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Hi, I'm Amy, your Western Direct interactive host.
Today we're here in Watrous, Saskatchewan, at Danceland.
We're here with Arnie, the manager of Danceland.
-Owner / Manager? -Owner / Manager!
We're here to talk a little bit about what makes Danceland so special.
-Well, years ago, I think what started the whole resort, was the water of course.
They had 3 dance halls started, in those years.
They danced 7 days a week. The first original hall was built right here on the same site.
It was partially destroyed by a fire. They managed to salvage a bunch of the flooring.
They put it on stilts, put a tent over it, and that was the 3rd dance hall that was going -- it was called the Wig-Wam.
-Ooh!
-What makes it unique of course, is the horsetail floor.
The other halls didn't have it, but in this one the floor is floating on horsetail.
-And it has been since 1928. -1928, roughly.
They started to collect horsetail around here, but they couldn't find enough and they didn't want to
embarrass all the horses in the country! They had to go to Montreal, and they got a boxcar full
of bailed horse tail here. -Ohh!
-And that's what is under here. There are about 21 coils.
They're 60 feet long -- of horsetail. Twisted really tight, wrapped in burlap, and wired.
-Wow. -And that's how it stands.
2 floors are resting on it, and it can move about an inch and a quarter.
Maybe an inch and a half when there is a crowd on it.
-And you do get a big crowd on here, the surface area is 5,000 square feet?
-Yes, It's 5,000 square feet.
-So you have 5,000 square feet of floating -- -Floating floor, yes!
This floor doesn't float, no. It's this -- the dance floor. -Yeah.
I think people need to come on out to Danceland and see it for themselves!
-Oh yes, the old folks say we can dance here every day and never get tired.
-All day folks! -Yeah, they come with walkers and strollers!
We put them on the floor, and away they go! -Fantastic!
-Ha ha ha!