The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Len and his brother Cecil came to Flin Flon in October 1953 to try out for the Flin Flon hockey team. Their goal was to play hockey with the Flin Flon Junior Bombers. Len was 17 and had come up from Neepawa, Manitoba. Both made the team, but Cecil only stayed one year while Len is, as we all know, still here. The coach at that time for the Bombers was Bobby Kirk; the trainer was Hec McCaig; and the manager was Buddy Simpson. On the team with Len and Cecil were Bill Anderson (goal), Bill Dobbyn, Joe Kreklewetz, Gordie Redahl, Red McRae, Ken Legros, Rheo Touzin, Bob Chorley, Bob Kabel, Ron Foster, Lyle Willey, Ron Cox, Don Wishart, Buddy McDonald, Wally Peacosh, George Keks and Marty Kozak In his first year with the Bombers, the team made it to the Western Canada finals against the Edmonton Oil Kings but lost in four straight. In his second year with the Bombers, the coaching staff was the same. Red Nelson became the goalie and the team members were Cliff Lennartz, Bill Dobbyn, Lyle Willey, Harley McDougall, Ron Hutchinson, Red McRae, Reo Touzin, Wally Peacosh, Harvey Fleming, Earl O'Neill, Jack Black, Gordie Redahl, Ron Foster, Bob Chorley, Joe Kreklewetz, and Hank Gooderidge for part of a season. See 'Began' P.# Con't from P.# That year the team lost in the first round of playoffs to Prince Albert. Then for the 1955-56 season, the four team loop of the Bombers, Saskatoon Weslies, Prince Albert Mintos and Humboldt Indians picked up two more teams: Yorkton Terriers and Melville Millionaires. With the same coaching staff, the team members including Len were Frank Kubica (goal), Bob Kotje, Ted Hampson, Mel Pearson, Gordie Redahl, Lyle and Ken Willey, Cliff Lennartz, Carl Forster, Ron Hutchinson, George Konik, Wally Peacosh, Stan Moskell, Harvey Fleming, Ernie Poirier and Jack Black. That year the team made it to the Western Canada Finals, losing to the Regina Pats in seven games. Then Len had to 'retire' from the Flin Flon Junior Bombers, missing out on the Memorial Cup-winning team by just a few months because of his age. During those years that Len played for the Bombers, HBMS hired team members to work on the surface bull gang. Len was only in Flin Flon one day when he happened to go to visit his uncle Harry and his cousin Joan and Bev. And who should be Joan's best friend but Lil, better known as Babe Roberts. Suddenly hockey wasn't the only hold on Len. Babe had come to Flin Flon at the 12 from Rose Valley, Saskatchewan. Her brother, Hal, was born in Flin Flon and her parents were Lil and Hank Roberts. Babe went through the school system in Flin Flon starting at Main School and graduating from Hapnot in 1956. Len finished with the Flin Flon Bombers in 1956 and began his married life to Babe that same year. He stayed with HBMS, getting a job in the zinc roasters working with Russ Smith, Dave Woods, Gord Roberts and R.K. Holdaway as his shift bosses. Men he worked with included George Burton, Harold Douglas, Dick Pettapiece, Pete Skwarchuk, Jim Kiss, George Schuman, Walt Lavis, Mel Olson and Adam Glover. During the early years of their married life, Len moonlighted at Excelsior Fuel and Ice, where Leo LeBlanc was the foreman. They would harvest ice from Spirit Lake. This ice would last through the summer for people's ice boxes and other uses. Len and Babe's son Harvey was born while the family lived on Burke Avenue. The family then moved to a suite on Parkway Blvd. That's where they lived when their second son, Dave, was born. Their neighbours were Dan and Dick Woloshyn and their families, Larry Ness and Al Lindgren. Then the Bolton family bought their first home in 1960 on Green Street and sons Ron and Bob were born while they lived there. In the early '60s Len coached track and field along with Bunny Jones and Bill East. Some of the kids that took track and field were Pat and Chris Wullum, Chris Bradbury, Bev Parres, Freddie Lavitt and Jim Cothardt. Len transferred to the tank house in 1962 and worked with Stan Case, Mel Hammell, George Bradbury, Charlie and Walter Jones, Hank Beever, Gerry Dempsey, Howard Eagle, Ken Saunders, Mel and Al Aune, and Austin Bailey. In 1969 the family moved to the home that once belonged to Babe's family on Green Street. From about 1958-64 Len refereed minor hockey. He was also a linesman for the SJHL for Bomber games along with Red Nelson, Metro Lekopoy, Ron Menzies and Jack Clark. In 1966 Len took a special apprenticeship in the electrical department and worked there until his retirement in 1991. The bosses at that time were Stew Evans, Wally Warnick, Roy Warren, Henry Budlong, George Muggaberg, Alex Huston and Ken Reader. Some of the guys that Len worked with were Gord Waldmo, Duke Russell, Paul Roziak, Gar Wallaker, Joe Chudy, Ron Potkonjak, Glen and Bob Bensen, Doug Rowe, Howard Abrahamson, Mike Booker and George Kearns. See 'Sweden' P.# Con't from P.# As a couple, both Len and Babe were very involved in minor hockey as their sons went through the ranks. Babe was a statistician for Pinkie Davie's "Saturday Morning Minor Hockey" for many years. Both served on the executive at different times through the years. As a young family, they spent many summers camping at Bakers Narrows, working their way up from a tent to a motorhome. In the winter the boys played outdoor hockey at the Willowvale rink with Frank Bocklage, their bunkhouse attendant. Babe and Len even coached a girls fastball team and had Wendy Morrison, Wanda Olson, Heather Poirier, Susan Fell and Dodie Willis on their team. In 1977, one of the highlights for Len and Babe was the trip to Stockholm, Sweden that the Flin Flon Bantam Bombers took. Of the seven games, Flin Flon won five. Len played 'old time hockey' from about 1978-84. He played with Hugh Meikle, Ernie Poirier, Dennis Mansell, Gord Redahl, Alex Huston (coach), Paddy Hamilton, Harry Gummerson, George Chigol, Erv Hilliard, Larry and Terry Kennedy, Glen Johnson, Mel Pearson, Don Playford, Gerry Hamm, Vic Poirier, George Barbanoff, Lloyd Young, Jim Senka, John and Val Harkiss, Jack Turner, Larry Scully, Butch Lekopoy and Tom Davies. Len even went to tournaments such as the Canadian Oldtimers in Vancouver and the Worlds in Toronto, as well as tournaments in Swan River, Prince Albert, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Thompson. When the family moved down to Willowvale, Babe worked full-time for Nick, John and Wes Klewchuk at the Willowvale Grocery. In 1984, Len decided to take up curling. He curled with Grant Adams, Harry Joyner, Elmer Arnold and then he curled with Doug Gourlay, Norm Rudd and Ed Martin for many years. He ended up representing Flin Flon three times in the Masters: the first time in 1999 in Winnipeg, with Wally Ariko, Metro Lekopoy, and Ken Allen; the second time in 2004 in Winnipeg with Al Chartrand, Alex Graham and Lorne Morrison; and the third time in 2005 in Portage la Prairie with Bryan White, Bev Baker and Kirk Huntley. Babe and Len moved to 19 Tamarack Drive once the boys had all grown up. Babe passed away in 2000. Len has eight grandchildren. Harvey married Karen Marchant and they have Melissa and Michael; David married Cindy Petalik and they have Laura and Rachelle; Ron married Sherri Poirier and they have Taylor and Todd; and Bob married Susan Chaisson and they have Derek and Jordon. Len is also blessed with two great grandchildren. Melissa married Kirk Streitle and they have Dustin and Kayla. Len is very lucky. With the exception of Ron and his family, who live in Calgary, Len has all his family near by. He has no plans of leaving Flin Flon. When asked, he just smiled, "There is no better place on earth." Thanks so much for the wonderful story! Many great memories here!
