By Devonna Edwards, Columnist
Dance bands or orchestras were especially popular from the 1900s until the early 1960s. All communities had at least one dance hall and always featured live musicians. Dance halls were very busy on the weekends and drew crowds of people who loved to dance.
It did not matter to people that these halls on the St. Margaret’s Bay Road was a fair distance, the good time had by all was well worth the drive. The establishments didn’t serve alcoholic beverages. People were expected to bring their own liquor.
In the 1940s “The Swing” was king of all dances and the song by the Andrew Sisters called “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” was a popular dance song which is still played frequently at dances today. The 1950s was the era of the Jitterbug also known as Jive, Bill Haley, and the Comets with their song “Rock Around the Clock” was the rage. In the 1960s “The Twist” was the hot new dance sung by Chubby Checker.
The Med-O-Club
This busy dance club was in the Beechville area on the St. Margaret’s Bay Road, three and half miles from the Arm Bridge. It was situated near where “The Rubber Duck” car wash business stands today near Lovett Lake. The Cabaret was in existence from the late 1940s until the mid1960s, hosting floor shows, dancing, and fine foods for which they were famous for their sea foods. The Don Warner Band played at this upscale dance hall one night a week, singing with the band were two popular girl singers; Grace Boutilier and Doreen Hanrahan who always wore beautiful gowns. There were no liquor licenses at that time and people brought their own liquor. The drinks were kept in brown paper bags on the floor by their feet, because liquor was not allowed to be seen on the table.
The Shangri-La Dance Hall
Shangri-La means, “A remote beautiful imaginary place where life approaches perfection.” The Shangri-La was a high-end dancing and dining establishment that was located on St. Margaret’s Bay Road in what is considered Upper Tantallon today. The building is still standing across from Tantallon Woods. Jack Campbell purchased the structure and added a second story, he then used it as a warehouse. His son John now owns the property, he also owns the Sou’ Wester Restaurant at Peggy’s Cove. John said that the white building, formerly known as the Shangri-La, still looks the same inside. The raised stage is still there. Before the Shangri-La came into being, a man by the name of Beamish owned the building and called his dance hall “Luenledge.”
The Leghorn Bar-B-Q
The Leghorn restaurant and dance hall opened in the 1950s, it was a very popular dance and eating establishment known for its great entertainment and delicious chicken dinners. It was also located on St. Margaret’s Bay Road in Five Island Lake, Hubley, twelve miles outside Halifax. Today the location where the building once stood is across the street from Bird Song Lane in Foxwood Village subdivision.
A large chicken farm stood behind the establishment which supplied the restaurant with its chicken suppers. The first owner of the Leghorn and chicken farm was John Dube, who also had a take-out canteen called the Rainbow canteen next door to the Leghorn. Also located on the property, was a large outdoor screen which provided movie entertainment, said to be the first outdoor movie screen in the area before the Bay Road Drive-In. A good time was always had by the patrons who danced the night away to great band music, not to mention the wonderful chicken dinners they served. The menu was simple, chicken only! It was also a place where you brought your own liquor, but of course hidden under the table. In earlier years, Art Doucette and his band played there. Inside the building a grand old jukebox stood against one wall and was used during the band’s intermission, another memorable feature was the beautiful beach stone fireplace which occupied another wall. Joe Mannette owned the Leghorn from 1967 to 1970, the building was then sold to a man named Recardo who opened a new business called Recardo’s Market and take-out, which was a grocery store and Pizza take-out. The building burnt down in 1977.
The Sea Breeze Hotel
The hotel was in Queensland, on the St. Margaret’s Bay Road, twenty eight miles from Halifax. In 1949 it was owned by A. Frederick Hubley who had a hotel and seven cabins on his property to rent out. The hotel consisted of twenty-five bedrooms of which only fourteen had running water and it was advertised as being steam heated. The Sea Breeze Hotel also had a wonderful view of the sea and on hot nights in the summer, the visitors enjoyed a lovely sea breeze from the nearby ocean. The establishment was popular for its talented entertainment and dancing in later years. It closed in the early 1990s and was later demolished. The site remains vacant today.
For more information www.fairviewhistoricalsociety.ca
