A Tribute to Jim Ackers and others of the TSEFTA by Mike Ackers

The floors were more than just a group of individuals gathered to do buiness, they were a community. In every community there are people that go way out of there way to make the environment a healthy and social place to be. The following email sent to me from Mike Ackers salutes his father and the many others that gave to each and everyone of us.

From: Ackers, Michael
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 4:26 PM
To: Ken Rathgeber (Scotia Capital)
Subject: Hi Ken

Happy New Year. Hope things are well with you. Your Blog is great and we all appreciate the effort you put in to capture the significant history of the old floor. It looks like there's lots of interest in populating it, so I thought I'd put my two bits in as well. If you wish you could add it to the Thursday, December 13th posting. Also, please add my name to the email lists you're keeping. Thanks and take care. Have a read of the following...

God Bless Jimmy Ackers and all the effort he put into the annual Christmas Parties for the TSE Floor Traders Association. Mr. Ackers, along with the help of Harold Mayne, Paul Napolitano, Ken Macintosh, Scott Zufelt and Carl Christie organized the annual Santa Party for the kids and families of the TSE. Kids from the ages of one to teenagers were given individually selected gifts. Hundreds of gifts were provided with games, food and fun for all on the trading floor.

In addition, the annual Trader's dances were held for the men, wives and girlfriends at the Harbor Castle on the waterfront. These dances were elegant affairs in the grand ballroom. The glitz and glamour were very impressive to all. The men often dressed in Tuxedoes and the women in beautiful evening gowns. The Big Band entertainment presented some of finest music around.

I was one of the lucky ones in those days, because my dad was Jimmy Ackers. Our family had the privilege of attending the dance and staying in a beautiful suite in one of the upper floors of the hotel. We would spend the weekend there. These were some of the most memorable times for our family. Thanks dad, Jimmy, and all the fellows that organized those events. Those memories are precious.