A TIME OF PROFOUND CHANGE - THERE’S NO GOING BACK

There are folks today, like yesterday, the day before and the year before that, who simply couldn’t care less about world affairs. If it doesn’t intimately involve them, or intrude upon their daily existence, they opt not to quest for information. There are those who argue vehemently that “bad” or “negative” news is burdensome and depressing. All the more reason to tune it out. I know people who refuse to buy a newspaper or listen to news reports, for fear they might be thusly intruded-upon in their respective sanctuaries. It is however, one of those conditions of life, that contrary issues don’t go away because one refuses to acknowledge or deal with them.

I feel sorry for them, but I’m not compelled whatsoever, to force-feed them my opinion on the matter. I can’t command them to read my blog entries, and it isn’t my intention, ever, to hurt any one with my opinion, or my adversarial take on a subject or political situation. While I’ve been reserved about pitching what I believe is a good idea, it’s because I’m shy of being considered a Svengali. I don’t want a following or a band of believers, to join me for an over-throw of government. I don’t want to inspire a revolution but rather spawn the kind of critical thought and open-mindedness, that initiates common sense improvements and resolution to obstacles thwarting our success. Not ones that are only achieved by radical and intrusive overhauls.

I don’t believe there are problems in Gravenhurst that can’t be resolved by understanding and negotiation. We have a good home town. It has survived through many periods of disharmony and crisis. Good neighbors, responsible stewards, have stepped up and pitched in, to make the best of unfortunate situations. I’m an historian by trade, so I know what I’m writing about.

We have a lot of talented folks in our community, who have vast amounts of front-line experience in business and industry, who do know how to make things better in the future. Unfortunately, there has been a reluctance, by some, to accept that in order to improve and correct what has gone wrong in the past, openness and compliance is a necessity. The only way to initiate any kind of improvement, is to prevail with honest criticism and employ whatever is deemed necessary, to make the program adaptable to all new realities. My critics might well argue that this could be revolutionary in character. And although I don’t really expect any of this would involve the kind of disruption to civil obedience, as they are seeing in Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon, it simplistic to think change of direction, even in our small town, must always be confined to the domain of gentle, polite harmony.

The downtown business community, in Gravenhurst, is in dire need of support. Gravenhurst Council and many, many citizens are finally tuning in, and acknowledge something has to be done to stop the slide, into an even larger vacancy situation for the main street. For quite a few years now, Gravenhurst Council has had an opinion about its representation on the BIA, and it wasn’t much more than a gentle, less than enthusiastic participation......the proverbial pat on the head, to let the frustrated directorship know the cavalry is close by. Ineffective and unarmed but close by! It would be hard for any past BIA members to deny that council hasn’t provided much more than the lowest amount of ongoing guidance they could get away with, and still boast they “support BIA initiatives.” It has never been enough to have a council representative who isn’t prepared to help fix the disharmony that has often prevailed. And if it was the case, that these concerns were brought to council’s attention, and no action followed, well, then we should be happy to have a new council with a more pro-active approach, currently at the helm.

The BIA itself has had internal problems for years. I think it would be impossible for any one here in Gravenhurst, who reads a paper, or listens to the word on the street, to be unaware of the dynamic of the logger-head. The real horns of the proverbial dilemma, is that for so many years, the situation has been worsening, and town hall actually distancing, from its responsibility to foster democratic spirit across the board. They should have intervened a long time ago, and insisted on a re-examination of mission statement, review of constitutional adherence, accountability, compliance, co-operation, and approval within its taxpaying membership. Not to be intrusive for the fun of it, or as make-work but to fix what needs to be fixed. If the BIA didn’t ask for a review, to help it maintain its even keel through stormy seas, then the town representative, over any one of the association’s rough patches, should have demanded of council, it address a friend in need. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.

It’s not surprising considering the reality many similar associations find it almost impossible to make all merchants / property owners happy, all of the time. Gravenhurst’s situation isn’t by any mean an exceptional circumstance. And for as long as there has been an obvious stalemate between the membership at large, the inner sanctum of BIA governance, and town hall, it is difficult to understand, why council has, for so many years, opted to bypass the obvious dysfunction. Choosing instead to let the problems continue to manifest into an even greater disharmony. Rather than to employ that idle cavalry to assist a partner needing a hand-up.

I am cautiously optimistic attitudes are changing. The town has most recently made this concern public, by inviting open-forum discussion, at an upcoming meeting, (Feb. 9, Opera House), to foster dialogue about a community-wide issue. How to encourage a new and improved attitude, in order to foster ongoing main street revitalization.

This isn’t just a BIA or Town Hall issue. It is a town matter. It is an important restitution to the well-being of our entire community. We are the cavalry. And we all need to recognize the negative impact we are all facing, as stakeholders in this community, of a failed and deserted main street. While a few might argue we shouldn’t get involved in the business affairs of free enterprise, and respect the rule of survival of the fittest, the majority of residents here do appreciate how important the historic main street is, to our general sense of well being in our own home town.

Hopefully the BIA will see this as a commencement of a new and exciting relationship with the town. A Council that is not figure-heading BIA meetings, to pacify the executive, but participating to offer advice and reliable connectedness to town hall. While there is no way to lay blame squarely on the Town, for the present diminishing of main street business, it is for certain, that over the past two council terms, there has been a growing, public frustration between the BIA and town hall. This and the pre-occupation with other development projects, which held council’s attention for quite some time, added to a widespread negative attitude throughout the mainstreet business community.

It is my faith in the new council, serving this community, that they will see that an improved relationship with the BIA membership generally, and one that sustains through the re-building process for the next ten years, will initiate many new co-operative initiatives and programs. It won’t come easily. Some will continue to toss obstacles in the way, and this must be overcome by the appreciation, as cliche, some things have to get worse before they get better.

There are many solutions to discuss. Encouraging and welcoming dialogue is a huge step toward meaningful, productive change.

Congratulations to the town and BIA representation, for inviting all of us to participate in what will hopefully be a highly productive period of co-operation, from and by, all partners.....