Race night at the Gardens

At the height of his career there was simply nothing in Canada comparable to the spectacle of Torchy Peden and his CCM Flyer on a Saturday night at Maple Leaf Gardens. With motor cars lining the curb, Toronto's finest attempted to bring order to the crowd headed in to catch the last night of the six day race and the magic that was Torchy.

It was a curious mix as various members of the city's elite waited in line with a veritable who's who of the Toronto underworld.   

"Women, painted and prim, men, sober and drunk, dolls, mobsters, and businessmen, walkers in every street of life in Toronto, thrust and push and fight their ways beyond the corridprs and through doors and runways leading to the clattering, insane tumult beyond."

As the throng streamed through the turnstiles, they were hit by the aroma of cigarettes and hot dogs and a swarm of familiar faces.

"Doc Morton, grizzled and lean as whipcord from endless bike toil, shuffles along. There is Fred Bullivant, mother, father, doctor and advisor extraordinaire to bike riders and officials.....Cheek by jowl with these are men and women of note in the city and others who seldom appear in daylight."

As the big clock in the centre of the arena ticks off the last hour of the race, Willie Spencer orchestras the scene from above with a field phone linked to his race director on the floor.

"Tell Peden to chase. Tell the Germans to ride like they've never rode in their lives before. See so and so in his bunk and tell him to get out there or this is the last bike race he will ever see from the infield."

Spencer turns his head, swallows a glass of orange juice and hollers into the loudspeaker: "Six.....six laps to go!"

As Spencer's voice calls out above the din, Torchy abandons the pack to claim the finish line, much to the cheering delight of those now too exhausted or intoxicated to stand.  

* All quotes from: Andy Lytle, "Star Sport Rays," Toronto Star, May 13, 1935.