A hockey legend whose memory was revived by the Tragically Hip song “50 Mission Cap” is the subject of this week’s Cochrane history story.
Bill Barilko of Timmins scored the winning Stanley Cup goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1951. That August, he disappeared along with dentist Dr. Henry Hudson, while on a fly-in fishing trip north of Cochrane. The plane was finally spotted in 1962, hung up in some trees. That year was the first time since 1951 that the Leafs won the Cup.
In the December 10th, 2004 issue of the Cochrane Times-Post, a story outlined how local history buff Mel Robbins was trying to find the location again. He wanted to establish a memorial to Barilko there. No one could remember the exact spot.
Tembec owned the logging rights to the area, but even flying over it couldn’t be determined where the plane crashed. Robbins and his supporters decided to wait until the following spring to pick up the search.
