Walter “Sid” Creamer
Walter Creamer managed the Dawson Amateur Athletic Association (DAAA) building in the early 1900s. The building was constructed by public subscription in 1902 and was controlled by the shareholders. It had a club room on the main floor and a gymnasium on the second. A 35 x 25 metre ice arena was attached to the back of the building. In 1908, a heated 20 x 8 metre swimming pool was added in the floor of the ice arena. The water was drained in the winter and the hole covered over to re-install the ice rink. In 1911, Creamer converted the gymnasium into a large stage, with dressing rooms, and movie theatre. The local newspaper announced “Barnum” Creamer’s purchase of a motion picture player piano that could mimic many orchestral instruments and cinematic sounds. In 1921, Walter Creamer’s Family Theatre was the sole remaining theatre in Dawson. Creamer’s health was declining, and he sold the business to Fred Elliot and retired to the United States.1)