In the early 1970s, only one Recreation Council existed in Sunny Corner, where it still remains today. Then, in the mid-seventies, the people of Little South-West Recreation Council formed their own Recreation Council. At one of their meetings, it was decided to move an existing rink’s perimeter boards and poles, as well as the accompanying structure, to a new location east of Somers Bridge in Sillikers.
In 1979, Bill Tozer accepted the position as President of the Recreation CounciI and offered to prepare the Silliker’s site for the relocation of the skating rink and change building. The new property in Sillikers stretched from the highway to the top of the incline. The land where the building is today was very soft and contained a considerable amount of mud. With permission, all poor material was excavated out and gravel from the property owned by Robert Flett of Flett Construction Ltd. was trucked in. In 1984, the land was purchased for $10,000.
The property to the right of the site’s driveway, extended from the road down to the river, thereby providing river front access.
The Recreation Council decided that a log building would be most appropriate for this location. A request was submitted for financial assistance from the Provincial Government. They agreed to a grant of $40,000 with the requirement that we match the amount, which we did. The next challenge was to obtain the required logs, most of which needed to be 40 feet or 50 feet long.
In 1980-81, Joe O’Neill, the Manager of Woodlands for Acadia Forest Products, granted permission to take down trees in the Parks Brook area. He issued a permit for the Recreation Council to cut logs on their government holdings with no charge for stumpage. All the Council was required to pay was the government stumpage. In turn, the government agreed to forfeit their portion of stumpage. In September 1980, work began on building a log structure!
Plenn Nowlan selected the trees to be cut in the Parks Brook area. He had a skilled chain saw operator and a person to run his skidder to bring the trees to the roadside. Additional help came from Edward Legresley, a trucker from Chatham Head, who agreed to haul the long logs from Parks Brook to the Newcastle plant to be treated. He then delivered them to the Sillikers building site, free of charge. With the hauling of the logs organized, Thomas Ashton, the manager of Domtar Chemical, a creosote plant in Newcastle, was approached. He agreed to turn the logs and pass them through their equipment, which would remove all the lumps, burrs, and some various growths. This would allow the long logs to lie close together.
Next, concrete footings were placed on the site to support the construction. By late October, all footings had been completed. The late autumn weather became too cold to continue construction. Fortunately, a four-month delay was given from Fredericton regarding the grant.
In March of 1981, work began again. Allan MacTavish and Sidney Astle were hired to select and place the logs. They were skilled axemen and their expertise is still evident in the finished product, which stands to this day.
Excellent cooperation from many different companies brought this large project together. Trucks hauled gravel from the land next door, a prentice loader picked up logs and placed them, and a boom truck was hired to erect the rafters. During the activity, we had many tourists stop to take photos. We were becoming a place of interest!
Community volunteers cut the lumber in the bush purchased from Flett Construction Ltd. The cut lumber was made into pulp, and carried to the roadside. The wood was loaded and trucked to the Repap Mill. All proceeds went toward the $10,000 purchase.
Finally, during the late 1980s, the construction was complete. The place became known as the Sillikers Rec Centre because of its location. A ball field was built and Blaine Silliker, a man who had spent significant time at the center, became the manager of Sillikers Lumber King ball team. The ball field was regularly used each summer and teams from local communities, such as Eel Ground and Red Bank, enjoyed friendly competition.
In the following years, large community events and competitions were held during the summer. Usually, July 1st was celebrated with a Lumberman’s Day. Competition was fierce during such events as the Log-rolling Contest, Rolling Pin Throw, Horse Hauling Tournament, Kettle Boiling Competition, Crosscut Saw Contest, and Spike Driving Event. There were even competitions for the youngsters. All events were very well-attended, with competitors and spectators coming from as faraway as Rogersville, Boiestown, Bai Saint Ann, and surrounding communities.
For the hungry crowds, a barbecued steak supper with corn on the cob would be offered. At other times, many barbeques were set up, where chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. were prepared. We thank those who contributed their time, skilled labour, dedication, and hard work for our benefit. It takes an interested community to create a vibrant meeting place. A place where all are welcome to enjoy the quiet sanctuary of nature’s beauty. But what is the origin of the land where it rests, and its surrounding rivers? What is their history?
The Tuadook River in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, drains northeastward from Holmes Lake and Tuadook Lake into the Little Southwest Miramichi River. The Mi’kmaq called the Little Southwest Miramichi River, “Tooadook”. The Indigenous Community of Red Bank live a short distance from the Sillikers Rec Centre.
In order to integrate the original Mi’kmaq name, “Tooadook”, for the Little Southwest Miramichi River, and our Indigenous community neighbours, the Silliker’s Rec Centre was renamed to the Tuadook Village Community Centre, in 2018. The new name now takes its place in the history of the Silliker’s Rec Centre. This documentation ends with the ongoing events of another eventful year at the Tuadook Village Community Centre.
It starts with an idea. It leans on its community! It takes a village!