Smale's Pace was a Canadian

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

located at 436 Clarence Street, London, Ontario, Canada. It was a key venue for folk rock and singer songwriter music made famous for featuring Bruce Cockburn, Willie P. Bennett, David Essig, Brent Titcomb, Billie Hughes,

David Bradstreet David Bradstreet (born London, England) is a Canadian-based musician. He spent his childhood in Oakville, Ontario and began his music career in the late 1960s. He is best known for his song "Renaissance" ("Let’s Dance That Old Dance Once More") ...

Stan Rogers Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter. Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and th ...

, Rick Taylor, Mae Moore and The Good Brothers.

History

Smale's Pace opened in 1969 under the ownership of John Smale. The venue was converted from a Bell Canada garage. Willie P. Bennett began his performing career at the Smale's Pace, among many Canadian artists who performed on the stage.

Change of Pace

Upon acquiring Smale's Pace, Carl and Annie Grindstaff moved the venue to nearby Talbot Street, re-opening it with the name Change The Pace. While keeping the same furnishings, the ambiance was more formal. Ken Palmer of bluegrass band the Dixie Flyers was brought in to book the talent and while the venue still focused on singer-songwriters, Palmer booked weekly bluegrass players, as well as touring artists including Connie Kaldor, Roy Forbes, James Durst, and Mark Rust.

Smale's Pace/Change of Pace Folk Reunion Concert

Annual Smale's Pace/Change of Pace Folk Reunion Concerts have featured Ken Whiteley, Brent Titcomb,

Colleen Peterson Colleen Susan Peterson (November 14, 1950 – October 9, 1996) was a Canadian country and folk singer, who performed both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Quartette. Career Peterson began performing in coffeehouses in Ottawa in 1966 ...

, Jackie Washington, Murray McLauchlan,

Perth County Conspiracy Perth County Conspiracy, also known as Perth County Conspiracy (does not exist) was a Canadian psychedelic folk music group based in Stratford, Ontario, active during the 1970s. Their music is characterised by its message-oriented lyrics and uncon ...

, Liam Russell, Fraser & Girard, New Cumberland with

John P. Allen John Polk Allen (born May 6, 1929, Carnegie, Oklahoma) is a systems ecologist, engineer, metallurgist, adventurer, and writer. Allen is a proponent of the science of biospherics and a pioneer in sustainable co-evolutionary development. He is the ...

, Nora Galloway and The Dixie Flyers.

References

Coffeehouses and cafés in Canada Music venues in Ottawa Music venues in Greater Toronto Area Festival venues in Canada 1970s establishments in Ontario {{Canada-restaurant-stub