Dave Pallett, who operates Pleasant View Farms in the Dixie community and who played Junior B hockey with the Dixie Beehives, tells a story which must be repeated. During the construction of Dixie Arena, the roof beams were shipped in by rail from out west and were unloaded at a siding in Dixie. But the rafters were designed as one piece and were too long for a single truck. Two flatbed trucks were positioned back-to-back, with one pointing in one direction and the second truck pointing in the opposite direction. The roof beams were then placed on the flat beds. It’s a short drive from the Dixie rail siding to the site of the arena, but long enough to cause concern because one of the drivers obviously had to reverse all the way to keep pace with the other truck. It seems though that this trip was the least of Leslie H. Pallet’s worries. According to lifetime area resident Jack Goddard, Les refused to watch the rafters being put into place. He was convinced they were not long enough and wouldn’t fit. He just didn’t want to watch. Finally, when the first one went exactly to the inch into place, he realized things were going to be just fine.
That first All Ontario Championship had a little story that has never been told in print. Ed Long, like most of his Beehive teammates, was a bit of a party person. He had partied most of the night in Port Hope before he had to report to Sarnia for the game. He quickly gathered up his hockey gear and took a train to London. The problem was that he had to hitch hike from there to Sarnia. His ride was on the back of a motorcycle. With his duffle bag over his shoulder, he held on for dear life to the driver. When he got to Sarnia, it was obvious to everyone that he really wasn’t in the greatest of shape. However, the press reported that Ed Long didn’t play up to par because he had suffered a groin injury.