Funny thing is that some guys I went to high school with have played in the "Ball Hockey World Cup" somewhere in Europe representing Team Portugal. We used to play this in a fenced in school parking lot in the old city York before the amalgamation. Even the Eglinton West Jamaicans would play with us.
Would that parking lot be at Silverthorn public school off Kane right??? The parking lot was off Scott RD, no? I use to live on Caledonia and we had tons of games around the neighbourhood and at that same parking lot too. http://wayoutinthemargin.blogspot.ca/2010/07/heritage-york-township-walk.html Street vs Street, old school. I spent 20 something years in that neighbourhood. There was a guy, forgot his name, that use to run the league. He even had a hall of fame in his basement and a trophy too.
That is exactly it. I hated playing there because I was a skinny kid and used to get body checked left right and center by the older guys when they could catch me. I had a few games At Silverthorn PS but used to have neighborhood battles at the old West side Mall side parking lot which has been long demolished. The older guys never ventured north of Eglinton, they thought we would rob them in the ghetto and they liked the "Cage" more. They were probably right, outsiders wouldn't make it out of the area unless they were "allowed". We lived in a building and had about 20 kids in our age group. I think I remember the guy you are talking about but I don't remember the names. One of my buddies who I haven't talked to in a while would know for sure since he was playing there everyday. I spent about 15 long years in the Caledonia/Eglinton area then Keele/Eglinton, then Jane/Lawrence.
There's a number of Portuguese decent in the NHL Mike Ribeiro John Tavares Probably more but those are veey well known
That neighbourhood was a tad rough around the edges. The old City of York always had a reputation of being the other side of the tracks. We moved in when there were no chops, just Italians. Now, it seems like there are only chops. I haven't lived in that neighbourhood for about 20 years, however this summer I found myself in the old hood getting a haircut at Mike's Barbershop and I decided to take a walk around. It was quite the emotional moment for me thinking back to my youth, the first house my parents bought in Canada, the parks I played footy in, my old schools (Hughes and St.Nicholas), the lane way where I had my first smoke and so on. Geez I'm getting all nostalgic.
Yeah, that whole area was rough but it was quiet compared to north of eglinton. Too much violence and gang activity when I was growing up. Glad I got out but stil miss the area too. I still have friends that live on Gilbert Avenue.