To bring Dixie Arena Gardens into an operational success for year round entertainment, one of the most important decisions made had to be the hiring of a full time arena manager. In 1952, the arena Board of Directors announced that Johnny Dunne would be hired as general manager. Johnny’s first association with Dixie Arena came when he took over the sporting goods concession shortly after the arena opened. Later, along with Gord Orr, he operated roller-skating at the arena.
Johnny came to Dixie with a checkered background in ice-skating. When he was just six years of age, he won the City of Toronto Seaflea Championship. At age 10, he was the Ontario title-holder in the Under 14 age grouping. He held that title for four years. At age 14, he also won the 1934 Dominion of Canada speed skating championship in the Under 16 age group. The same year Johnny won the Centennial Championship at Maple Leaf Gardens and skated in the 18-year old class in the North American Olympic Trials, placing third. Before turning professional in 1936, he had collected more than 50 medals and trophies in speed skating.
Johnny Dunne seen years later with his grandson Terry. Photo courtesy of the Dunne Family.
Turning professional, he performed stilt and trick skating in the Harry ‘Red’ Foster Ice Show. He teamed with Ernie Cadell and later Earle Raham. They were the only team in the world to use tandem skates. The skates were especially made by Johnny’s uncle and were 71 cm. long (28-inches) with two boots on each blade.
Johnny enlisted in the Army’s Canadian School of Artillery during WW11. While overseas, he suffered an injury to his knee, which forced him to restrict his skating career after he was discharged in 1946. Upon entering civilian life, he organized the first Canadian Ice Review to tour Ontario. In the show, he performed on stilts only and soon gave up skating.