Dixie Arena’s management was quickly moving toward establishing a year-round business. Everything from racing cars and dog shows to flower shows and musical entertainment were on the books for possible attractions.
Several community groups made announcements that they would be renting Dixie Arena Gardens for events. The Township immediately made plans to hold a musical pageant on one of the three nights set aside to celebrate the Township’s Centennial. The firefighter’s planned a big community fund raising dance.
The Canadian Kennel Club booked the arena for September 23, 1950 for its annual dog show. In previous years the club held its show as part of the Toronto Winter Fair. The dog show turned out to be the largest ever held in Canada. It attracted more than 550 dogs from four U.S. States and Ontario and Quebec.
According to a newspaper report by Port Credit Weekly sports reporter, Vic Henderson, the management of Dixie Arena even tried midget car racing. Midget racecars, which in those days would be the King Midgets, had a lightweight wooden chassis with a full body surrounding the driver and powered by a small Wisconsin or Briggs and Stratton engine. The newspaper’s reference to ‘midget cars’ could not have been to describe what is known as a ‘go-kart’ since that type of craft didn’t make its appearance in Canada until 1958. Automotive historians will also tell you that the first go-kart track ever used in Canada was on a farm at Tomken and Burnhamthorpe on the property of Walter ‘Curly’ Elford in the fall of that year. Soon, more than 1,000 people would gather on weekends to watch these racers and the Township finally banned them.
1949 King Midget Mk. 1 was powered by a small Briggs and Stratton or Wisconsin engine. Testing the racer inside the arena produced more negatives than it was worth. Plans for indoor racing never got past a few test laps. Photo courtesy of automobile historian and author Bill Vance.