It Happened in Cambridge

06/14/2026

Proudly presenting ithappenedincambridge.com. Check out our music and audio downloads, all relating to local stories and books, and let us know what you think! https://ithappenedincambridge.com/shop/ols/categories/music--audio

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04/30/2026

I’m very pleased to share that "Canada’s Hockey Team at Cortina: And the Olympic Winter of 1956" has just been published and was recently featured by CambridgeToday.

Signed copies of the book will be available at the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Cambridge Centre on Saturday, May 2 from noon to 3 p.m.

This richly-illustrated book tells the story of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, chosen to represent Canada at the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and at its heart is the remarkable lifelong friendship of Jack McKenzie and Don Rope — two outstanding athletes, teachers, coaches, and role models. As I say in the story, this is ultimately a book about friendship, memory, and the meaning of the Olympic ideal. (CambridgeToday.ca)

For years, Canada’s bronze medal in hockey at Cortina was seen as a disappointment, but with time the deeper meaning of that experience came into focus. I hope readers will find in these pages not only a forgotten chapter of Canadian hockey history, but also a moving human story. (CambridgeToday.ca)

Thank you to CambridgeToday for the coverage.

You can read the story here:
https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news/cambridge-authors-book-revisits-complicated-1956-olympic-hockey-bronze-12203479?utm_source=cambridge%20spaces&utm_campaign=cambridge%20spaces%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral

The book is available now (both in print and e-book versions) through It Happened in Cambridge, with print copies available across Canada, and the ebook also on Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/ca/book/canadas-hockey-team-at-cortina-and-the-olympic/id6759878498

Cambridge residents can get free shipping by ordering the Cambridge version online. https://ithappenedincambridge.com/shop/ols/products/cambridge-residents-canadas-hockey-team-at-cortina-and-the-olympic-winter-of-1956

The Canada-wide version, which includes shipping costs, can be accessed at: https://ithappenedincambridge.com/shop/ols/products/canadas-hockey-team-at-cortina-and-the-olympic-winter-of-1956



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04/08/2026

A new painting has been added to ithappenedincambridge.com. Check it out and let us know what you think! The painting is of Canada's Lucile Wheeler, 1958 world champion alpine skier. There is a story that goes with the painting: https://ithappenedincambridge.com/blogs/f/memory-of-a-mountain

Learn about Cambridge, Ontario through its stories, history, writings and artwork.

03/02/2026

Jack McKenzie and Don Rope were best friends—and key players on the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, Canada’s hockey team at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina. By day they were teachers (Jack at Preston High, Don at GCI), but for three unforgettable weeks they lived the dream they later called the peak of their athletic lives. Their story didn’t end there: McKenzie won a world title with the Whitby Dunlops in 1958, and Rope added Olympic silver in 1960 and another world silver with the Galt Terriers in 1962. Although it took them decades, they finally internalized the Olympic creed that "the most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle."
Download the e-book for free during March at: https://ithappenedincambridge.com/shop/ols/products/cortina-and-the-olympic-winter-of-1956-epub

Learn about Cambridge, Ontario through its stories, history, writings and artwork.

03/01/2026

Free for the month of March - the epub version of "Cortina and the Olympic Winter of 1956," on ithappenedincambridge.com. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Learn about Cambridge, Ontario through its stories, history, writings and artwork.

01/27/2026

Upcoming talk at library

01/27/2026

An exciting author event with David Menary is coming to the Cambridge Library on Queen's Square (Thursday, February 12). David will be sharing stories and insights on his latest book about the Galt Arena Century. Join David from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for an engaging evening celebrating Canada's oldest arena with storytelling befitting the most storied arena in the world. Please register (free) as soon as possible, as space is limited and going quickly. Signed books will be available that evening, but if you can't make it out, the book is available online at www.ithappenedincambridge.com, or at any of the following local stores: Reids Chocolate, Candy and Nut Shop, Woolf and Company bookstore, Words Worth Books.

09/05/2025

From David Menary's new book "100 Years of Galt Arena Gardens: The Most Storied Arena in the World." Presenting our newest blog about the lifelong friendship between Gordie Howe and Marty Pavelich that was born in wartime Galt: ithappenedincambridge.com. Check it out and let us know what you think!

https://ithappenedincambridge.com/f/new-book-reveals-friendship-between-gordie-howe-marty-pavelich

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08/08/2025

The untold stories of Galt Arena Gardens, Canada's oldest continuously-operating hockey arena, await your discovery with the September 20 publication of David Menary's "100 Years of Galt Arena Gardens: The Most Storied Arena in the World." Join us at the book launch on Saturday, Sept. 20 (12:30-2:30 p.m.) at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts, to celebrate the rich history of this iconic place that has, for more than a century, helped reflect our community's unique and vibrant character. Subscribe to It Happened in Cambridge to get updates on the book and additional stories, as well as other books and artwork about Cambridge, Ontario. ithappenedincambridge.com

08/08/2025

Proudly presenting the latest news from ithappenedincambridge.com. The launch and celebration of David Menary's new book, "100 Years of Galt Arena Gardens: The Most Storied Arena in the World," is a little over a month away. The launch will be at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts (60 Dickson St.) on Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The book presents more than 1,000 photographs/images and a wide range of new stories in its 650-plus pages.

http://ithappenedincambridge.com