History

The Dixie Beehives have a long history of excellent play in Mississauga, formerly Toronto Township. The roots of the team date back to 1954 when the Metro Toronto Junior B League was formed and Dixie Arena Gardens became one of the mainstays of the loop.

The first Junior action the fans first enjoyed was with  the 1949-50  Dixie Staffords. It was the Dixie Staffords who played St. Michael’s College on opening night at Dixie Arena, December 16, 1949. The Staffords were sponsored by Jack Stafford of Stafford’s Hot Chocolate Company. However, this team was short-lived and the fans were soon  void of Junior action until the Dixie Flashers came along in 1952. The Flashers, which were originally installed as a Junior C team, went on to reach the quarter finals in the Ontario championships but were defeated by Belleville. The next season the Flashers moved to the Lakeshore Arena and were renamed the Lakeshore Flashers. Going into the 1953 season it looked like Dixie fans were once again without a Junior team to cheer. However, the East York Rangers came up for sale and were susbsequently sold to the South Peel Hockey Club and relocated to Dixie becoming the Dixie Rockets. One year later, the Rockets took to the ice with sponsorship from St. Lawrence Starch of Port Credit and renamed the Dixie Beehives.

Opening night for the Dixie Beehives was Saturday, November 27, 1954. The team faced off against the Leaside Biltmores and defeated their opposition 7-2. The first Beehive goal was scored by Grant Lochead at 6:29 of the 1st. period.

In the 1956-57 season the South Peel Hockey Club organized the Dixie Beehive Minor Hockey organization to provide development for future players. It was the year the Beehives captured the All-Ontario Championship by winning the Sutherland Cup against Sarnia. Dixie also entered into a working relationship with the Chicago Black Hawks and became affiliated with the St. Catharines TeePees Major Junior A team. Dixie went on to win two more all-Ontario Junior B Championships, 1969-70 and 1970-71. After becoming a Junior A team when the OHA Tier Two League was formed in 1972-73, Dixie managed to win a divisional title in 1979-80 and a league title in 1983-84.

Over the years Dixie has sent more than 100 players up the ladder to professional teams both in Europe and North America. A total of 48 players went on to play in the NHL having graduated from Dixie Beehive play.

The Return of the Beehives:

Over 20 years elapsed on the hockey scene when local business man and hockey fan Joe Moore purchased the tier 2 Junior A team Oshwago Admirals located in up state NY. He then obtained approval from the OPJHL league executive to move the team to the GTA and rename it the Toronto Dixie Beehives. Ice time was procured at the Weston Lions Arena and the team announced to the media that it would begin play Saturday September 15th in the south division of the OPJHL. Weston arena is a venue that is similar in construction and history to the old Dixie Gardens. The arched wood roof and original seating are classic hockey Canadiana. The new team will work closely with the arena management group Weston Lions Club to make their first inaugural season a success.

If you would like to read more about the history of the Dixie Arena Gardens and the Dixie Beehives you can obtain a beautiful and extremely well written book called from From Frozen Ponds to Beehive Glory-the story of the Dixie Arena Gardens.The book is on sale at all home games at Weston Lion's Arena, or can be obtained by contacting the author by mail. Write to Dave Cook, 1077 North Service Road, Unit 39, Box 20014, Mississauga, Ontario, L4Y 1A6. The book retails at $20.00- shipping/handling costs an additional $5.00. 

Philosophy

The central philosophy surrounding the return of the Dixie Beehives is above all that Kids Come First. The players and their families are the customers of the team. Everything we do is aimed at help the players achieve their best both in academics and hockey. This must be accomplished in a fun a positive environment.
Surrounding our commitment to the players and their families it is our belief in conducting the team business in a financially responsible manner. The team will be operated as a non profit entity and will develop and maintain good relations with all suppliers, corporate partners, city officials and community groups and organizations.

Vision

The vision of the Toronto Dixie Beehives is a team that sets a positive and leading example within the Junior A hockey community. It will be a team that is perennially competitive and fiscally sound. It will be a team that is noted and revered for its player development, fan enjoyment and corporate partnership value. The team will be a responsible member of the community by assisting in the development of minor sports, participating in community events and contributing meaningfully to local charities. The Toronto Dixie Beehives will continue the tradition of the Dixie Beehives and create an environment that is admired in junior hockey.

Mission

To be the premiere organization in the Canada Junior A Hockey League.

We will accomplish this by providing a first class experience for our players their parents, our fans and sponsors and the community.

We will carry out this task in a manner that is financially responsible and consistently exceeds our customer expectations.

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

In order to set the Toronto Dixie Beehives apart from the rest of the teams in the league we need to effectively exceed the expectations of our five main stakeholders those being our players and their parents, the fans, our corporate sponsors the employees and volunteers and the ownership.

These five groups are the life blood of the organization. Their expectations must be met and exceeded. Their needs come before anything else.

The goal is to provide an EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE EVERYTIME