Thank you to everyone who shared their stories, photos or videos about The Aud this spring! The video commemorating The Aud’s 70th anniversary featuring your content is now available on this page and on YouTube. Come back and visit this page any time to see the video and read through everyone’s memories.
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First game
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My daughter's first game three years ago - Rebecca Knapp -
Girl Guides of Canada 100 year celebration of our Founder Lord Baden Powell at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in 1957
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To the Mike Farwell Show and also The Aud or as I knew it, The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium has played a large part in my memory in many ways from Skating Saturday Mornings when I was a child, to going with my Dad to see the Dutchman Play hockey and cheering on Butch Martin, Ken Laufman and many other favourite players and later watching the Kitchener Rangers. Another memory was watching the tag teams with Little Beaver and many other wrestlers. It was always such fun to go to the events at the Aud.
But my most memorable time was when I was a part of Girl Guides of Canada in 1957 when we were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of our Founder Lord Baden Powell . He was born in 1857 and the Auditorium was filled with Girl Guides and Brownies from the KW and area. I am not sure if the Boy Scouts were also in attendance. It seems with Covid 19 that information was hard to come by since our Archives of GG is in Toronto and the Archives for the Aud was also difficult to get to. I was part of the colour party for this ceremony and my colour guards were my guide friends Diane Aljoe and Sharon Drown. I think we were all about 13 years old. I wore a leather holder which the flag fit into and once at the front of the Aud where the ceremony was to take place, I was to put the flag into the flag holder which I had to have a bit of help from my Girl Guide leader whose name was Captain Evelyn Power and we were part of the 12th Kitchener Girl Guide Unit, meeting at St. Columbus Anglican Church on Lancaster Street . It was such an honour to be chosen to be in the colour party and to be part of this event and a memory that I have never forgotten at the then Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in the year 1957.
I have included a picture of my Girl Guide Uniform which I wore for this event and it brings back fond memories. Some of the friends I made in Girl Guides, I am still in touch with more than 60 years later. My family was also a part of the Girl Guide and Boy Scout Movement.
- Jan Golbeck
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More than just memories
Share More than just memories on Facebook Share More than just memories on Twitter Share More than just memories on Linkedin Email More than just memories linkI can still feel the special memories of Friday nights watching the Rangers with my dad. They were my heroes. Growing up on Edmund Road, I walked past The Aud to and from Sheppard School. After School I couldn't wait to go in and watch the Rangers practice. Seeing them up close, getting to talk to them, having them flip you a puck or give you a broken stick was so special. As a kid my favourite player was Jack Egers. He'd talk to me after practice and even bought me hockey cards. In those days, my minor hockey games were early on Saturday morning at the Annex. After my game, my dad would drive me home and I'd grab my skates and walk back to The Aud and join my friends for the free skating session. It was so cool skating on the same ice the Rangers were on the night before. Right after the public skate, the Rangers practiced so I stuck around for that. I remember one practice where after a loss the night before, the coach Eddie Bush looked up to me and said, come down here young man. I thought I was in trouble for something. All the players were gathered around the bench and he points to me and says, If you have the puck and you see a player with the goalie down and an open net what would you do? I nervously said, pass him the puck. Eddie turned to the players and said even this kid knows what to do, why didn't you do that last night.
After watching so many games over the years, being asked to be the Rangers PA announcer in 1995 was a huge honour. I feel so blessed and proud to have a small part in the Rangers game night presentation. The feeling of announcing a Rangers goal to 7,000 plus fans cheering that player is such a thrill. I always think of Don Cameron when I think of the Rangers. His play by play of the games over the years helped us "see" games. It was always great seeing him at the games. I think his spirit is present at every game.
The Rangers and The Aud are the perfect match. The Rangers are The Aud and The Aud is the Rangers, but The Aud is more than just the Rangers. The Aud enhances whatever is happening in it. Over the years events like concerts, Ice Capades, The Harlem Globetrotters, wrestling, international hockey, The Memorial Cups, curling championships, religious events, trade shows, WE Day, the Central Ontario Exhibition have all had a home at The Aud. It's a special place where so many memories and special moments have been made. It's even more special because it's a Living Memorial to those who gave us our freedom and those who keep the peace and preserve freedom. If you've experienced a Rangers Remembrance Day Ceremony, you know how treasured, special and meaningful that connection is.
Happy 70th Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. - Dave Schnider
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Fond fan memories
Share Fond fan memories on Facebook Share Fond fan memories on Twitter Share Fond fan memories on Linkedin Email Fond fan memories linkI have lots of stories and memories of The Aud. I started to attend hockey games at The Aud with my Dad and Uncle when I was very young playing minor hockey in PRESTON. Then when I was a teenager I used to hitch hike with my best friend Larry to the Junior or Senior games. As time went on I played Junior Jr. B Hockey with the Preston Legion Raiders against the Kitchener Jr. B Rangers at The Aud. After I was no longer of age to play Junior hockey I did a 10 year stint in the O.H.A. as a referee. I was fortunate enough to get some linesman assignments for Kitchener Ranger games. I have many fond memories of The Aud over the years and I still attend games and events to this day! What a magnificent and historical facility The Aud continues to be! I'm very proud to have been a part of it.
Karl Kiefer
Regional Councillor - Cambridge
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The best concert moment
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Every time I saw Mariana's Trench perform at the Aud is my favorite moment. Especially the time a piano was put right in the middle of the audience & Josh Ramsay performed songs on it!! Can't wait until The Trench comes back once concerts start up again. - Jennifer Turner -
Rangers ice
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February 2018. This is my son, Liam Woods, taking a pre-game lap on The Aud's ice surface. This was the first time he got to skate on Kitchener Rangers home ice. He said it was a dream come true! That smile you see on his face was there from puck drop 'til the final buzzer. I'm not sure if they won or lost that day. All that mattered was that he was playing a game that he loved and was having fun doing so. - Erik Woods -
An inside perspective
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I have alot of memories at the Aud, working there in the past with wonderful coworkers and bosses, seeing awesome events going on like Jeff Dunham, Hedley concerts, Harlem Globetrotters, Kitchener Panthers, Kitchener Dutchmen, Kitchener Rangers, winning the 50/50 at the Rangers game, giving Mike Farwell Butter tarts before the Rangers game, being around awesome fans and staff at the Aud, and just having a great time. More memories to come in the years. - Karalee Stockie -
An Aud welcome
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Players, and all staff of the Kitchener Rangers are always so welcoming to young fans. It’s such a great experience to attend any event at The Aud. - Brad Warne -
The blue crew
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This was me and my friends during the 2019-2020 regular season we were known as the Blue Crew this was our first game together as a crew we saw the Rangers take on North bay we were in the front row at ice level cheering on the Rangers as they won 9-2 we rocked the Aud as loud as we could and it was an awesome game for all of us. - Cody Mcammond -
My Frontenacs fan fiance
Share My Frontenacs fan fiance on Facebook Share My Frontenacs fan fiance on Twitter Share My Frontenacs fan fiance on Linkedin Email My Frontenacs fan fiance linkMy future husband is a huge Frontenacs fan, he had never attended a game at the Aud before, so I decided to surprise him with tickets to the game on February 13, 2005. Even though his beloved Frontenacs lost he still enjoyed the game and electric atmosphere of the aud. - Cheryl H
