Exhibition Park is in a quiet neighbourhood between London Road and Division Street. The city bought the land, known as the Catholic Glebe, for $5,000 in 1871 against the objections of many a taxpayer. Many considered it a vainglorious attempt to rival other local communities with their large fairgrounds.

Indeed, it was created to host an annual exhibition – hence the name. In this role, it housed several structures. They included various exhibition buildings, including an octagonal arena for showcasing the livestock. A large wooden structure was dubbed “the Crystal Palace” after its namesake in London, England.

Yet, it was more than an exhibition park. It has boasted several diverse amenities over the years. These ranged from a small but elegant bandstand to a wooden fence-enclosed “splendid racetrack.” The latter ran around the perimeter of Exhibition Park. Horse races were held here with regularity. The fence was eventually removed, and the racetrack disappeared. However, one sport that remained at Exhibition Park was baseball.

Baseball Mad

Guelph became a baseball city early. They had not only the usual industrial mishmash, but also one special team. This was the Guelph Maple Leafs. They played on the Exhibition grounds at the older grandstand. It was home to many exciting and well-attended games.

A memorable game was played there between the Maple Leafs and the Boston Red Stockings in 1874. On that Dominion Day, the park was packed with often fanatical fans to watch the renowned Maple Leafs in action. The grandstand was packed, and the on-ground seating was overflowing. An estimated 8,000 were in attendance. The Leafs lost, but it did not stop them. The team went on to win the then equivalent of the modern World Series later that July in Watertown, New York.

The bandstand they performed at remained in use for many years. Complaints continuously arose about “very poor seating problems” amongst other issues. However, it was not until after a championship tournament in 1921 that the city considered building new facilities. This took place in 1925.

 By this point, Exhibition Park had a drinking fountain, lights and “lawn seats.” These accommodated such events as pipe band performances, political rallies and a memorable “Monster Picnic” held by the International Moulders Union in July 1914.

Labour Day and Dominion Day celebrations were frequently held in this park. Labour Day of 1942, when the Imperial Veterans, instead of the Guelph Trades and Labour Council, sponsored the Parade, was a particularly large and well-attended event. Float competitions took place amid displays of military might.

In 1957, the Labour Day Parade and celebrations were hosted by the United Steel Workers of America (USWA). The Royalaires lead the Parade. Guest speakers included Larry Sefton, USWA District Six Director. The thousands who attended enjoyed an entire day of games, music and speeches. A “huge fireworks display” closed the evening.

Kid’s Paradise

In many ways, Exhibition Park was a neighbourhood kid’s paradise in the 1960s. According to Ed Butts, it had a large outdoor skating rink in the winter and, in the summer, offered “just about every activity a kid could think of before the coming of Nintendo: baseball, soccer, kites, bikes, marbles, and any game that involved chasing or hiding.” He notes the playground set and the wading pool.

Exhibition Park Today

Today, although the Park still has an outdoor skating rink and several combination baseball diamonds and soccer fields, the wading pool and the old playground set are gone. The trees, however, have grown older and taller with the city adding more in anticipation of the eventual demise of their older counterparts.

A water fountain still exists, and the baseball stadium continues to host significant games, although it has been decades since a team as great as the Guelph Maple Leafs has graced the grass. An arena was added in 1965, offering more opportunities. While Exhibition Park is no longer the home for the great political events of times past, it still hosts events, including The Guelph Dance Festival’s “In the Park.” Moreover, it is often the starting point for one of the most important annual events for children throughout the city – the Santa Claus Parade.