The Arena Builder - Edwin Peter Dey

EDWIN PETER DEY was born in Hull, Canada East on April 21, 1864, Dey followed in his father’s footsteps by operating one of the country’s leading boat works. His plant at the canal basin specialized in racing canoes, which were used in many championship regattas.

Dey was best known as an arena and hockey team owner. In his youth, Dey, with brothers William and Frank, played hockey on a team called the Dey’s Rink Pirates. Later, he and his brother William managed the first Dey’s Skating Rink on the premises of their boat business.

Then, in 1896, they built the city’s first rink meant specifically for hockey at the corner of Bay Street and Gladstone Avenue. It was the site of Ottawa’s first Stanley Cup victory in 1903.

In 1907, the brothers built their third and final arena on Laurier Avenue, where the Ottawa Senators played for 15 years. Dey and partner Tommy Gorman bought the Senators in 1918 and ran the club for five years, culminating in a Stanley Cup championship in 1923.

With his clipped moustache, dour expression and trademark white spats protecting his shoes, Dey was a familiar figure around the arena. Fans were thus shocked when he abruptly sold his interest in the team and moved to New York City. Eventually, Dey and his wife relocated to British Columbia, where he passed away on April 15, 1943.

Photo: The Dey Arena plan in 1907.