Will Opera House Become The Eiger Sanction

LONGEST DROUGHT I CAN RECALL IN MUSKOKA - MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GOOD TIME TO REPAIR OPERA HOUSE ROOF

SNOW CAN FLY IN MUSKOKA - ONE HOUR AFTER LABOUR DAY - BUT THAT'S JUST THE OLDTIMERS SPOUTING-OFF, RIGHT?

     COUNCILLORS AND SELECT TOWN STAFF,  KNOW THE PRECISE REASONS WHY ROOF REPAIRS AT THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE, WERE HELD-OFF UNTIL THE FALL SEASON. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SAGE OLDTIMERS THINK, OR RETIRED CONTRACTORS, OR SELF-APPOINTED COMMUNITY SOOTHSAYERS, WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE SINCE BIRTH, THINK ABOUT REPAIRING A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL ROOF ON THE CUSP OF AN UNPREDICTABLE MUSKOKA NOVEMBER. THEY MIGHT DRAW US BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS, WHEN SUCH A LARGE AND INTRUSIVE PROJECT, THAT WAS GOING TO HAVE INHERENT SURPRISES IN STORE FOR THE ROOFERS, WOULD HAVE BEGUN MUCH EARLIER IN THE FALL, OR BETTER STILL, IN THE HOT, DRY SUMMER. IT JUST SEEMS LOGICAL, IF YOU APPRECIATE HOW SUDDENLY, WINTER CAN ENCROACH ON AUTUMN, WITH A DAY AFTER DAY BLAST OF ARCTIC AIR, RAIN AND SNOW. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BUILDINGS WE OWN IN GRAVENHURST, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER TO HAVE HAD AN EARLIER START, JUST IN CASE THIS IS THE ONE WINTER IN TWENTY-FIVE, THAT SNOW-BURDENS US FROM EARLY NOVEMBER. IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE, AND WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD THE WEATHER IS GOING TO CO-OPERATE WITH MERE MORTALS, TRYING TO PUT A ROOF BACK ON OUR HISTORIC MAIN STREET ENTERTAINMENT VENUE?

     IT WAS GOOD TO SEE CONTRACTORS BACK ON THE OPERA HOUSE ROOF, FIRST THING THIS MORNING, AFTER A FEW DAYS OF PAUSE; FOR WHATEVER REASON THE WORK STOPPED AND THE OPERA HOUSE WAS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. THERE WAS A LOT OF HUSTLE AROUND THE BUILDING AND A FEW OFFICIAL-LOOKING TYPES, WHO MAY BE THE FOLKS WHO WILL EVENTUALLY OFFER COUNCIL SOMETHING TO PASS ON TO US VERY CONCERNED CONSTITUENTS. PARTICULARLY WORRIED WHEN ODDLY SHAPED PIECES OF PLYWOOD BEGIN PATCHING OVER APPARENT HOLES IN THE ROOF…..WHICH IS NEVER GOOD ANY TIME OF THE YEAR. WE MAY BE IN THE SOUTHERN CLIME OF MUSKOKA, BUT WE HAVEN'T YET BEEN ABLE TO GROWN PALM TREES TO ENHANCE THE MAIN STREET. UNLESS MUSKOKA HAS SLIPPED FROM ITS GEOGRAPHIC AREA IN ONTARIO, WE ARE STILL SNUGGLY CONNECTED TO THE SNOW BELT, AND A SHIFT OF WIND CAN BRING IN BLINDING STREAMERS OUT OF THE BLUE. A FEW OF US OLD FARTS, AND SUNDRY OTHER TOWN WATCHERS, ARE PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT GAPING HOLES IN THIS OLD BUILDING, SO FAR INTO OCTOBER. AS IT WAS EXPECTED PROBLEMS LIKE THIS WOULD BE FOUND, BELOW AND OLD MULTI SHINGLED SURFACE, WHEN THE LAYERS WERE REMOVED, IT'S A LITTLE UNSETTLING WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE OPERA HOUSE HAS A CATHEDRAL CEILING…..SO A HOLE IS A DEEP ONE, WITH SEATS BELOW. IT'S GOOD THAT A ROOFER DIDN'T ARRIVE IN THE HOUSE, THROUGH THAT SAME WEAK PATCH OF WOODWORK. I DOUBT THEY WOULD HAVE LANDED RIGHT SIDE UP, IN THE EMBRACE OF ONE OF THOSE COMFORTABLE OPERA HOUSE SEATS.

WE CAN GET POSSESSIVE WITH OUR CENTERPIECE - DO YOU BLAME US?

     It's hard to deny that the Gravenhurst Opera House has been a critically important saving-grace for constituents over the past three years. Through some troubling times, the Opera House has been there for us…..to host concert fundraisers, community meetings, strategic planning meetings, and as a pivotal operations office for the BIA. As well as being used to entertain us, its architectural prominence is uplifting to citizens……as it is very much a survivor of great changes around it…..up and down the main street. On our daily travels along Muskoka Road, it gives us some comfortable sense of commonplace, and order, when things in our lives and neighborhoods become disorderly. In the past two years, especially, the Opera House was an almost moral, spiritual centre without being a church. It was where we came together to help victims of a serious main street fire, that leveled three buildings, and left people without homes and their places of business. A fundraising effort was created in less than a week, my sons being part of the relief project, and it was in this great hall, that some of the healing began…..and the resolve to move on with life and times, fortified by community compassion and unbelievable generosity. Some people might look at the Opera House, begging repairs, and wonder if the expense is worth it, especially with the tax burdens we're already facing in this municipality. I've thought about it once or twice myself. I even wrote a blog about it a year ago, suggesting that there will be a day, the patchwork of repairs will no longer be enough…..and that we will have to decide whether to keep spending on the old building, or turn our attention to the future, with a modern, newly equipped Opera House. In a year's time folks, I've slipped back on this issue, with the hope these ongoing repairs will push-off that "either, or" situation, for at least another decade or two. It's what a landmark is all about. It centers us, and its usually a subtle relationship; we just know it's going to be there, when other things aren't. If a building can be considered stalwart, as a human quality, then this edifice of the late Victorian period, has a distinct, vibrant, warm soul…..of which we owe it our reverence for its years of kindly service.

     There's just something about that building, and its dominance of the main street corridor, that speaks to the determination and resilience of the local population, to keep fighting back against unanticipated adversity, that admittedly, has been daunting and economically stressing at times. This building has weathered the storms, and reminded us daily, how future-minded we have been, from the early years of our community…….that we set this building out there as a standard of everything else, and of this, its founders were planting a seed in future generations, to match and improve upon their determination and leadership; to make Gravenhurst a good place to live, and a keen competitor in everything it puts its heart and soul. For those who see it as just another old main street building, I can't do much to change their minds. If that wonderful old timer, was no longer occupying that corner, how would we feel about our main street revitalization plans? Few want to think of this happening, but it is still an issue that looms every now and again, when its restoration needs hit six figures. Just because the roof is being repaired, doesn't mean the restoration expenses are over. There are other areas to finance.

     The "not knowing" part is a little hard to take these days, because the Opera House is a main street hub we can't replace easily. Even if it was closed for an extended period of time, we would all feel dreadfully compromised. While arguably, it's not used as much as it could be these days, especially in its entertainment capacity, it's glory days are still flashing in the minds of us old-timers, and we know it can all come back if there is a will to restore that side of the historic venue. With the big, two night Christmas Shows this November, featuring the CBC's Stuart McLean, and his hit radio show, The Vinyl Cafe, we really don't want bad news about the state of the venue; which is key to the show's otherwise guaranteed success. Now that would be a bummer. Having Stuart McLean back at the Opera House is huge for our town, and hosting a Christmas show here is a really big gift to the downtown. They chose our town, one of a few in Canada this Christmas, and I think this is a huge honor for Gravenhurst. This is the way it's supposed to be……with that Opera House marquis having these big names of entertainment splashed all over it…..yup, the good old days. Remember Rita McNeil's Christmas Show? The Irish Rovers?

     In terms of the roof work yet to go, and some nasty weather on the horizon, like winter for example, are these shows in danger? Well, as uncomfortable as the question might be, it needs to be answered. It's good to have more than a month's wiggle room between now and his show, but by golly, with rain in the forecast, how much inclement weather is too much for work to continue? An early season snowfall will make that roof top into the EIger Sanction.

     I hope the answers to some of these questions will appear in this week's community press. That would be nice. Sensible. Responsible. Taking out an add, in this case, would be a justified expense, us taxpayers could live with. Talking to the press voluntarily would be swell too. If not, and the issue is fobbed-off, then we know there's a much bigger problem than a couple of holes in the roof.

     Thanks for joining today's blog. Please visit any time. I like lots of company on these rough and tumble editorial journeys, which can get pretty scary at times. I make a lot more enemies than friends, let me tell you.