From the archives of the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre:
On a hot summer evening or cool winter afternoon, crowds could most often be found stomping away on the hardwood floors at the Riverside Park Pavilion.
The Pavilion, located just over the Mattagami River Bridge, was opened in the early 1930s and managed by Mr. and Mrs. Walter P. Wilson. Dances were offered every evening except Sundays, and each Wednesday afternoon in 1933.
The opening of the fall season that year featured the wildly popular Geo Wade and his Cornhuskers, who were renowned radio musicians playing modern dancing and some old-time square dances.
While music was most often provided by the Royal Club orchestra, the appointment of the summer contract was decided by a Battle of Music.
In 1937, Andy Cangiano and his swing band were defending their right to the summer beat against the smoother, dreamier Al Pierini.
Pierini really offered a stand out show, adding lighting arrangements of multi-coloured slides in front of high-powered bulbs to complement his soft, gliding waltzes. The master of swing, Cangiano, won the battle in the end by playing the more up-tempo foxtrot.
Regardless of the winner, it was an evening that would be long-remembered by dance lovers.
Each week, the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre provides TimminsToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
Find out more of what the Timmins Museum has to offer at www.timminsmuseum.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here.
