FAMILY RECREATION CENTRE STAFF and history

254 Ontario Street

St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

905-641-0841

SANDRA CHARD

Sandi has been involved in the billiard industry all her life. Her family owned and operated a billiard room in Simcoe. There Sandi learned to play snooker, clean tables, and learn the industry of billiards.

She has a vast knowledge of the industry of older tables and the new tables. Sandi kept onto of the new trends in pool cues, training methods and billiard tables.

Sandi has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario graduating in the class of 1981.

Sandi has taken the college of pool knowledge from the BCA in 1989. She used the tools from the college to teach her own class of pool. Sandi instructed  a ladies only class for beginners, advanced and co-ed class for beginners.  She still instructs some classes for seniors 

Sandi also started the St. Catharine's Youth dart league. The league resulted in a Canadian champ and four  Provincial champions.. The leagues main focus was to introduce the children in St. Catharine's and area to the game of darts and tournament play. In 1994, the Chards with their committee hosted the Ontario Youth Championships in Niagara Falls.  The 2004 season Sandi was involved with the Ontario Senior Games dart section.

Sandi's other interests are her family. She is married to Gary Chard an owner in the business, and has one child, Jamie Chard. . The family has a black cat with a white spot they call Eightball

She spent a few seasons as secretary and webdesigner  of the St. Catharines Minor Hockey Association and President of the St. Catharine's Golf and Country Club Business Ladies Curling Section

GARY CHARD

Gary has been involved in the billiard industry since meeting Sandi. The Kozak family had a Brunswick authorized billiard store in Simcoe when Gary met Sandi as a teenager. When they needed help unloading a truckload of pool tables, Stan noticed his daughter was dating a boy that could help, be paid and have money to take his daughter to the movies. Gary was quick to help and has been involved ever since.

Gary has learned from Stan every aspect of the industry. He services and installs the billiard tables. There is not a job in the billiard table that Gary has not been involved in. He is highly respected in the billiard industry. Along with learning the trade from Stan, Gary has taken the BRUNSWICK and Dufferin Games Installers course and is always looking for better ways to install and service pool tables. Gary also has his Mohawk finishing products course which helps him with the many scratches, etc when reinstalling tables.  Gary is one of a few installers that has the knowledge to rerubber snooker and pool tables and restore antique pool or snooker tables

Gary has designed and installed many pool rooms in Southern Ontario.

With his wife, Sandi, he ran the St. Catharine's Youth Dart League. Many players still come to the store telling of the fine times they had at the league.  Gary was involved with the Ontario Senior Games 2004 held in St. Catharines.  Gary is also an active  member of the Lakshore Rotary in St. Catharines.

Gary's interests are camping  with his 5thwheel, travelling and curling 

BRAD

Brad come from the installation side of the billiard industry.  Having installed Brunswick pool tables for over 15 years he has a vast knowledge of billiard tables.  Brunswick has completed his Brunswick installer program.  In 2008 Brad also joined the sales team on a parttime basis as well.  His  knowledge from the installation side  helps consumers understand the value of a Brunswick pool table in your home.  He can tell you the pros and cons of off shore pools tables.  Brad also has competed in Darts Ontario championships and can help with your selection of darts 

ROSEMARY

Rosemary has been with Family Recreation Centre ten years.   She comes from a fashion design background. Rosemary can help you with colour solutions for the fabric for the pool table as well as design of the table look in the room. She has two boys, two grandchildren  and a husband and of course a pool table in her home. 

Rosemary can also be found at an arena but usually behind the bench where she is a coach with the Kiwanis hockey league.  Year 2005 she  was awarded  the Kiwanis appreciation award for her many hours and years in the organization.

Rosemary has taken two  Brunswick's billiards sales training courses in Philadelphia and one with Brunswick direct school in to further help her clients

CONNIE

Connie joined the staff at Family Recreation Centre in 2008.  She is an avid dart player having played in many tournaments and league play over the years. 

Recently Connie has completed the  Brunswick's billiards sales training course to further help her clients

PAT 

Pat joined the installer team in 2009  His use of tools has quickly gained him the knowledge to install our pool tables under the guidance of Gary and his service team members

Pat is an avid pool player

Where are they today?

STANLEY KOZAK

Stan started in the billiard industry helping his father-in-law in the Simcoe pool hall. Over the years Stan learned from the BRUNSWICK team of installers at the pool room. The installers took Stan under their wing and showed him their trade secrets. Stan took that further by moving, reinstalling, recovering other tables as well as the pool room. Stan looked after pool room maintenance with the billiard operation.

Stan and his wife Ruth took the business to the selling side in the 70's. BRUNSWICK approached them about becoming one of the first authorized dealer stores in Canada. As they had alot of knowledge in the industry they started the store and named it FAMILY RECREATION CENTRE. The store was located in Simcoe adjust to their other business interests. It expanded fast due to the Kozak's knowledge and experience in the pool table industry. In 1983, along with Gary and Sandi Chard they expanded to the Niagara Region area with a second location.

Stan has a vast knowledge of the old antique tables BRUNSWICK, and other manufacturers that is an asset to us at FAMILY RECREATION CENTRE. .While Stan has retired you can still see him at the store on a advisory capacity, covering rails or re-tipping cues.

In retirement Stan and Ruth can be found traveling throughout North American . They always come back to St. Catharine's with tales of all the pool tables they have encountered on their voyages.

RUTH KOZAK

Ruth has been involved in the billiard industry for many years. Her father Roy Whitehead and uncle Clarence Gray started a pool room. Ruth's husband, Stan worked in the store for many years. Ruth and Stan together started FAMILY RECREATION CENTRE. Ruth sold the pool tables and accessories in the store, while her husband Stan installed the tables. Ruth while retired with Stan can still be seen at the store helping out wherever she can.

JAMIE CHARD

Everyone always asks about our son who has worked in the business since he was born.  Yes he was in the store since he was 5 days old.  Here is about Jamie

Jamie is Gary and  Sandi's son.  Whenever he was  home from school was can be seen  at FAMILY RECREATION CENTRE  installing pool tables or  working in the store.  

Jamie is an avid 9 ball player and dart player. At the age of 8 he played in the Ontario Youth Dart Championships single junior boys division.

Jamie also was  a goalie in ice hockey and played for the St. Catharines Minor Hockey Association and Governor Simcoe High School Team His other interests at school have all been sports minded. Jamie has been on all the school sport teams. He was the athlete of the year for his school year at Queen Mary. While attending high school Jamie became an avid rower. His high school rowing team has won many awards including the Canadian Secondary School Championships. Jamie was also a member of the Canadian national rowing development team Canammex which was held in Saskatoon. Jamie graduated from Governor Simcoe High School in 2003.

 Jamie  graduated in May 2007 from    Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania  with a Bachelor of Arts in Hotel , Restaurant Management and Conventions.  He participated in rowing at Mercyhurst on a rowing scholarship. After Graduating Jameie  worked in a management training program for the  Kimpton  in Chicago, Illinois at all there three hotels, .  Kimpton transferred the Canadian to there Vancouver location after completing his management program.  Jamie has recently been hired by the Marriott chain in Vancouver  with the front office management team   Yes he is back in Canada.  He goes at work by the name James now.     Always has something great to say about everything

LENA WHITEHEAD

This makes for a complete four generations in the industry. ..Roy and Lena Whitehead.....Ruth and Stanley Kozak....Sandi and Gary Chard....Jamie Chard

                                                                 VIRTUAL TOUR OF STORE

FAMILY RECREATION CENTRE

254 ONTARIO STREET

ST. CATHARINES

1-905-641-0841

1-800-540-4781 (IN ONTARIO)

EMAIL-sandi@familyrecreationcentre.com