Born in Hull, Quebec, Ted Dey was one of three brothers and two sisters born to Joseph Dey and Annie Buckley. His father was a boat-builder in Ottawa. The brothers, William, Frank and Ted followed their father into the boat-building business. The business, now named "Dey Brothers" had a boat works on the Rideau Canal at Theodore Street, where they built small boats and canoes for racing. The Dey brothers built their first indoor skating rink next to the boat works in 1884. The brothers would also become involved in the new sport of ice hockey at their rink. Ted Dey himself played games for the Ottawa Hockey Club (as the Senators were then known) in 1887, 1889 and 1890. The rink would also become home to its own team the 'Dey's Rink Pirates', founding members of the Ottawa City Senior Leagu