I Remember
This page is a collection of personal recollections of times past – events, experiences and/or feelings that we encourage you to share. Send to woodlandbeach100@yahoo.com
HARRY TRIPP – The Ice Man
Those who have read “Footprints in the Sand, Woodland Beach Memories” may remember how Harry Tripp, and the Tripp family have been so integral to the growth and maintenance of Woodland Beach. In the early 1930s Harry Tripp and his brothers George, Ethan and Norm began providing ice blocks to the lodges and cottages to keep food cold. As the number of cottages grew, so did the business of supplying ice, resulting in Harry Tripp becoming an important household name.
In 1932 Harry and his brothers began cutting ice blocks from Nottawasaga Bay, opposite the banks along the northern shoreline of Woodland. Sometime between January and March each year the ice would be frozen and clear enough to be cut into large blocks, then drawn by horse and sleigh to their ice house located at the bottom of the big hill on Lawson (Conc. 2). Initially 5.5 tons of ice per day would be cut into sections of ice approximately 16”x24” and weighing 200 lb. A hand saw was used to cut a hole in the centre of the ice, around which the blocks would be taken. New holes would be cut every day so the ice didn’t float too far away to be reached. The 16” blocks would provide enough surface to end up with the desired 14” blocks. The blocks were put on a gin pull, a conveyor belt design, to lift them onto the sleigh to be transported by horses up the Main Drag to the ice house.
The first ice house was a barn moved by a team of horses to their Uncle Jonathan Tripp’s property at the bottom on the hill. The barn was put on a concrete foundation with an earth floor and insulated with sawdust gathered from a local mill. As business grew, a second ice house was added in the late 1930s. That was a small house from North Street, near the Church, that the brothers pulled with a team of horses to the site of the first ice house.
Harry would deliver ice to the cottages that had placed the ice sign in the window. Carrying the block of ice on his shoulder, he navigated the many gulleys and knolls that made up property sites at the time—no driving up to the door in those days! He would come right into the cottage and make sure the ice block fit the customers’ ice box, often having to chip away to make it fit. The delivered ice cost 25 cents for a 25 lb. block, or 50 cents for a 50 lb. block.
As the demand for ice decreased, Harry built a small third ice house to have ice available for those fishing. He bought artificial ice from Lake Simcoe Ice Company. This small ice house remains at the bottom of the hill, a lovely reminder of Harry and his family.
In addition to providing ice, Harry was always on call to help with a variety of jobs around the beach. But of all his jobs, Harry enjoyed being an ice man the most. Harry passed away on July 1, 2004 in Midland. He was one of a kind and is still fondly remembered.
“THE HOUSE ON THE CORNER”
In the 1940s Jesse Webster, one of our beach founders, built his summer cottage at the corner of what was then Woodland Drive North (1995 Tiny Beaches Road). He called the cottage “Awgawa” meaning Awe Go Away. The location provided him with a view of Woodland Drive in both directions as well as keeping tabs on what was happening along the vibrant Main Drag.
When Jesse died in 1951 the cottage was sold to John D. (Jack) and Florence Tocher of Toronto who owned a cottage beside the Post Office. The Tochers wanted to be across the road from the Ship-A-Hoy dance hall, snack bar and bowling alley they had purchased in the 1950s from Ben Whelan, owner of what was then Sunset Pavilion. The Tochers owned the cottage until the late 1960s.
The Browns from Elmvale then opened ‘Yummers’ which was in operation for many years. A ‘Fish and Chip’ eatery followed, lasting one year after which it changed ownership.
Don and Jean Hacock opened the Beach Frog in 2000 when they purchased the property from Langevin Real Estate, who had an office located there. The Frog was a favourite place to meet for ice cream, burgers, hot dogs and Jean’s great fish and chips. The Hacocks sold the property in 2018 and in 2019 another snack bar was opened. The property then changed hands, when the Scarello family opened the Woodland Beach Market in 2020, selling ice cream, French fries, poutine, hot dogs, latte and espresso. In addition, fresh produce was available in front of the Market during summer weekends.
From the 1940s with a stately cottage on the site to eighty years later having popular businesses established there, the “House on the Corner” continues to be central to our beach.
I remember………
I REMEMBER WOODLAND BEACH…
In 1948 my parents brought me to Woodland Beach as a baby …to stay with friends who cottaged just south of the King cottage. They took a walk north on Tiny Beaches Road, up the little hill to Tamarac Trail, and from that point on there was mostly just bush. Dad was hooked. In following years, my sister joined the family and we rented at Bluebird Cottages a little further south. In 1955 our parents bought an empty lot on Willow Trail (as it was called then). After a very bad case of poison ivy while clearing the lot, Dad was convinced by our Mom to buy a waterfront cottage that had come up for sale just across the road in l957.
To this day, my sister Elva and I continue to get away each summer to this same little cottage, high up on the bluff.
I Remember: -Friday night drives in the dark and putting the ice sign (25 or 50 lbs) in our bedroom window when we arrived …..and then Harry Tripp bringing it for our ice box the next morning
I Remember: – walking to KIng’s rock, dropping off our towels and going for a swim. One year, an old wooden boat drifted up on our rocky shore after the winter. Our parents left it there for a year and then we painted it …now we were able to ’row’ to our favourite swimming spot by King’s rock.
I Remember: – using old car tire tubes as floats in the water
– swinging on the wooden and rope swing made by our Dad
– playing ring toss with rings made from old garden hoses
– catching tadpoles and trying to make pottery with the clay from the bay
– Saturday night games of Monopoly, Rummoli, Dominos and cards
I Remember: – visits with Mr. King, when he would take us through the gate to see his beautiful begonias ( a gesture which sadly could never be practised in today’s world), and then give us a talk on how our Mom is our very best friend and, at least once, gave us a silver dollar which I still keep today. Years later, someone from his family told me that they thought he must have given all the children on the beach silver dollars.
I Remember: – our hand pump ……out the door and down three stairs ……pumping an carrying pails of water for the kitchen and washroom
– two pails at a time
– Cecil Knuff witching for water. The sand point that was then put in (probably in the late 60’s) served us until 2020
I Remember – the stores – Ralph’s, Culver’s, Quinn’s, Woodland General and our favourite – Whitfield’s, where we lined up every Saturday evening for their legendary huge ice cream cones
– the restaurants – The Terrace for families and Frank’s for the teens
– the Ship-a-Hoy – the dance hall with old wooden floors, live music, a snack bar and juke box
– the old fire hall (now new and re-located)
– the church (still well kept and put to good use)
– the post office
– Bluebird Cottages and Bluebird Taxi
I Remember – with fondness the memories of youth, and of more simple times, ..family and friends, and always ……the Sunsets.
Janice Stewart
..In the early 50s, my visiting cousin climbing out the cottage window at night to run down to the stables to see the horses, throwing socks and pillows over the partitions, working at the Woodland Terrace where the servers wore white nylon dress uniforms, watching a gang of local guys who looked hilarious dressed in ‘old fashioned’ one-piece bathing suits running down the Main Drag to the water, meeting my future husband. Teen years at the beach were just a lot of fun.
Marg (Templeton) Robertson
..my parents rented cabins at the Grandview Lodge when my brother, Paul, and I were kids, Mom and Dad decided it was time to purchase our own lot which they did in 1956. Horace Lawson, a nearby farmer, was selling his land on the east side of Spruce Street (now Moore Avenue.) At first, we would go up every summer weekend and ‘rough it’ until Dad built a sturdy outhouse after Mom’s urging. The lot was cleared for a new addition and not long after that a prefab cottage was delivered but upside down. I remember two wonderful neighbors, Jack and Archie, helped Dad reorganize and build over Dad’s two week August vacation. A last hurdle was a new water supply and well. I can still clearly see Cecil Knuff, the local Woodland water diviner, pacing the property using his Y shaped wood branch until it slowly bent toward the perfect spot. Needless to say, we had a new dug well and an ample water supply. Cecil also did weekly rounds of the Beach with his old truck laden with the freshest farm vegetables. His mobile face and delightful nature only added to Woodland’s folk lore.
Sheila Ryan
It happens every time I come over the hill and there it is, Woodland Beach. Our family cottage was built in 1948 and seven rental cottages were built over the years. My twin brother Garry and I were so fortunate to spend our summers at Gar-Gay Cottages, Woodland Beach.
My first recall of the main drag was when I was 11 and my Dad took me to fix an ice cream cooler for Flo and Jack Tocker, owners of the Ship-a-Hoy. It didn’t take me long to figure out that was the place to be. My days of peeking in the porthole windows ended when I landed a job at the Snack Bar for .25 cents an hour. Working at “The Ship” was the perfect summer job. I could eat all the hamburgers and French fries I wanted and spend all my tips in the Juke Box in the dance hall next door. There was always something to do with Tuesday night bingo and Wednesday movies for the kids.
Just like the TV Sitcom Happy Days, car radios and kids were everywhere on weekends. We were all gearing up for the dance following the Saturday night bingos. And dance we did with dance contests and midnight dances Sunday nights on long weekends ending at 3 a.m. Nick, our disc jockey, ended every dance with La Mer. Oh, I’m sure many a summer romance was sparked by that song. Following the dances we headed to Frank’s Grill. I can’t eat a burger without fried onions to this day.
The warm weather and long summer days seemed endless, but when Labor Day weekend rolled around it was always sad saying goodbye to beach friends. We often talked of the day we could move to Woodland Beach to retire. That dream became a reality for us in 2009 as we built our new home. My parents gave us a wonderful gift and we will continue to make new memories of our own.
Tracey Gayle Price (Thomson)
My parents bought a building lot at 2134 Tiny Beaches Rd S in 1944. They built a small cottage on it in 1950 with 3 bedrooms, a living room, and kitchen. We had an outhouse out back and a water pump outback for water.
My grandfather built the row boat you see in the picture as well as a little sailboat.
We spent every summer at the cottage and had so many wonderful times.
We always had a fire at night and my sister, and best friend Jane would hide behind the bushes to work on “our singing act” for the night. We entertained everyone nightly with our singing talents.
Of course after the entertainment and of course roasted marshmallows, we had a game of GHOST with my brother under a white sheet. I remember many nights hiding under the cottage but having to “give up” before I peed my pants!!! Lol
Woodland Beach will always be the best memories of my childhood.
Val Stinson
……the summer days at 2014 TBRS
My gang of lady friends and I put this boys wanted sign by the road when we were about 16 years old. We also drew big huge funky flowers on the road with brightly coloured chalk. At the time my grandmother was our chaperone up here, and when the police knocked on the door to see what we were up to she invited them all in. hoping we might need a nice boy to marry!
Peggy Hayden with hat…Gramma Bernice with brother Phillip, cousin Judy Mcnorton all at 2104 Tiny.
A series of all my young male friends and their shenanigans when they were sleeping in our now gone boat house on the beach.
(I believe there was some illegal drinking involved in all of this nonsense.)
Myself, my sister Heather and a friend kayaking in the Tiny Marsh, eating lunch in our kayaks and enjoying a hot summer day around 1990.
My friend Susan Curry, who was related to Debbie Curry, at Woodland Beach, enjoying the go kart race track in Wasaga Beach.
Us with our old big canoe and then us with our old Styrofoam sun flower sailboat, Dash. It’s a miracle we all survived as we were always pocketing the water out of our boat.
One of those lazy hazy hot August days floating in the water to keep cool.
Me in my 20s posing for a sunset photo, while someone perches on ‘the famous rock’ in front of our cottage.
Susan Hayden
Remembering the Beach at Tamarack Trail…
Debbie Curry