In this week's Remember This? the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library archive tells us the story behind John Wenmaekers' popular attraction
While it may have been open for less than a decade, Dwarf Village, located on Laird Hill, provided a memorable experience for local children in the 1960s and 1970s.
When it opened on June 1, 1968, Dwarf Village consisted of a walking path that took visitors through fairytale scenes including Hansel and Gretel, Humpty Dumpty, Snow White, and more. An advertisement from the grand opening provided a lengthy list of the other features, including a merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, a wishing well, and plenty of food. The refreshment area consisted of a wagon and windmill, where concessions could be purchased, and a picnic area.
In the years following its opening, Dwarf Village made no small impact on the community. In 1968, the village won first prize for a commercial float in the Community Night Parade. In 1970, a concert put on by the Lakeway Collegiate music program featured an original composition for recorders called the Dwarf Village Suite which the Sault Daily Star described as “giving impressions of a visit, complete with bird calls and train sounds.
As for Wenmaekers, in 1980, he opened Putter’s Park, an indoor miniature golf course in Winnipeg, Manitoba. According to the Sault Star, he retained his connections to Sault Ste. Marie, however, and “still considered himself a Sault-Winnipeg commuter.”
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