Palais Royale, Historic dance hall on Lake Shore Boulevard, Toronto, Canada.
Palais Royale is a dance hall and event venue on Lake Shore Boulevard at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue, on the Lake Ontario shore. The 1922 building by Chapman, Oxley & Bishop was designed with the boat-building works in the basement and part of the first floor, at shoreline level, while the second floor, at ground level from the front, held the dance hall. It was gutted and rebuilt inside during a $3.5 million renovation by the Pegasus Group after 2005.
Originally constructed in 1922 as Dean's Boat Works, the building later became a dance hall and hosted notable musicians like Count Basie and Duke Ellington during the 1930s. This period established the venue as a major music destination in Toronto.
The venue became central to Toronto's social transformation when community movements in the 1950s challenged and ended racial segregation. Today, visitors experience the site of these important changes in the city's past.
The hall stands at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue where it meets Lake Shore Boulevard, on the Lake Ontario shore. The City removed the former east-side parking lot, once a mini-golf course, and planted grass and willow trees there. The rear terrace was rebuilt during the 2005 renovations by the Pegasus Group.
A memorable moment in the venue's history occurred in 1933 when a single orchestra performance drew thousands of attendees in one evening. This event revealed the immense pulling power the place had for music lovers of the time.
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