KAWARTHA LAKES-During the First World War, as Martin Thurston was serving overseas, he enjoyed visiting dance halls—soldiers often shared many wonderful experiences while on leave in Britain. In his home region, for generations neighbours had gathered to dance in the evening, whether it was in a barn after a bee, or in somebody’s living room accompanied by the local fiddlers. In that generation, communities made their own entertainment together. Yet, in a small town like Dunsford, it would be a special occasion to bring hundreds of people together to dance, especially before automobiles became common.
By the early 1930s, many families had an automobile and local roads were much better than they had been a generation before. With a car, it became practical to drive somewhere for an evening’s entertainment. Many families enjoyed travelling to the Kawartha Lakes to spend time at a waterfront lodge or hotel, and dancing was one of the most popular entertainments. In summer, many visitors came to the region via train or car, to spend a week or two.
Martin and Vi Thurston opened the Greenhurst Dance Pavilion right beside Percy Skitch’s Swastika Lodge (renamed Thurstonia Lodge during the Second World War, when its original name became inappropriate.) For many years guests could also stay at Earnscliffe Lodge, which was southwest of the pavilion on the waterfront or swim at the beach. Many guests rented a cabin to enjoy a Sturgeon Lake vacation. In 1934, the Fenelon Falls Legion took an excursion to the pavilion on the steamer Stoney Lake, which featured an orchestra and dancing on board.
Greenhurst Dance Pavilion was two stories tall, with the knotty-pine dance floor located on the second level. The ceiling was decorated with crepe paper. It featured a games room where visitors enjoyed darts or pinball machines, jukeboxes and a soda fountain. Though constructed before its neighbourhood had hydro service, the building was lit thanks to a lightning plant—a precursor to modern generators. It also had street lights out front. Early on, alcohol was not sold at the premises—partly because of Martin’s beliefs—but many people brought their own beverages. In this era, drinking and driving was much more socially acceptable than it is today. Later on, alcohol was served on site.
At its peak, dances were held every evening, as the area was lined with cars and motorcycles. In the era before everyone had a car, some of the neighbours made a little extra money using their vehicles as a taxi. Over the years, many Lindsay teenagers hitchhiked or found way to get a ride there, though their parents may not have approved of such behaviour. On some busy summer nights, some neighbours would recall seeing thousands of people pass by on their way to the dance hall.
Martin’s cousin Jack recalled, “Girls would get in free, but boys would have to pay five or ten cents per dance. When the music quit, the boys would pull the rope out, and as a boy, you would have to pay if you didn’t want someone else dancing with your favourite girl…. Martin was quite a sharp businessman!”
Greenhurst Dance Pavilion was founded in the era of live music and for many years the major draw was the talented musicians who played there. Early on, it was waltzes, big band or jazz music. Few would forget how busy Greenhurst was when Guy Lombardo came to play. The bands frequently played concerts in the park in the afternoon. Other notable acts included Duke Ellington, Count Bassie, Woody Herman and Les Brown. In 1952, Fred and Helen Lines purchased the business and in the 1960s, they switched to rock’n’roll. As they continued to hire top-notch performers, Greenhurst became a destination and the hall was often packed. As the music changed, so did fashions. Instead of dressing formally, teenagers started to come dressed in blue jeans. Many guests would take a break from the dancing to spend some time at the lakeshore.
In the 1960s Friday night was the Pink Palace, which often attracted a younger crowd. Little Caesar and the Consuls played regularly and was typically the best attended band of the week. Visitors remembered it being so busy that there was very little space on the dance floor. People would long remember hearing Bill Haley and the Comets and Bobby Curtola.
Many local youths, especially girls, stayed at Greenhurst-Thurstonia for the summer to work at one of the accommodations or the dance hall—even if they just lived in Dunsford. Typically, they worked seven days a week and were hired for the entire two months. A lot of couples met while working at the lodges—just as many couples met on the dance floor.
Lawrence and Bonnie Schurman took over the venue in the spring of 1984. By the 1980s, times were changing—often it was local bands playing or disc jockeys, though Honeymoon Suite played there and Sass Jordan in the 1990s. By the 1990s, just about every family had a television and there were many other ways to go out for the evening. The days when it seemed like every teenager in Lindsay was conspiring to find a way to get to the dance hall were becoming a distant memory. An arsonist burned the Greenhurst Dance Pavilion in 1998 and the remains were cleaned up the following year. Where the dance pavilion and lodges once attracted countless visitors to Thurstonia, today it has redeveloped as a cottage community. But to this day, many Dunsford residents have fond memories of the evenings they spent at the Greenhurst Dance Pavilion.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum adn was written by Glenn Walker.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to: [email protected] or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
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