MOONLIGHT continued from page 49
and the Big Town Boys from Toronto”. Gary Comeau played the Inn with the Esquires and
Canada Goose. “I played at Rideau Ferry a lot”, says Gary. “We
loved the summer so we could go to Rideau Ferry. It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and evening. What I remember most is the fact that it was always packed and there were never any fights or anything close to a fight. Everyone really had a great time.” But, as Dennis remembers, boys would still be boys. “The Inn wasn’t licensed back them. But every
Sunday morning when we went by to pick up our gear you’d see the odd empty mickey bottle or beer bottle. It made it an interesting place.” Before they broke up in the 70s, the Continentals had
a solid run, playing virtually every high school up and down the Ottawa Valley, and clubs from the Tiki Club in Brockville to the Oak Door in Ottawa. Then there were the regular gigs at the Rideau Ferry Inn. Dennis fondly remembers playing with the Stampeders of “Sweet City Woman” fame. “They were the nicest guys we ever played with”. After they broke up the members went their various
Your Start
ways, some picking up with other bands, some pursuing other professions (like being mayor). But as any musician knows, even if you put the guitar or drum sticks in the closet for a while, it’s just a matter of time before you take them out again. In 2005 The
Continentals reformed for a High School reunion, and since then they have played numerous special concerts, reaching back into their 60s playbook. Meanwhile, Dennis Staples has announced he will not
run for re-election as Mayor of Smiths Falls. As he says, it’s time to get back to the “serious”
pursuits of golf, hockey and rock and roll. The Rideau Ferry Inn burnt to the ground in the winter
of 1986. The Shipwreck restaurant now stands on the original site. The name itself lives on just over the bridge as a summer resort. But on a quiet summer night you can probably still
hear the mellow sounds of the big bands wafting across the river as young couples dance away the night at the Rideau Ferry Inn.
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