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Ice Palace was focal point of Orillia's first winter carnival (4 photos)

Inaugural event in 1928 was a three-day event, capped by night-time parade, fireworks and a 'storming' of the palace

Postcard Memories is a weekly series of historic postcard views and photos submitted by Marcel Rousseau.

Some were previously published by the Orillia Museum of Art and History and in the book Postcard Memories Orillia.

Orillia’s first winter carnival, held in February 1928, was a three-day event and included dogsled races, curling, hockey, speed skating and horse races on Lake Couchiching. 

The Ice Palace, with its coloured lights and flags, was built on a vacant lot where the Champlain Hotel now stands. The total structure was over 85 feet wide and built from large blocks of ice about two feet thick and four feet long, cut from the lake. 

The ice block over the centre opening was about eight feet wide and weighed close to 1,800 pounds. The main wall was about 60 feet wide, 12 feet high and the two towers 12 feet wide and 25 feet high. 

The winter carnival ended with a night-time parade of citizens, led by the Kiltie Band, marching down Mississaga Street to bombard the palace with fireworks, rockets and pinwheels.

Platforms were attached to the rear of the ice palace and the defenders, after a long and lively struggle, withdrew their fire, which allowed the victors to take possession of the castle, to the delight of the large crowd assembled.

The photographs shown are from the Lewis Grant collection. Lewis Grant was one of the first Orillians to own a movie camera and one of the photographers shown is believed to be Lewis.


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