Wayne Townsend - Facebook
Wayne Townsend is credited as opening Orangeville first LGBT space but he hesitates to call the establishment a gay bar.
He says Paradise restaurant and bar welcomed everyone, including fringe groups and it wasn’t uncommon to see a biker seated next to a gay man.
“The reason why the gays were welcomed was because I’m gay and of course, I welcomed people and made sure it was safe for them”, Townsend muses.
When asked if it was ever subject to the sorts of police raids LGBT spaces were in Toronto back in Paradise’s lifespan in the 80’s, Townsend declines and says, “Orangeville just wasn’t that kind of town.”
A self-professed hippy, Townsend says Paradise was never meant to be political. Instead he strived to welcome everyone but he does believe young LGBTQ folks are being too hard on themselves and on eachother.
Townsend says young LGBTQ people could benefit from a greater sense of community, and urged them to form their own spaces rather than looking for designated ones, which are now seen as being threatened of shuttering by COVID-19 shutdowns.
As for his own youth, Townsend looks back fondly and says Orangeville was a loving and supportive community to grow up in.
Paradise restaurant and bar was a hot spot in Orangeville during the 1980’s. CFNY broadcasted live from Paradise on Friday nights. Photo: Facebook
