More on the Cloverdale fairgrounds grandstand

With a couple of recent posts about the grandstand at the Cloverdale fairgrounds and how we enjoyed playing there as kids, I got to thinking about when that grandstand became fully enclosed.

When I was growing up, the grandstand was covered with a roof on top, but overwise open to the elements. After the Standardbred horse racing started in the mid-70's, the grandstand remained open for a few years, but eventually was partly enclosed, leaving part of the grandstand open to the elements and where the smokers had to sit.

But when was it entirely enclosed? I really don't know for sure, but my guess is around 20 years ago. So say somewhere in the late 80's to early 90's.

I started thinking about that because of the recent updates on the news about the Olympic torch making its way around British Columbia. Back in early 1988 or maybe it was late 1987, another Olympic torch was making its way around BC on its way to the winter Olympics in Calgary. My mother was quite excited about it and was planning to go to the fairgrounds for a torch event while it passed through town. It didn't interest me, but I happened to be shopping at Willowbrook Mall a day or two beforehand, and some volunteers were selling candles with a handle to make it look like a torch, proceeds going to some Olympic event. The idea was that you'd be able to light your candle with the flame from the Olympic torch. They were $2 apiece so I bought one and gave it to Mother to take to the Cloverdale fairgrounds for the festivities.

So this is the only evidence I have that the grandstand was still not fully enclosed because Mother was outside while the Olympic torch came into the track area in front of the grandstand. Many in the crowd had the same candles that I'd bought for Mother and some were able to be lit from the torch. From there everyone in the grandstand passed the flame along from candle to candle until they were all lit. There's no way that would have happened if they'd been inside the enclosed section of the grandstand.

As for a repeat performance at the Cloverdale fairgrounds this year, I don't see it listed on the Olympic torch's route. The torch will be going through Cloverdale on Monday February 8, running along Highway 10 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon and is supposed to stop briefly at the Surrey Museum.