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 who we ????
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.