The Bala Bay Inn was built in 1910
Not much has changed in this hotel
People still come by
To dance, dine and sing
And remember Louis Riel
Row boats on the water
Wave to the train passing by
Steamships and planes will never stop here again
But I hope that I will sometime
Row boats on the water
Wave to the trains passing by
Steamships and planes may never stop here again
But I hope that I do sometime
If you’re smokin’ that shit
You’d better get your mind right
(repeat)
The Bala Bay Inn is in Bala, Ontario, Canada. It was build in 1910 and given the name of Swastika Hotel. For obvious reasons, the hotel was renamed Bala Bay Lodge (in 1945, it seems). Today Bala Bay Inn is still open to the public and, as the song suggests, doesn’t appear to have changed a great deal over the years.
The Town of Bala itself was founded by Thomas W. Burgess, who became a lifelong proponent of native Canadian peoples’ rights. He named the town after Bala, Wales, a town he knew to have exceptional beauty like the Canadian Bala.
Ephraim Browning Sutton was the builder of the Swastica Hotel, in addition to a resort for U.S. Civil War Veterans. He was also a journalist for several papers and wrote verse under the pen name of Muskoka Bard.
According to Bala.net, Lucy Maud Montgomery was an important connection between Bala the maritimes (P.E.I. specifically). She was the author of Anne of Green Gables, but also wrote a story about Bala and the surrounding area, The Blue Castle, after visiting Bala during a stressful part of her life. She said, “Bala is a dear spot. Somehow I love it. It has the flavour of home.”
Bala was on main train and steam routes, and became a tourist attraction because of the resort appeal of the area. What I was able to read of the town’s history implies, as do Deidre’s lyrics, that the town is no longer stopped at by trains and boats, and may be in a bit of a decline. It none-the-less seems to be a beautiful place, worthy of visiting.
You can find a map of Bala here.
Some additional information added after this post:
In my entry about the history relevant to the Valley of the Giants song “Bala Bay Inn” I did not make mention of the history of Louis Riel, who was included in the lyrics of that song. I’d like to make a short addition here.
Louis Riel was a very important leader in Canadian history. He was a champion of the Métis (a nation of people with mixed Native American and European ancestry) and believed he was divinely chosen to lead these people. There was also speculation that he was a legitimate prophet (I haven’t discovered much on this, so if anyone has some other information they can share, I’d love to read it). Louis pushed for recognition of the Métis as a distinct people who deserved rights equal to other Canadians and he also pushed for French language protection for Manitoba. He lead two Métis rebellions against the Canadian government and was sentenced to death for treason after the second. Louis Riel was a facinating and noble man who gave his life in defence of human rights, and should be recognized by all Canadians as one of our true historical heros. I highly recommend reading about this man at the link I shared, and also seeking out other knowledge.
6 comments on “Bala Bay Inn”
The word you are missing is Louis Riel.
Thanks! I was thinking it was that but not sure.
We played up there a while back, and found this song before we went up there. It was pretty neat to go in and see all the things that are in the song…for instance…
We found a brochure in the room, the first line said “Bala Bay Inn”, and underneath it said “Built in 1910”. The main text of the brochure then went on to say that NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THIS HOTEL, and that PEOPLE COME TO DANCE AND DINE. This point alone blew my mind, because VoG obviously saw the same brochure that we did.
Standing out front the night after the show (They were gracious enough to provide us with a couple rooms), we watched the water where the boats were. I commented that there was no train to wave at, just as a train drove along tracks that were hidden by long grass.
I have been going to Bala since I was 10, and I still find it very cool that they wrote this song.
I have been going to the BBI for drinks and to play pool and the whatnot for a long time.
hey well thanx for writin this this is one thing i didnt noe about the BBI, my favorite place in the world, My parents have been running the Bala Bay Inn for the last 8 years.. i was 8 years old when my parents took it over and we had it for almost 9 years.. and lost it in december 2004.. The BBI is the best memory i have of my life and its AMAZING to noe and hear how much ppl rly enjoy the good ol' BBI.. but if you didnt noe rite now it is up for sale and NOT in use but i would rly love to c it baq up on the map.. its the love of my life and i miss it to peices!
Hi Tiana, thanks for leaving a comment. It was nice to read your story. I've never been to The Bala Bay Inn, but I do hope it will reopen so that I'll someday have the chance. Thanks again.