Gull Lake and The Barge-The Reasons We Moved to Gravenhurst

PART TWO - THE BARGE

MUSIC ON THE BARGE ISN'T RUN-OF-THE-MILL ANYTHING / IT'S AN EXCEPTION AND IT'S A SUCCESSFUL ONE

You'd think when an historian and an historical legend get together over a cold pop, for a summer afternoon bull session, they'd quickly delve into the details of one of the best known entertainment venues in Muskoka. I'd like that, I really would. But it doesn't happen.

Fred Schulz and I have known each other for long and long, and yet with our respective years of professional heritage making, and history recording, our associates might assume we'd have little interest in contemporary issues. Funny thing; we seldom if ever talk about the good old days of The Barge. It's because most discussions in the past half decade, have involved the difficulties he's been having getting each season "off the ground," so to speak. And then there are the recurring problems of dealing with town officials and departments, and trying to stretch his budget to bring in the best entertainers for the least amount of money. Then there's the rain. The indoor venue breaks his heart. He dreams of a rain free Sunday run. If he was a nail-biter, he'd have bitten down to the last knuckle by now. While few of his management overseers would find his position overly difficult or in any way stressful, it's because they don't know how it all comes together each year, and all the details that have to be dealt with weekly, to make sure the concerts go off without a hitch. When folks send in kind notes to the town, about the latest concert success, councillors undoubtedly hubris themselves to good cheer, thinking that what's Fred's, is also theirs! Complaints on the other hand. Well sir, Fred stands alone on this one, and town hall blow-hards all of a sudden feel a necessity to distance themselves from perceived controversy. Well first of all, complaints are few and far between, and most are so ridiculous as to be dismissed as just editorial opinion and nothing more.

Sure, I'd like to do a biography of the guy, because he warrants a retrospective. Somehow Fred's just not at peace these days, because he's got more worries with town hall, and staff, and deep seeded doubts he can finish the season without imploding from the growing frustration. I don't know what his other friends think but I'm concerned the town is going to lose an incredible asset due to neglect and insensitivity. I'm pretty sure he's wondering what it has all been about, these past decades of running this well appreciated Sunday night concert series. Maybe that's why he doesn't talk about it much. He's got this block, you see, that because the present and future are murky, especially due to the urgent need for an expensive restoration, that may or may not be approved by council, past accomplishments, and sentimental keepsakes, are for the scrapbook only. Yesterday's milestones have no cash value at a cash-strapped time in our town's history.

When our family decided to move from Bracebridge, to Gravenhurst, in the late 1980's, The Barge and Gull Lake were two attractions we considered as important community assets to support our decision. Sure, part of it was our passion for a smaller town. I grew up in a much smaller Bracebridge of the 1960's, and Suzanne was from the hamlet of Windermere on Lake Rosseau. For our young family, Gravenhurst offered the Muskoka we cherished. Access to the loon-thriving lakes, and the bustle had a little less urban hustle (sprawl). We knew it was the ideal place to raise a family for Muskoka-loving folks.

As for The Barge, after buying and fixing up our house, we didn't have a lot of money for entertainment. There was a recession on, and our credit cards were a smidgeon off "tilt," such that whenever we needed a car repair or a replacement appliance, even a pot or pan, we half expected sirens and bells to go off! So the very idea that we could attend a Sunday night concert, on The Barge, at beautiful Gull Lake Park, for the price of a coin donation, was a great part of life in our new hometown. We listened to the concert and the boys enjoyed the beachfront. Now we enjoy the beachfront and the boys work on The Barge, on those same summer Sundays. But they were introduced to it on the cheap, let me tell you, and thankfully Fred just winked at us, and welcomed us to the park, never looking to see that we only deposited a dollar or two in the donation bucket. I think he knew we were economizing with our choices of entertainment, when in fact, it was a little of that but mostly a matter of pure, uncomplicated, unfettered enjoyment in what we have always called "the people's park." The Barge wasn't the only reason we chose to move south to Gravenhurst. But it was a venue that clearly showed the character of the town. It was a sharing place of good neighbors and caring associations, service clubs and church organizations, that may have inspired me to say, at some time, "geez, this is so much like Mayberry." I do offer an apology if I offend anyone with this American sitcom reference but it was my favorite show growing up, and to see Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son walking with fishing poles over the shoulder, I imagined Gull Lake in the background. Yes, it's a simplistic overview and a vastly outrageous comparison, but we humans can be weak this way, and it's what I saw and felt regardless. It was the hometown I wanted to grow into, and we have done so (at least by good intention), in every way, from our new mainstream business to community involvements. I just don't do the "Mayberry" reference thing as much as I once did. Actually when I get mad at council, for some reason, usually tax increases, I might reference "Hooterville" on occasion, because there are times I feel like Oliver Douglas dealing with Mr. Hainey and Sam Drucker (not sure of spelling). Once again, I offer an apology.

When Suzanne and I head down to The Barge on these special summer Sundays, we always look forward to seeing old friends, neighbors, folks from other towns, who have come to see the show, and we quite enjoy settling down at water's edge, to visit with Fred and our boys, and their volunteer friends, as they scurry about getting the deck ready for the musical group's arrival. And we are usually amongst the last to leave. The last soul to leave the Concert on The Barge……Fred Schulz. Guess who was the first to arrive for the concert. No, he doesn't send an underling to do the manager's job. Call him old fashioned but Fred is the manager's manager, and if there are going to be any screw-ups, he's going to have first or last whack at resolving them. I think, in some ways, this is what has become so frustrating for the stalwart manager of The Barge. There's so much he can't solve today by his own diligence, and unwavering focus on all that is The Barge and its operational business. He doesn't understand how there can be a disconnect with council, or the department he deals with directly. He's not that hard to reach, or meet with, and he's about the most obliging guy on earth. So as far as a willingness to confront problems at their source, Fred is eager, almost compulsive, about being proactive. Yet each week lately, there seems to be an act of curious providence, that makes him wonder aloud, whether they are all actually signs its time to surrender his position, to the so called new vested interest. I've always thought of Fred as a sort of Dickensian character, like "A Christmas Carol's" old Fezziwig, who labored a lifetime in a profession he cherished, as it was in itself, "an endearing, nurturing way of life," and so much more than a means of financial gain alone. Fred, simply stated, by this editorialist, is "The Barge," not by the measure of girth, but of passion.

I would love one day to sit down and chat about the history of Music on the Barge, and Fred's tenure, having assumed responsibility from other highly capable town volunteers, who blazed the trail from the 1950's onward. I think, first of all, he has to be comfortable with the present and future situation, and to know that he has a future at Gull Lake. I'd be foolish to lead him on, with the suggestion his friends are going to help win-over council, and successfully fundraise for renovations. At this point, no one really knows what will come next. But to use a fence analogy, there's a lot of mending to do.

As we were cheap-skates back in the early days of our residency in Gravenhurst, and didn't put as much in the money we should have, our family wants to pay back some of this moral, fiscal debt, by providing some sweat equity…..and on this hottest day of the year, that's exactly what I'm doing. If you wish to help ensure the continuation of "Music on the Barge," and guarantee Mr. Schulz remains at the helm, please offer an opinion to the town, to Fred, or to the newspaper, because it really does count. I'd sure like to take some of the worry out of Fred's day, by offering him the same helping hand, that he has extended to many of us over the decades………..this being a wonderful time to return the favor. Without a strong community show of support, back to council, The Barge's future is clearly in doubt.