I understand that this thread is in the BoH section, so I'm a bit hesitant with this posting, since it deals more with social fabric.
To me, youth sport has the potential to be a powerful social leveler. On the field of play, one's socio-economic status is irrelevant. Traditionally, the children of physicians played with and against the children of restaurant servers, and every strata of society could be found on the court, the pitch, or the ice.....
Oh ya, speaking to the larger issues as you have in your post entirely kosher here on BOH as it addresses economic issues, barriers. Sociological aspects fair game..... And yes, completely agree with your observations, opinions.
Very true but depends on where you grew-up.
Montreal almost sixty years ago, hockey was very local for house league and travel teams. Basically working class districts, middle class and upper class organizations were separated into zones or by small on island municipalities. Travel teams were a bit of a misnommer since the difference between house league and travel was an extra 10-15 minute walk. Still true today, except the difference may be ten extra minutes on the subway.
Then and now the only interaction or mingling was beyond the district playoffs - Island or City Championships as well as the numerous festivals, tournaments, exchanges where off ice it was/is possible to mingle between games, especially if playing twice a day.
Made many friends and contacts that I have to this day.
Toronto 50-60yrs ago you had just as was the case with Montreal a fairly significant difference between Urban & Suburban organized hockey & sports be it school or organized, amateur organizations as the populations migrated to the suburbs post war. This was particularly stark in Toronto with the huge building booms & suburban sprawl that occurred in Toronto with the then independent municipalities of Etobicoke, North York, Don Mills & Scarborough. The inner city of Toronto, Cabbagetown, Parkdale etc all but abandoned by the middle & upper classes with pockets remaining in primarily North Toronto, Leaside, the Danforth & the Beaches areas.
There was a mixture of blue collar & white collar households in any given suburban area, the odd pockets of upper class households like Etobicokes Baby Point Road area, York Mills in North York.... In Toronto proper, Lawrence Park, Rosedale & to some degree Leaside. Scarborough & North York had their own "Rep Leagues" which were the equivalent of Single A amateur, those teams all being fed by a myriad of organizations with House League's of their own, lots of players never opting to play an equivalent level or higher in the THL/MTHL which is now called the GTHL. The largest minor hockey league on the planet then as now.
So for those who got into the game playing House League for lets say Downsview & who then played for their NYHL Rep Team's, the Downsview Beavers they were never really exposed to a wider range of kids from other areas, other socio-economic stratospheres though within their own immediate area, you did have a fairly broad spectrum of lower to middle classes, wide range of ethnicity as well what with the influx of new Canadians, post war immigration.
Organized sports & certainly hockey the leveling the field, ice as Badger notes above. Hockey freely available with the municipalities putting up shinny rinks from Scarborough throughout North York & Etobicoke, dozens upon dozens of organizations with House League's, Scarborough Hockey League & North York Hockey League Rep Teams and then beyond that, the GTHL itself with teams from everywhere & many of those also with their own House Leagues & Rep Teams playing in the THL at the B, A & AA levels in every age category.
Rather than cost, the main obstacle for many families was commitment in time if their kids were playing hockey. Particularly so if they were playing in the THL with teams from Mississauga to Pickering, North York to Parkdale. Registration Fee's & equipment, those costs were actually pretty insignificant, but time, that was not insignificant. Public transit for kids really wasnt an option. As a result for many, "Ride-shares" beyond common. With suburban sprawl as well, an explosion of first artificial outdoor rinks then many of those covered, the building of indoor rinks all over the city post war into the 60's, Montreal lagging behind Toronto a bit in that regard, Montreal still then very much more "urban oriented" and "older" of course. Infrastructure's in place, greater diversity economically within the city during that period. Toronto & its suburbs, much more cloistered. Islands unto themselves.