Mike Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Lakeside Park Songfacts Port Dalhousie is a community in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its cultural heritage. It is home to the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and is historically significant as the terminus for the first three (19th century) routes of the Welland Canal. The city's most popular beach, on the shore of Lake Ontario, is located in Port Dalhousie at historic Lakeside Park. Neil Peart, drummer for the rock band Rush, grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario. The song, Lakeside Park, off the 1975 Caress of Steel album, is about his summers at the beach. The park is home to an antique Carousel which was carved by Charles I.D. Looff in 1905 and brought to St. Catharines in 1921. It continues to provide amusement for young and old alike, at just 5 cents a ride. *I'd like to thank Sundog (Jen) for the picture. It was taken during Rushcon this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonJonSurfer Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 I didn't know this story...thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted July 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 This song has a real special meaning for me. It really resonates with the summer of 1982. I'll never forget it. I was 18, almost 19, my folks had sold me one of their cars, had given me the responsibility of choosing my own curfew, which was good because I was getting reamed for coming in at midnight to one before. As long as I was quiet, used the back door and complete the "chores" they assigned me (I was, after all, living there rent-free) -then I could stay out until "reasonably late" they were testing my judgement. Being able to stay out late played in import role in the next part of this story because the job I held at the time only offered me a shift of 1:00-10:00, which ment any social life was only available late. The year before with an 11:00 curfew quenched any social life other tha days off. So anyway, I met my first "real" girlfriend that summer (yeah, in high school I was really shy, and while I had a few dated peppered in there, and only one girl I went out with for a couple weeks) and she was so cool, she'ld just graduated and had no job yet, so I would pick her up after work and we would cruise around, finding unique "make-out spots", going to drive-ins. And this song paralleled so much, smoking on the pier, parks by lakes, watching fireworks from the beach, my first summer love (unless you count that puppy love in 1971 when I was 8). And now, I listen to this song and Fountain of Lamneth, Fly By Night, Making Memories, all from Rush Archives; which was my favorite Rush 8-track in 1982. And although I dated 20 girls after her before finding my wife in 1989, that first taught me alot about myself, about what it would take to maintain a relationship with the opposite sex. And this song hold that memory fresh, fresh as the summer of '82. Wow! It's been really hard to believe that that was 24 years ago!! Songs are so cool that way! They hold mememories even better than pictures!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonJonSurfer Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 even better story... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 A lovely story...the kind of personal references that make us remember. Thanks Mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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