Saint John, New Brunswick, provided a world-class venue for amateur speed skating championships during the mid-1920s.

The success of local athletes, Charles Ingraham Gorman and Hilton Belyea, on an international level garnered the interest and support of local businesses. In the depths of frozen winter, thousands of spectators filled the grandstand to watch athletes from around the world compete. With the inaugural Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France, in 1924, speed skating became even more popular as local citizens could follow the progress of familiar skaters.