Students were transported to nearby Leith for the next two years until 1967, when Sydenham Central School was opened in Owen Sound.

Numerous proprietors ran the store in Balaclava's original location, including Larry Hunt, David Dodge, and George Howitt.

The land was deemed ideal for military training since it incorporated limestone cliffs, rolling open ground, and dense bush.

Local young men would work all day, and participate in cricket, football (soccer), softball, and hockey in the evenings.

In the late 1930s, Balaclava joined the Sydenham Soccer league, composed of teams from Annan, Bognor, and Strathaven.

Balaclava won the league, and at the celebratory banquet Syl Apps and Gus Bodnar were guest speakers.

The youth of the area would often meet at the home of Harold and Doreen Scott for pick-up baseball games or at Jim and Lorraine Lemon's for impromptu soccer or hockey matches.

In the mid-1970s, three local young men - Lane Lemon, Paul J Scott, and Lloyd Mitchell - formed the Balaclava Burners.

Since the nearest year-round ice surface was in Owen Sound, practices and games were often held there, although the team also played in Keady, Chatsworth, Kilsyth, and Wiarton.

Members of the team in 1987 included (from bottom left) Gary Tottenham, Joe O'Reilly, Ken Morrison, Pat Moore, and Steve Hiscox; and (from top left) Jeff Morrison (Equipment Manager), Paul J Scott, Lane Lemon, Craig Stephens, Scott Davis, Ted Van Balkom, Paul Smith, Tim Hughes, Bev Davidson, Jim Edmonstone, and Jeff Harron (managing due to suspension).

In late August 2004, executive producer Wolfgang Siebert staged a three-day rock festival on top of Coffin Hill, 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of Balaclava and with a panoramic view of Georgian Bay.

Beginning on August 27, the festival featured Alice Cooper, Joe Walsh, The B-52's, Johnny Winter, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Blue Öyster Cult, Steppenwolf, Kim Mitchell, Rick Derringer, and Cheap Trick, among others.

Part of the proceeds of the event were to go to the Grey County Cattlemen's Association as well as St. John Ambulance, which was building a new training centre and office called the Ed Tottenham House in Owen Sound.

[citation needed] The Birches is part of Eagle Ridge Developments and is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the north, north-west.