Should Canada Day Holiday be on a Weekend?
From Pinecrest to Stardom: Jason McCoy’s Hometown Roots – By Brian Keyes July 13, 2025
Pinecrest Dance Hall was an iconic landmark in Anten Mills located on Horseshoe Valley Rd as you come into the village from Hwy 27. For decades it was operated by a family, first Charlie and Barb Miller while later by their daughter and her husband Gayle and Ray Collins. Patrons came from many places every Saturday night to do the two step or a waltz. It also included many locals who enjoyed the live bands with an evening of dancing, socializing and networking (before we even used that term). The building was thought to be a converted old chicken coop with an old growth hardwood floor that with a little corn powder applied made it easy to dance on and also fall! A ceiling of cloth with green lights added to the atmosphere. There was an admission to enter with Ray greeting everyone with a smile. Younger family members would check your coat while Gayle operated a snack bar with soft drinks and chips. This was an unlicensed facility but somehow many bags and purses contained other refreshments stored under the table! Bands like Andy Ross and The Bluenotes would provide a night of live music and even take in a few requests! Dance halls were common for many decades but sadly they have largely disappeared in the last 25 years. Pinecrest was later sold and operated as a general store by Frank and Doreen Orr for several years but now stands empty.
One of the locals attracted to Pinecrest was a youngster named Jason McCoy. Jason and his family moved to Anten Mills on Luella Blvd in 1976. Jason’s parents, Jim and Roberta organized a Cub’s pack and even held the meetings in their house. One of Jason’s first jobs was delivering newspapers, the Barrie Examiner here in the village. Jason later got a job cutting grass at the Barrie Airport on Anne Street. He would ride his dirt bike there and back home. Jason obviously was enthralled with flying and got his pilot’s license at age 17 which was a record at the time. His other passion was music and perhaps this attracted him as a young kid to ride up to Pinecrest on his bicycle with his buddies after the parents had gone dancing there on Saturday night. They could peek through the cracks in the walls to watch and hear the music. Both of Jason’s parents were musical and so he had good genes for a natural ear to play and sing but he did take music lessons as well. He won a contest at Minesing Minifest as a young boy singing a George Jones song. Jason joined Cliff Legault to form a band, ‘Three Quarters Country’. One of the venues that Jason honed his skills at was a familiar locale, Pinecrest Dance Hall. Later Jason won an event in Barrie at Lakeview Dairy which catapulted him to visit Nashville. Jason started touring across Canada in 1987. Jason’s motor home that he used for travelling was often seen in the driveway at his parent’s house here in the village. He told me he can remember the sounds and smells of Pinecrest Dance Hall on Saturday Night! Jason McCoy is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and has won Canadian Country Music Male Artist of the Year. When asked about his fondest memory of growing up in Anten Mills, Jason told me it was riding his bicycle in the summer and at night it was so quiet here in the village you could hear the hum of the street lights. Perhaps like the memories of our native son Jason McCoy, many current residents treasure that quietness we enjoy here in Anten Mills.