SILVER WATER—One hundred and thirty eager folks gathered to meet and mingle at a beautifully decorated hall Saturday night in Silver Water to pay tribute and share memories of community dances at the Old Forester’s Hall, which burned down in the mid-1960s, and the now War Memorial Hall or Community Hall.
The evening hosted by the local services board began with Murray Duncanson providing a little history on Silver Water dances and humorous stories from the past which brought ample laughter. One story Mr. Duncanson told was of the old wood stove that used to heat the hall. He chuckled as he told of eager young boys helping cut and pile wood loosely for the stove allowing ample air space for drying fire wood and making convenient hiding places for special evening beverages. We are left to wonder just how many of the men present Saturday night were those same boys who helped with that wood pile?
The band playing the Silver Water dance were a mix of musicians from communities across the Island; Dale Trimmer of Silver Water, Jim and Joanne Smith of Mindemoya, Doug Hore of Little Current, Wayne Bryant of Gore Bay, Lance Panamick of Sheshegwaning, Oliver Runnalls of Barrie Island, Kay Everett of Silver Water and Fred Hunter of Tehkummah who called the square dances.
Everyone was delighted by the wonderful musicians and songs sung by Dale Trimmer, who has a lovely voice. Dance music such as polka, waltz, Mexican hat dance, two-step, square dances, heel and toe, a few fun mixes and the Schottische got large numbers up to dance, floors were bouncing and windows rattling (metaphorically of course). At 10 pm a lunch was served in the lower hall where the social visiting and eating continued until after 10:30 pm.
This writer expressed gratitude to Murray Duncanson who compiled the name and places enabling the writing of this report. Band players who performed at the hall and throughout the Island listed in no specific order were Lena Trick, Wilfred Joyce, Dorothy Addison, Hazel Addison, Alvin Pickard, Alma Noble, Bob Duncanson, the Rumley boys-Orton, Roy and Jim, Jack Cull, Howard Rumley, Kathleen Everett, Mike Addison, Philip Harper, Lorna Addison, Adam Bush and Joe Bush, just to name a few. Roy Rumley, who began his musical career in Silver Water at the hall, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The musicians played a variety of instruments in various bands playing at the Silver Water Hall and on Cockburn Island, Meldrum Bay, the Burpee Orange Hall, Providence Bay, Mindemoya, Billings and Gore Bay.
Personally, I must say this was one of the best dances I have attended in years. I loved the mix of music and dances, enjoyed the stories and I felt very nostalgic thinking of my great grandparents the Rumleys, grandparents, my parents and neighbours enjoying community evenings like this here in Silver Water for more than 100 years. There is so much value for communities on the Island in gatherings like this and I hope there are more like this to come to western Manitoulin Island.
