CHRISTMAS IN GRAVENHURST

THE CHRISTMAS SEASON HAS ARRIVED - BENEVOLENCE IS EVERYWHERE - AND THAT'S GOOD AND INSPIRING TO KNOW

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I WORRY ABOUT BENEVOLENCE. AS MANY FOLKS ARE TAPPED-OUT THEMSELVES, HAVING A TOUGH GO AT MAKING ENDS MEET, GIVING TO CHARITY IS BOUND TO SUFFER IN THE MODERN DAY REALITIES. SOMEHOW, IN GRAVENHURST, DESPITE ALL THE STRESSES OTHERWISE, WE SEEM TO ALWAYS RE-GENERATE OURSELVES TO HELP OUR NEIGBOURS. WE FIND A WAY TO HUSTLE UP A DONATION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT IS A GOOD INVESTMENT. AND IT IS. WHETHER IT IS ONE OF OUR IMPORTANT SERVICE CLUBS, CHURCH GROUPS, FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS, THOSE WHO HELP THE SALVATION ARMY FOOD BANK, AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS THAT JUMP INTO ACTION DURING TIMES OF CRISIS, GRAVENHURST IS ONE OF THE MOST BENEVOLENT COMMUNITIES I'VE EVER KNOWN.

AND THAT'S THE KIND OF HOMETOWN I WANT TO REMAIN IN FOR THE BALANCE OF MY LIFE….AS THIS CHARITABLE CHARACTER IS ROOTED HERE IN HISTORY.

If there is one significant reason, above all else, that makes me profoundly concerned about the new "One Government for Muskoka" movement, it's the historical precedents that scare me. I'm particularly aware of the Bracebridge contingent on this fledgling group, and as an historian, I feel a little uncomfortable about our neighbor being concerned about our welfare here in the southernmost climes of the District Municipality of Muskoka. As history serves, and one must invest some time to appreciate the rigors of history on our two southern towns, Bracebridge has won out on centralizing projects on many, many occasions in the past. While arguably they are situated almost but not-quite "mid-district," Bracebridge has been afforded a lot of privileges other communities have not benefitted, dating back to the late 1800's.

Although it might seem as if Gravenhurst has been keeping score, of all the investment they didn't get from the 1860's onward, the truth is that Bracebridge has been the recipient of advantage, and I have historical record to back up this claim. When Bracebridge folks come up with concepts on how to save us from economically wasteful government, initially we might agree. Hear hear!!!!! But when we draw back into those precedents, we realize that the one government thing is going to be situated in Bracebridge, and not our new-to-us, multi-million dollar town hall. But of course, why, oh why would we locate central Muskoka government in Gravenhurst? Funny thing that!! South Muskoka Memorial Hospital happened roughly the same way. Why couldn't the newly constructed hospital of the 1960's, replacing the former 1920's Red Cross Hospital, have been located in Gravenhurst? Logistics? Central position? Or was the power of economics, and politics centered in Bracebridge? Even though we had the massive Muskoka Centre, with medical staff, we didn't get much of a chance to negotiate to build the new hospital in the real "South" Muskoka. Do I think Gravenhurst was ripped off? From my knowledge of this, I can not say this for fact…..as it would be almost impossible to state accurately, as I was only hospital historian for a short time. Would a hospital in Gravenhurst have made an economic impact on our community……, I can answer this with a hale and hearty "Indeed!"

From the Provincial Court, Land Registry Office, District headquarters of the former Muskoka Board of Education, (Now satellite of Trillium Lakelands), Muskoka-Parry Sound Health Unit (for many years), and the location of our regional government headquarters, Bracebridge has definitely benefitted from its central location, and the capabilities of powerful folks, and politicians, who have been influential over the centuries, about such government installations. Now, upon hearing or reading this, the good folks of Bracebridge would undoubtedly be recoiling their cannons, to fire on their southern neighbors for such blasphemy. Surely Mr. Currie has, jet now, fired one over the bow. If anyone wishes to challenge historical reality, as penned by some very competent and award winning historians (not me of course), then go right ahead. Read first, argue later.

So when I read about the idea to create one level government, and I see the strong association with Bracebridge from the get-go, it's just experience that begs caution…..because they don't generally give their advantages to us…..without a string or nine attached. I think it has always bothered Bracebridge that the airport is in Gravenhurst, and we secured the penal institutions. There's a lot of capital investment involved here, and when money has been an issue in the past, don't think for a minute, it hasn't inspired rigorous competition at virtually all levels. What's wrong with community competition? Some of the greatest hockey and baseball games of the past were between Bracebridge and Gravenhurst. It's good for both towns to be competitive, and I won't criticize Bracebridge for using whatever it possesses to make improvements where and when they can. Do keep in mind, that the competition was so rigorous, for a university campus, most recently, that Bracebridge gave up a central community park…..to beat all other towns in the running…..including Gravenhurst. Now that's a tough act to parallel.

On the other side of benevolence, it is a most wonderful kinship, between our communities, to see a Bracebridge Fire Truck arrive at one of our tragic fire scenes, with such a sense of compassion and, yes benevolence. The links between our communities are many, and the kindnesses shown over the decades, is well documented and appreciated. Many folks who live in Gravenhurst, work in Bracebridge, and there is the reverse that holds true as well. We are linked in many ways, and this is all good.

Yet when it comes to attracting investment, the gloves are off. In recent years, Gravenhurst has felt somewhat more disadvantaged because of back to back closures, of the Muskoka Centre, Rubberset, and a host of industrial operations that employed quite a few people. While we don't walk around here mumbling about Bracebridge getting more than us here, the fact of the matter is that history has established one town over two other major communities, as the centre of governance. In a more profound way, this is likely to happen again, this time at the expense of our representative town council. Folks here need to me more aware of just what the Bracebridge based committee, exploring the idea, has in mind for us. And we have a right to know everything……and that includes the location of the new OZ. Me thinks it will also eventually require a new town hall in that central location. Geez, had we thought of that? Are we being greedy, if we demanded that, in any such negotiations, regional government headquarters be moved south to the Muskoka Gateway? Tell me why not!

When I talk / write about Gravenhurst's benevolence, it's not to suggest Bracebridge, Huntsville, Bala, Port Carling, Port Sydney are any less giving and charitable. In Gravenhurst however, we have had to deal with quite a number of shortfalls in investment, that others may suggest was the direct result of being complacent and non-aggressive in negotiation. In that light, maybe the town should have offered Gull Lake Park as a school campus, to weigh the negotiations southward. No, we wouldn't do that! I'm so thankful, as a park-hugger. Yet no matter how how you look at it, there have been circumstances that the town councils over the centuries, couldn't fight or negotiate, to beat out the "central" argument, that seemed an unfair geographic advantage……when geography wasn't always the main concern.

Now consider if Gravenhurst had been awarded the regional headquarters of the District of Muskoka, back in the early 1970's. Think about the economic stability if we had hosted the Land Registry Office, the Board of Education offices, South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, and the Provincial Court House. These were game changing situations, and it, in large part, is why Gravenhurst has started to be known as a "bedroom community," where folks reside when not in the community they work. This to many, is an insulting comment, but statistically, well, that's a different story. This should be more thoroughly researched. A lot of the problems we experience here, can be explained, to a degree, by the fact many folks travel to Bracebridge and Orillia to work, and shop there because it is convenient to their work situation. Understanding the economic circumstance in Gravenhurst is complicated and defies any simple, one line explanation, to offer as either an excuse or cop-out for not being ever-more competitive for new investment.

Gravenhurst has had to deal with a lot of failures, and many, many job losses that were never replaced. Lots of folks have had to re-locate, by necessity, (not by choice) and indeed work elsewhere to survive. At present, when our main street seems so much in peril, many citizens are heading back into the pages of history for answers. They of course can find many reasons, and I've only listed some, to support a position that our neighbors have "bested" us time and again, and still are…….and a lot of folks draw attention to box stores…..and they wouldn't necessarily be wrong to suggest the competition has quadrupled in the past twenty years.

Arguably, we have had to help ourselves a lot in the past because of industry closures, and lesser job opportunities generally. It's also the case that we should be more benevolent to our Bracebridge neighbors, because many or our citizens regained jobs by traveling north. Of course we are grateful. We must be. Somewhere in the mix however, is a small amount of jealousy about the fish that got away.

There is no one reason why Gravenhurst knows how to help itself in tough times. But it does. I see it all the time. And frankly, it's a resourcefulness I'm glad we've honed, because there are more tough times coming.