Postcard Memories is a series of historic views, stories, and photos of Innisfil and the area, a trip down memory lane on a Saturday morning.
The first commercial tourist establishment in Innisfil and possibly the first on Lake Simcoe was created by Lorne Jack in 1914 when he pitched 10 sleeping tents and one large kitchen/dining tent at the end of the 6th Line. He was following the same model he had seen established in the southern US states. Although folks had been camping there for years his new concept was met by scorn from the locals.
Tent City campground was soon very popular with Toronto tourists and Jack erected a large pavilion that became a summer hotel and a dance hall. Wednesdays and Saturdays were dance nights and he often engaged large orchestras from Toronto that played to sell out audiences. Audiences arrived by car, horse and buggy, or boats. Dancers were charged 5 cents/dance with often 40 dances per night.
The old dance hall was demolished in 1953 and a few years later the residents of Big Cedar Point purchased the property and created a children’s day camp called Camp Arrowhead.
From Historical Review, Ontario Bicentennial edition 1984
