Manitoulin Swing band still 'swingin' more than 70 years later
It may arguably be one of the oldest swing bands in the country, but time certainly hasn't slowed down its jam sessions when it comes to making great music. The 'Manitoulin Swing Band' has been swinging into the hearts of islanders for more than 73 years.
Doug Smith, the founder of Manitoulin Transport, is one of the band's founding members.
For Smith, this is more than just making great music, it's also about making great memories.
"It's a bit of a challenge," he said. "You get to keep the music up, we enjoy it ... it's good."
The band's predecessor, the Gore Bay Orchestra, folded in the 60s. They lost several members as well as the sheet music. As a result, the new band learned to play the music by ear and they've been doing it ever since.
"I don't think we have a favourite. We have about 400 tunes we can play and I enjoy playing most of them," Smith said.
Bob Wiseman, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, is another founding member of the band. He told CTV News it's always great when the musicians can get together.
"We're all friends. We've lost a few people along the way with age, you know, we get people to fill in, a younger crew, you notice some of the people here are younger," Wiseman said.
They don't get together as much as they used to and figure band practices run maybe three to four times a year now at the Gore Bay Lodge.
And while shows have been hard to come by during the COVID-19 pandemic, they're looking forward to getting a chance to show off their talents in this year's telethon.
"I prefer the slow pieces with the good harmony ... if you don't have that, it tends to be noise," Wiseman laughed.
As for what keeps them going, some seven decades later.
Smith joked they are all "crazy" for swing music.
The Manitoulin Swing Band will open up this year's telethon, which can be watched on CTV Sudbury or CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca starting at 2 p.m. Dec. 4.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.