“One event which drew national attention to Hay Township was the tragic drowning of NHL hockey player Charles Albert “Babe” Siebert. At the time of his death, on August 25, 1939, the popular, 35 year-old Siebert had just been named manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens. He was to have started his new coaching duties that fall. The hockey player, an accomplished swimmer, was on the beach in St. Joseph with his daughters, Judie and Joan, and his brother-in-law, Clayton Hoffman. The girls inner tube was suddenly blown out beyond their depth. Siebert swam out to collect the tube and was likely struck by cramps, drowning almost immediately. St. Joseph residents began the search for Siebert while Hoffman rushed into Zurich to bring back Dr. P.J. O’Dwyer and other volunteers. When swimmers were unable to locate Siebert’s body, Manore’s fishing boat, with the dragging irons, was brought up from Grand Bend to continue the search by lantern light. Despite these efforts, it was two days before the body was recovered.

Babe Siebert (1904-1939) was born in Plattsville but his family moved to Dashwood in 1910 and then to Zurich, where Siebert began playing sports. As a youngster, he was a noted player on both the Zurich baseball and hockey teams. After leaving Zurich, he went to Seaforth to play hockey and then joined the Kitchener junior team. Siebert turned professional in 1925, when he joined the Montreal Maroons, playing with that team for seven years. He also played for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 1936. Siebert was nicknamed ‘the Flying Dutchman’ around the National Hockey League. During his years with the Maroons, the aggressive forward was part of the celebrated ‘S’ line, with Nels Stewart and Hooley Smith. Playing both left wing and defence, Siebert was credited with having one of the hardest shots in the league.

During his fourteen seasons with the NHL, Siebert scored 140 goals and 159 assists. He was named to the NHL all-star team three times. Siebert also won the Hart Trophy as the leagues most valuable player just two years before his death. During his career, carloads of fans from the Zurich area would often travel to Detroit or Toronto to cheer on their favourite native son. Besides his wife, Bernice, who was an invalid, and his two daughters, Siebert was survived by his parents and three brothers: William, at home, and Frank and Edward of Detroit. His three sisters were: Mrs. Clarence Hoffman, Galt; Nora Siebert of Lansing, Michigan and Mrs. Ada Makor of Toronto. Twenty-five years after his tragic death, Siebert was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. His brother William was the Zurich postmaster at the time.”

extracted from “Hay Township Highlights: 150 years of Diversified Progress, 1846 – 1996”, published by the Hay Township Book Committee under the auspices of Hay Township Council, Alice Gibb ed.; pgs. 246-247 ISBN : 0-919939-43-0