Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan

During the 1920s, Saskatchewan ’s Manitou Beach rivalled Banff Hot Springs as a summer resort. When vacationers weren’t soaking in the mineral waters, they were partying at three dance halls open every night of the week, including a Sunday midnight frolic for the truly footloose. Danceland, built in 1928, was the favourite of them all. The hall’s maple floor was built over a thick layer of horsehair, so supportive you could dance the night away without getting sore feet. The floor bounced like a trampoline as people hopped to Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen or Don Messer and His Islanders (10 cents a dance set, three for a quarter). Danceland is one of the only such halls still operating in North America. If you step out for its two-day Polkafest on September 9 and 10, watch your head on the ceiling. That wooden floor still bucks like a wild bronco.

– D. Grant Black
– Photos by Al Mierau