“Roller skating isn't dead!” was one among many of the comments received in response to my previous article detailing the rise and decline of Sudbury’s Roller Country.
In fact, from the many others who wrote in response to their memories being super-charged, I’m sure that roller skating could have a bright future in the Nickel City. But for now, to borrow a line from Cher’s roller-disco classic, “Let’s roll, hell on wheels … Come on and roll with me” while we check out your memories of our very own Boogie Wonderland.
Now, before we continue onto that pristine wooden floor, we had better collect our skates from the rental shop. Of course, for the diehard “roller boogiers” (yes, I just created a word to serve my purpose), the best thing was to have your very own pair of skates. Reader Monique Ratelle-Babin recalls that “one of (the) greatest memories was Xmas morning when I was 15 and got my own pair of roller skates.”
While another reader, Denise Guignard, still has her skates from all the way back in that roller skating heyday.
As reader SudburyShawn commented, Roller Country (along with JJs Arcade just up the street, apparently) “was THE place to be in the early to mid 80s.” For a vast majority of readers, the roller rink was their home away from home during their teenage years. Ratelle-Babin made good use of that Christmas gift and “practically LIVED there in my teens.” While, Denise Guignard “was there the first day they opened (right up) until they closed.” Since she still has her skates, would most likely still be there. (Right, Denise?)
After reading the comments left online at the Sudbury Then and Now Facebook page, I’m willing to bet that there were more than a few parents who never saw their teenagers for multiple weekends in a row during the height of Roller Country’s popularity.
As Diane Gladu-Gibson wrote, “This place was so great. I lived there every weekend. (I) loved dancing on skates, meeting up with friends and new dates and just didn’t want to go home when it was over.”
Lisa Kunto-Hamilton agreed, stating that those were “some of the best times, (as she) spent every weekend there until it closed.” Mina Thibeault commented that, to this day, she “say(s) this all the time. It was home to many of us (who) loved the all-night skates. My mom never saw me from Friday to Sunday every weekend.”
Tammy Maki remembers that “my mother wasn't big on letting me go and do much when I was a young teen, but I was able to convince her that Roller Country was an acceptable thing to do. My best friend, Lori, and I would go there. It was ‘the’ place to be seen and to see everyone.” To which reader Ann Hamel adds succinctly that “the friendships that were made (there were) to last a lifetime.”
Of course, let’s not forget about men’s thoughts on the subject either.
Mike Kapanen “certainly lived there in my Boogie (down) young(er) days.” He continued that he (and I’m sure many others would agree) had “such great times and memories back in the Roller Country era.”
Todd Lefebvre claims (not without merit) that it was “definitely one of the best places to go and have a great night out.” While Ken Levola agreed, stating that it “was one of the greatest places Sudbury ever had.”
Natalie Brassard-Jodouin in her reminiscences recalled that “when you had (a certain) button you got a discount” this led her “to sneak out my bedroom window with my skates in hand and walk down Lasalle … making my way down Notre Dame for Saturday midnight skate.” It was there that she “would meet up with friends and did the couples’ dances,” as she continued, “us little kids were so good and rocked the rink.”
Reader Colette Ca remembers that “those midnight skates were the best! ‘Crazy Train’ for the backwards only and groovin' to ‘Staying Alive’ and ‘I Will Survive’.” Melanie MacRae commented that not only was Roller Country her “introduction to line dancing and the music (of) The Bee Gees and others from (the) Saturday Night Fever soundtrack” but she also “attended a disco dance lesson on roller skates there.” And, even though she does not “remember who were the two main attraction dancers, but it was a blast.”
When there arose an issue with the skating surface in 1981, many skaters felt as Sue Bisson Todd did at the time.
“It took them so long to repair that floor,” she wrote. “I thought I would go through withdrawal because I couldn't go skating.” Luckily (for her and all of the other skating aficionados), it was fixed in time for a grand re-opening at the end of the summer that year.
Anne Savard recalls that “this is where I met my then husband … I started going there on a Grade 9 school trip … caught the bug and returned with my cousin … and friends … (as it) was such great times.” In a follow up comment, Julia Kristen not only confirmed this to be true, stating that “my parents met there,” but that “my mom liked my dad's butt in jeans.”
Linda Brault worked in the concession stand back in the day for three years, from 1979 to 1981. Not only does she remember her compensation at the time — “the wages back then were less than $3 an hour and when I quit, I was making a whopping $3.10/hour” — but believes that the “times were simpler back then and a whole lot more fun.”
Like Anne Savard above, Linda also met spouses through a connection (whether intentional or not) to Roller Country. As she writes, “I did meet and marry the DJ (Mr Bill) back then, but was a short marriage (1 year).” Then fast forward into the future where she met “husband Andy … (we didn’t know each other in our youth) … he was a Rolly-Rooter Hotshot back then, spending as much time on the rink surface as possible.”
For some of our readers, roller skating felt a lot like love, because falling was part of the process. Anne Patrakka recalled a time, possibly around 1977, where she had to beg her mother to let her go with an older friend, as her mom was afraid that she would get hurt. As Anne continued, “Long story short, I did get hurt … lost my front tooth, and got stuck with a silver tooth for years! Mom was right … but still good times!”
A couple of our readers recalled going to the roller rink as a part of school field trips (not unlike the trips some schools take to the arena in the winter) or with family. Sandy Oben “remember(s) going in Grade 9 with (her) cousin Shawna” and even though she “never was any good at roller skating … it didn’t stop us from having fun.”
Steven Vallarsa “went there so many times with family and on school field trips.” Unfortunately, he “never learned to skate properly and fell down every time the glitter balls were lit.”
Reader Michelle Delamorandiere will never forget the surprise birthday that she had there. “For the birthday bumps,” she remembers, “two workers held my hands and feet and swung me up and down on a large soft block. I thought I was going to hit the ceiling. Best time ever.”
Over the years, some of the more prolific visitors to Roller Country moved up the ranks from guest to staff member. One of those people is reader Marc Peters, who emailed in some memories to us about his time at the rink.
“I started skating at 16 years old in 1979 right up till its closing. After a few years of skating and making so many new friends, I actually got the chance to work there as a ‘Cruiser’. We donned the black and white striped referee shirts and skated around helping less skilled skaters and also redirecting traffic around the many ‘wipe outs.’ It was such clean fun though, and talk about exercise! By the final years, Bingo had pretty much taken over and roller skating was only from midnight till 8 a.m. (‘Midnight Skates’ they were called)”
Another reader, Doug McCann, enjoyed the flashbacks brought about from the first article as he worked there as a disk jockey from 1977 to 1979. In fact, he even found himself in one of the accompanying photos. “That’s me sitting at the DJ console in the brochure,” he wrote, “Hard to believe I was ever that young! Wonderful memories!”
Speaking of DJ’s, another of Roller Country’s musical maestro, Kevin Donnelly (aka KJ the DJ) wrote to us about his time in the booth.
“I was one of the DJs around 1981 … I brought my own music catalog to Roller Country and blended it in with what was being played at the time, which quickly changed the format entirely … The music was fresh and new and it flooded the roller rink with skaters … a few times I had skaters come to the booth and ask me if I was in from Toronto … Because the music I brought was new, they thought I was from the big city … They might have also thought I was from the big city because I looked like a metalhead with long hair and here I was playing hardcore dance funk.”
Reader Ann Hamel worked there in three different positions over the years (the concession stand, as a cruiser and also a Rolly Rooter). “The people & staff were great but the DJ’s (Mr Bill) John, Larry were just a few who played the best music you could groove to.”
Dan Blais worked there for a while and even remembers “having to drive (all the way to) Muskegon, Michigan to pick up some paint to paint the floor to give it kind of a sticky texture for the skates to stick to better, and (of course) we had to paint the whole floor the group of us.”
Unfortunately, as with many activities, all good things must come to an end. Tammy Maki wrote bittersweetly that she was “so sad when it closed down, but (that) some of the best music memories and biggest laughs are encased in that building.” Ann Hamel added that she “miss(ed) those days and was saddened to hear they closed down.” While Linda Brault was hopeful for the future, stating that “it would be wonderful if Sudbury had a Roller Country today for the people to exercise, socialize and simply burn energy.”
Just to show us how strong the memories remain of those years gone by at Sudbury’s roller palace, when reader Anne Savard later entered the building in 2003 to set up the former Liquidation World store, her first thoughts went back to what that environment looked like during her youth.
As she recalls, “When I first walked into that empty building, I was walking around and saying the DJ booth was there … the coat check was there … Oh, the memories.”
Well dear readers, our weekend skate-a-thon is over, and the winners are every single one of us who were able to reminisce about Roller Country.
As Marc Peters “I'd be skating this weekend in Sudbury if a new Roller Country magically opened!” And, I'm sure that a lot of readers feel the same.
For those interested in reliving your skating glory days, check out Nickel City Roller Derby for information about the roller discos that they host throughout the summer. See you here again in two weeks for another trip back through time.
Jason Marcon is a writer and history enthusiast in Greater Sudbury. He runs the Coniston Historical Group and the Sudbury Then and Now Facebook page. Memory Lane is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
