The Dance Halls of Tiny Township
By Bonnie Reynolds

There was a time in Ontario when the 24th of May signaled the traditional opening date of many summer dance halls. Some people still have a soft spot for that little known hall beside the lake where they had the best summer of their lives. Summer romances, strolls along the beach, the music of your youth and fast cars - lots of fun and memories to cram into the summertime.

From the 1930's into the 1950's, summer dance halls enjoyed their most successful years. All featured the best in local talent with some well-known talent thrown in for good measure. Big band music dominated the music scene at this time, to be replaced in the 1960's and 70's with rock music.

Two shoreline communities in Tiny Township had seasonal halls that would close down either Labour Day or Thanksgiving weekend, but indeed there were also various halls that operated year-round in inland communities. I hope that I can bring back fond memories of these dance halls as you read this article.

Woodland Beach

The Ship-A-Hoy at Woodland Beach was a popular dance hall. Built in 1932 by a Mr. Whelan, it was originally called the Sunset Pavilion. The music was usually provided by the Ted Johnstone family of Midland, with dances every Wednesday evening and on weekends during the summer. (Ted's son Guy and his wife Kathy operated the music store in Midland for many years and it is now run by their daughter Beth. Here you can see pictures, playbills and old musical instruments from the era of the summer time dance halls.)

In the 1950's Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tocher bought the pavilion and renamed it the Ship-A-Hoy. Saturday evenings there was bingo followed by a dance. On holiday weekends there was a midnight dance on Sunday nights. Disc jockeys became common at this time and one of them eventually married the Tochers’ daughter, Julie.

In the late 1960's the pavilion again changed hands, being purchased by the Ellison family. Later it became the Bayshore Seniors Club. Today it has been renovated and upgraded, but one of the original features still remains - portholes along the side walls.

Balm Beach

There have been several dance halls at Balm Beach over the years. One of the earliest ones was a white wooden building located on the point (near the present change/washrooms) just to the west of the arcade. Gerry Barbour, long-time resident, recalls going there as a young man in the 1930's. The building had window shutters that would be propped open to allow cool breezes to blow in from the bay. These were very handy for a young lad to look in and watch the girls dancing by. One time Gerry reached in through the window and snatched a girl off the dance floor. From my understanding she must have been expecting this, as he is still alive to tell the story. The admission was 25 cents and the music was often loud and a little off-key. This building is reported to have burned down in the 1930's.

According to Jim McIntosh, a new dance hall, the Chateau Gai, was then built on First Street by Norm Wahl. It was a family hall, and Norm would allow no drinking. Jim McIntosh, a long-time Balm Beach cottager, worked there as a young man. He and two other fellows acted as ticket seller, ticket taker and bouncer. McIntosh said that in later years the Chateau Gai burned down, to be replaced by a new structure located east of the beach on the Balm Beach Road, near the present-day Township Offices. Years later it was turned into a boat storage shed.

The early Chateau Gai was a popular destination. The late Jack Beauchamp said, "we played a variety of music, modern and old-time, but the folks really loved the barn dances, square dances, and the popular schottisches (a round dance). It was a great way to get to know one another."

The Beauchamp family orchestra, known as the "Georgian Swingers" was made up of Jeanne Beauchamp on accordion, Jack Cowan on trumpet, Jack Beauchamp on alto sax, Alex Larmond played drums and old-time violin, Herb Beauchamp tenor sax and drums, Alice Beauchamp on piano, and Audrey Desroches - singer. The Chateau Gai was still in use into the 1950's.

Herb Beauchamp's love of music resulted in his decision to open the Wagon Wheel dance pavilion (later to become the Barrel Works) closer to the beach and across from Lawson's Billiards. Herb operated a radio parts and repair shop in Midland for many years, until his son Jack took the business over. He purchased a lot in the 1940's and built the Wagon Wheel, booking his own band on a regular basis. His son Jack said that it was "an immediate success. Cottagers and people from Midland and Penetanguishene came to the hall all summer long."

In 1956 the original Wagon Wheel burned down and was replaced by a cement block structure, and later was re-named the "Barrel Works". Scott Whittington, partner in the musical duo called "Nightlife", commented that "beach parties, beer and fun of every description were the order of the day. The music was loud and high energy. The 400 or so faithful regulars who would crowd the dance floor every Saturday night were mainly from the Toronto area, with some locals mixed in." Whittington was then a member of the popular Barrel Works House band from 1974-1981.

The Good Times Band and Six Pack were other groups that were popular at this time. During those years the music varied from punk and new wave to 50's rock ‘n’ roll. "We played anything at all, as long as it would fill the dance floor", said Whittington. Today the Barrel Works is used for storage.

Inland Dance Halls

Due to the success of his seasonal Barrel Works, Mr. Beauchamp built the Circle B dance hall in 1952. It was located just outside Midland on the way to Penetanguishene, and used logs to give it a rustic appearance.

The Circle B operated during the fall and winter, until the May long weekend, when the Wagon Wheel would roll into life.

Another popular year-round dance hall was the Rooster Tail, located behind Johnson's Fruit Market on Hwy. 93. Operated in the 1970's by Vern Johnson, it usually featured a band led by Tommy Shields. The music must have been quite loud at times, as in the September 28, 1978 council minutes, a nearby neighbour expressed concern at the noise that originated from the Rooster Tail.

Vern's son Jim says that after a night of music and frivolity his Dad would go to bed apparently dead tired. In the morning his wife Edith would rush out to the hall to sweep the floors. Unknown to her, Vern would scatter some coins on the floor, to entice her to clean up the hall so he could stay in bed. However Edith wasn't so naive, as one morning she ordered Vern to get out and pick up the coins he had dropped when his money jar had fallen on the icy field (between the hall and their home) the night before.

Another dance floor popular into the 1980s was the Country Mill, located on the Balm Beach Road, near the Castle.

Community Halls Dances were held year round in halls in Lafontaine, Waverley, Wyevale and Wyebridge. Today the halls or community centres in Lafontaine and Wyebridge are still used occasionally for dances. Weekly line-dancing has been popular in Wyebridge for the last 12 years or so. On Wednesday evenings, the Huronia Ballroom Dance Club holds ballroom and Latin dancing.

Perhaps the style of dancing has changed, but when people and good music get together a fun time is had. People often comment on the wealth of musical talent in this area. Whether it be at an impromptu jam session or a more formally developed band - rest assured all of those who attend have a memorable time.

To learn more about summer dance halls in Ontario, read the book Let's Dance by Peter Young.