of
play Junior on Sundays when his The Juvenile and Junior teams had 1963, the Combines opened the new
team wasn’t playing. The Morrisburg to get ice time wherever they could arena. Rowdy recalls, “Big Doug
Juvenile team, coached by Keith in area arenas. It was during this Casselman scored the first goal in
Kirkwood and assisted by Duke time that the Laurin family brought the new arena in a 2-1 loss to the
Roles and Hossie Droppo, went on Lacrosse into Morrisburg. Lacrosse Lancaster Dodgers. We should never
games were initially played on the have lost that game, but most of our
to win the Citizen Shield in Thurso, outdoor rink with some being played team was still in awe of the new
Quebec. Rowdy also managed to in the Long Sault arena. Lacrosse rink.”
get a few extra games in that season became a success for many years in
with an Ottawa team. “There was Morrisburg. Rowdy explains, “We In 63-64 and again in 64-65, the
a salesman that sold golf clubs in had some excellent teams that won Combines lost in the league finals.
the Morrisburg area with hockey league titles and it was all done with In both 65-66 and 66-67 they won
connections to the Ottawa league, local players and they drew some the OSLHL Championship and went
and he got me set up to play there. It pretty big crowds.” on to play teams in Corner Brook,
was interesting how they did things - NL. and Moncton, NB. In 1967, the
we were only allowed to move up to Asked if he played lacrosse, Combines defeated Moncton and
Junior for 2 games, but they had me Rowdy said he only played one game. advanced to play the Sherbrooke
playing under a different name and “We were playing in Long Sault and Beavers, losing in 7 games. It was