Page 27 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 134

www.sportsenergynews.com
Continued from page 26
with Mario Vien (former Cornwall
Royals and Toronto Toro goaltender)
and they had become good friends.
Mario was also a friend of Mike
Piquette (founder and owner of
Sports Energy) who was working
for the Cornwall Colts at the time.
Misif’s Restaurant became the go-to
place for the Cornwall Colt players.
“Mario came and asked me if I
could help a good friend of his with
marketing at a new restaurant that
he was opening. I was working with
the Colts doing the business and
marketing operations for the team.
I went in, tried the food, and when
that passed with flying colours, I
took a look and suggested to Don
that he turn it into a hangout for
the Cornwall Colt players and fans.
The Colts were popular, drawing
over 1200 fans every game in those
days,” Mike said.
?
Don had already painted the
restaurant, but he got back on the
brush to convert it into the red,
white, and blue Colts colours. “We
had a penalty box in the back, and
photos of the team and individuals
on the walls. Some of the individual
players’ photos were blown up and
?
we had several photos from the
Royal Bank Cup. The players came
in - lots of players. They would
come in with Mike sometimes, but spaghetti dinners for the Colts on
mostly on their own. When they a regular basis and other meals
came with Mike, they knew that he as well, with Don mentioning
would be paying.”
“I had to make sure that any bills
Issue #134 March 2024 27
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were paid. I didn’t want to get cut the road, Don and Brenda would Schnitzel’s restaurant, where they
off! On game days I rarely ever got
pack coolers with food for the team. had been in storage for many years.
to go home to eat, so Don started to
Some of the players would help out “That was a dirty job.” Don recalled,
bring me a sandwich to the game.
occasionally. When Don acquired “The chairs had been sitting there in
I had a favourite - ham and cheese
the chairs that had been used in the the basement at Gedoro’s gathering
with hot peppers and onions and
original Tim Hortons on Pitt St. dust for a long time. They carried
that’s usually what he brought. I
between Second and Third Street, a them up, brought them over, and
would go up and sit with him and he
couple of players removed the chairs cleaned them. We had 45 seats at
would hand it to me and say, “Here’s
from the basement of what is now Misef’s and that’s where our chairs
your supper”,” said Mike.
Continued on page 53
Don and his wife became regulars
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
at the Colt games. “We would stop ? ?
at the Olde English Fish and Chip
Shoppe on First St. for supper before ? ?
the game. If we had the time, we
? ?
would eat in. If not, it would be a grab
NIGHT
and go. Ray and Clara Henstock, ? ?
along with their son Michael, ran ? NIGHT ?
It’s Back!
the restaurant. We would go to their
? ?
restaurant on Thursdays before the It’s Back!
game, and they would come to ours ? ?
for breakfast on the weekend.” ? ?
March 22 @ 7 pm
Don and Brenda, often with their ? Mark your calendar for March 22 @ 7 pm ?
daughters, Angela and Gina, sat ?
with the same group of fans at the
games. “We had a good group in ? ?
our section. I even yelled at the odd ? This year’s event returns to the old-fashioned ?
referee. Mike couldn’t say much in ? ?
his position, so if he had something pencil and paper method that is more socially
to say he would tell me, and I ? friendly and collaborative…. NO tablets or phones! ?
would say it for him. We would get ? ?
home, and Brenda would say, “You ?
shouldn’t have yelled that.” and I
would tell her to blame Piquette.” ?  ?
Don and Brenda would make ? ?
? To register online or for information ?
? www.cornwallsunriserotary.com ?
that Chicken Parm was always a ? or email rotaryclubofcornwallsunrise@gmail.com ?
favourite. When the Colts were on ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?