What's in a name? Thousands of commuters on highways 10 and 17 pass by Paterson Park daily, noting only open space and an abandoned track.
Always on the lookout for new walks with Louis (Loo-ee), our seven-year-old Labradoodle, I chanced to stop and enjoy the lightly used facility. As I walked the half-mile track with Louis, memories of the glory years of this Standard bred racing facility came flooding back.
To answer my first question, the commonly referred Paterson Park is named after A.D. Paterson, councillor in Delta from 1912 to 1913 and reeve from 1914 to 1919 and again from 1923 to 1944.
As we walked the half-mile oval, I was immediately conscious of the past sounds from a grandstand full of bettors and race aficionados. The pounding of hoofs from the pacers and trotters and a strident voice calling each race through the loudspeakers directed at the grandstand. At the time one could hear the sound and noise of the track's activity from Ladner centre.
I recall watching Captain King, undefeated and holder of the track record of 2: 10, until much later, when it was ultimately reduced by Lindy Tass to 2: 03. I recall the likes of Albert Huff, Murray and Ken Davie, Ted Towers and Ernie Burnett, to name a few locals with prominent roles at the popular racetrack.
The barns were full of trotters and pacers with daily workouts, readying for the weekend competitions.
The owner of the land and facilities, the Delta Agricultural Society, was founded in 1888 at a meeting of farmers chaired by William Ladner. There were five directors elected, one being a great grandfather of mine. The society petitioned local government for 24 acres of the Trenant Public School reserve lands to be used as agriculture show grounds.
Initially a lessee, the society obtained title to the property in 1902. The land was used for farm fairs and local harness racing in a limited fashion until 1920. One of the society's goals was to improve the breeding of the harness horse and in so doing a permanent half-mile track was constructed along with barns and a grandstand.
In 1948, Huff, a local farmer and councillor along with Paterson, decided to get racing going in a "big way" in Ladner. On the May long weekend, horses and 6,000 fans gathered for the first time at the newly refurbished track and facilities. Floodlights and betting machines attracted competition from around the province and the United States.
The track was successfully operated for 20 years until closure in 1968. A victim of its own success and limited for space, the racetrack days were transferred to larger premises in Cloverdale.
Paterson Park continued to be used by locals as a training track for many years. The track now sits as a reminder of its past.
Huff was elected posthumously to the B.C. Standardbred Harness Racing Hall of Fame for "his enormous contribution to the sport."
A councillor in Delta for 17 years, he was selected as Delta's Citizen of the Year in 1966, a year before his passing at age 73.
It's also worth remembering that Delta will celebrate its 133 birthday on Nov. 10. Happy Birthday, Delta, and a goodnight to you, Leslie.
