The Coldest Night of the Century, 18 February 1966

I knew it was going to be a cold night in the old barn, the Winnipeg Arena. Although the wind was almost calm, I parked my car on the east side of the arena so that it was slightly sheltered from any wind there was. It was already -38F (39C). I was working the time-keeper's bench as the official scorekeeper. Besides the teams and the arena staff and our officiating crew, there was only a handful of fans scattered throughout the 10,000 seat arena. Why they didn't postpone this game between two Manitoba Junior League teams, I don’t know.  Perhaps because it was getting late in the season and they didn't want to have to deal with makeup games.

I don't remember the out-come of the game but I do remember how everyone vacated the arena as soon as possible after the conclusion of the game. As I exited the building, I noticed that there wasn't a breath of air moving. The air had a fog-like quality to it and the streetlights had haloes surrounding the lamps. My car barely turned over as it hadn't been plugged in for several hours.

After letting the Olds88 convertible warm up, I started for St. James Street. The car seemed to move on square tires and the transmission was very sluggish.  The temperature outside was now -44F (-48C). There were no wind chill values issued in 1966, but if there were, the wind chill value would have not come into effect because there was no wind.

The streets were deserted. Polo Park parking lot was empty, the stores closed. As I neared Portage Avenue, I noticed a few cars on the lot at the Paddock which stood where the Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants now stand. Curious to see what other idiots besides myself were out on a night like this, I pulled into the lot, parked, and went inside. The restaurant part was empty except for a few desultory employees. In the bar there was soft music playing and the lights were down low. With the exception of the bartender and one lonely looking customer nursing his drink, the bar was deserted!

I recognized the man nursing his drink and enjoying his cigarette. It was none other than “Cactus” Jack Wells, the sports announcer for CKY radio and CJAY TV, and the color commentator at the Winnipeg Blue Bomber games. He was one of the most interesting and colorful persons you would ever want to meet. He motioned to me to come over and join him.

“What’ll you have?” I remember him asking. He motioned to the bartender for a refill and I had a Scotch on the rocks courtesy of Mr. Wells. I do not remember the rest of the conversation but I do remember asking him whether his opening line on his sports-casts was apt today. He always opened with, “Well, it turned out nice again today!” He smiled and with his drink, pointed around the bar, and said, “No one to bother me, I have a good listener in you, some rye and 7Up in my glass, and an Export A cigarette. It’s a great night!”

After visiting with him for an hour, I went out to my cold car. This time as I closed the door, the back window in the ragtop cracked down the middle because of the air pressure on it from the closing of the door and the extreme cold. Oh, joy! I turned on the radio and I heard the announcer saying that it was currently -47F (-44C). That was the coldest temperature I had ever experienced and the night was not over yet. My car had barely had a chance to warm up on the short kilometre trip home.

I plugged in the car and noted how still and barren and frozen everything looked as I headed inside to a warm bed. Next morning it was official – the coldest temperature of the 20^th century in Winnipeg had been recorded!  It had bottomed out at a mind and body numbing −49 F (−45C) set on February 18, 1966. Only one other lower temperature had been recorded in Winnipeg and that was −54.0F (−47.8C) in December 1879.