KAWARTHA LAKES-In the 1970s Fenelon Falls hosted a winter carnival that featured many interactive activities—creative ways to spend time together, often improvised from what was on hand. Participants could race on a floating sheet of ice, play broom ball, dance, or take part in teams skiing on 2x4s on ice. One of the most memorable activities was bed races down the hill on Colborne Street towards the stoplights. One participant would ride on the bed, while their teammates ran as fast as they could downhill.
The Winter Carnival died out for many years, but then in 1995 a volunteer committee revived the event, bringing back several activities that had been popular in the 1970s, while adding many creative ideas of their own. The reincarnated event featured a chili cook off, a torch run and many church dinners—by attending enough of them you could eat your way to a medal! Once again, bed races were one of the popular annual attractions.
Looking at this photograph from 2002, much of what appears in this picture no longer exists. The Fenelon Theatre, which was for decades one of the village’s most visible landmarks was demolished in 2016. Before the building was knocked down, the theatre marquee was saved, and today the sight of Fenelon’s Theatre marquee welcomes boaters to the village at the canal and chamber of commerce. Taken shortly after amalgamation, in 2002 many people still thought of the geographical region as Victoria County, but today most people call it the Kawartha Lakes. Bert’s Appliances, a long-standing Fenelon Falls business, has been replaced with Highlands Propane, since taken over by Superior Propane.
Empty lot where the Theatre used to sit
The Fenelon Falls Old Fashioned Winter Games committee retired after their 10th event in 2004 and since then the world has changed so that many of these popular community activities could never happen today. Would the health unit ever allow people to have a contest where everyone samples batches of homemade chili to pick the best? Could organizers ever close the main street for bed races? Would a municipality ever permit an event where members of the public would run on asphalt, pushing home made bed vehicles? The winter games were a wonderful memory for everyone who took part, community experiences that may never happen again.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to:Â [email protected]or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
Box 179
50 Oak Street
Fenelon Falls, ON
K0M 1N0
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