Winter Carnival

NEW YEARS IN GRAVENHURST

SKOKIE SONG A WORK IN PROGRESS - I MEAN THAT - WE HAVE A CONSENSUS, AND IT'S A GO

JUST OVER A YEAR AGO, I WROTE THREE OR FOUR BLOGS ABOUT THE REVITALIZATION OF THE OLD MUSKOKA WINTER CARNIVAL, WITH A GRAVENHURST THEME, AND PROVIDED SOME BACKGROUND ABOUT THE MID-WINTER EVENT. I WAS A CONSTANT COMPANION OF THE GNARLY OLD OTTER, WHEN I WAS A REPORTER FOR THE LOCAL PRESS, BACK IN THE LATE 1970'S AND THROUGH THE 1980'S. I STARTED GOING TO WINTER CARNIVAL EVENTS IN THE EARLY 1970'S, WITH MY GIRLFRIEND GAIL AND MATES, AND THAT'S WHEN IT STRETCHED NOT ONLY THROUGH MUSKOKA, BUT LASTED FOR OVER A WEEK. THERE WERE EVENTS LIKE THE "KIN-HUTCH," AT A BRACEBRIDGE HOTEL, MID-WEEK I BELIEVE, RUN BY THE KINSMEN CLUB, AND ALL THE SERVICE CLUBS GOT IN ON THE ACTION. THERE WERE SPONSORSHIPS FROM SNOWMOBILE DEALERS AND BREWERIES…..WE STILL OWN ONE OF THE CUSTOMIZED BOTTLE OPENERS FROM THE PERIOD.

IT WAS A REALLY NEAT WINTER-TIME FETE THAT INVOLVED HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS. EACH TOWN HAD THEIR OWN INTERESTING VENUES, AND THE WHOLE EVENT WAS LARGELY AIMED AT IMPROVING WINTER TOURISM. IT COMPANIONED WITH THE AUTUMN'S CAVALCADE OF COLOR, WHICH HAD A HUGE LOCAL FOLLOWING. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE ZENITH PERIOD OF VOLUNTEERISM IN OUR REGION, BECAUSE BOTH EVENTS REQUIRED A HUGE WORK FORCE TO PULL OFF. IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THE PARTICIPATION OF THE SERVICE CLUBS, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DIED MUCH SOONER THAN IT DID. BUT IT WAS FUN. PEOPLE ENJOYED GETTING INVOLVED. BUT OVER TIME, POLITICS AND ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS, LIQUOR LICENSE RESTRICTIONS, AND INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, GRADUALLY TOOK THE FUN OUT OF OLD SKOKIE. THE EVENT BECAME MORE ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL, THAN IT WAS FUN. IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP UP THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED TO MAKE IT ALL WORK.

ONE OF THE BURDENSOME PROBLEMS, WAS THAT THERE WAS THIS MANDATE TO CREATE HUGE EVENTS. MAYBE IT WAS THE FAULT OF THE HALCYON 1970'S, AND THE REALITY, THE EVENT TOOK OFF ALMOST FROM INCEPTION…..AND THAT'S KIND OF THE PROBLEM…..WHEN YOU GET A WINNER IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS…..AND ORGANIZERS BELIEVE THEY HAVE TO EXPAND AND CREATE MORE OPTIONS. WHICH OF COURSE REQUIRES MORE VOLUNTEERS.

ORGANIZERS OF THE GRAVENHURST WINTER CARNIVAL, CAN ENJOY QUITE A LARGE AMOUNT OF SUCCESS, IF THEY OPERATE A SMALL, WELL EXECUTED EVENT, THAT IS ENJOYABLE FOR THE VOLUNTEERS. BUT HERE'S THE TICKET. IT SHOULD BE AN EVENT FOR THE CITIZENS OF GRAVENHURST, THE FAMILIES, THE KIDS, AND FOLKS IN MUSKOKA WHO WANT TO JOIN IN. IF ORGANIZERS DECIDED TO MAKE THIS A HUGE TOURIST EVENT, IT WILL NOT SURVIVE. A COMMUNITY FETE……(THERE SHOULD BE MANY IN A YEAR) WILL HELP INSPIRE OUR CITIZENRY……AND RIGHT NOW, IT IS A HUGE DEFICIENCY ON THE TOWN MAP, WHETHER COUNCIL CARES TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR NOT. WE NEED TO INSPIRE OUR TOWNSFOLK. LET THEM HELP BUILD SOMETHING WONDERFUL HERE, THAT THEY CAN FEEL A PART OF……NOT JUST A COMMERCIAL GIG, TO TRY AND ATTRACT VISITORS AND THEIR WALLETS. THE PORT CARLING WINTER CARNIVAL, ONE THAT I AM FAMILIAR, IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS IN A SENSIBLE PACKAGE, AIMED AT ALL THOSE WHO LIKE MUSKOKA WINTER, AND ADORE PORT CARLING. IT WORKS BECAUSE THEY HAVE KEPT SENSIBLE PROPORTION, AND CONTINUED TO PERFECT THE EVENTS AND THE SCHEDULE.

SINCE BEGGING MY LADS TO RE-VISIT THE IDEA OF CREATING A MODERN VERSION OF THE WINTER CARNIVAL SONG, TO HERALD THE ARRIVAL OF SKOKIE TO TOWN, THINGS HAVE BEEN MOVING ALONG QUICKLY, AND IDEAS ARE EXPLODING LIKE NEW YEAR'S FIREWORKS. I CAN'T REVEAL TOO MUCH, OTHER THAN "PRESSURE POINT," IS TAKING ON THE TASK, AND WILL HAVE A SONG BY WINTER CARNIVAL TIME. AND THAT'S GREAT NEWS. SO WATCH THIS BLOG SITE FOR UPDATES. IN THE EARLY 70'S, IN MY FAMILY'S APARTMENT IN BRACEBRIDGE, BRAD AND BONNIE VEITCH WERE VISITING FRIENDS……AND AS A FAVOR, CAME INTO OUR PLACE, SAT ON THE COUCH, AND PERFORMED THEIR BRAND NEW WINTER CARNIVAL SONG. IT WAS GREAT. AS A SIDEBAR, ANDREW AND ROBERT, THROUGH THEIR MOTHER SUZANNE, ARE COUSINS OF MR. VEITCH, A FORMER PRINCIPAL OF GRAVENHURST PUBLIC SCHOOL.

I WILL OFFER A WEE BIT OF CARNIVAL HISTORY IN THE NEXT BLOG, FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T KNOW SKOKIE WAY BACK WHEN……..THE OTTER AND I HOISTED A FEW BACK IN THOSE DAYS, WHEN I WAS A POOR REPORTER, AND HE / SHE WAS A LITTLE FRAYED AROUND THE EDGES…..BUT HAD DEEP POCKETS. A LOT OF FUN, THOSE WINTER CARNIVALS…..BUT ALWAYS FOR THE SIMPLEST, MOST LOW KEY REASONS. IT WAS GOOD TO SEE FAMILIES INVOLVED. THAT'S OUR BIGGEST SHORTFALL HERE. DOING SOMETHING FOR OUR OWN. AND OUR CONTRIBUTION WILL BE A SKOKIE SONG THAT BY GOLLY, HAS THE FAMILY AT HEART. THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHS I EVER TOOK, AS A REPORTER, FEATURED KIDS HAVING A GREAT TIME AT WINTER RECREATION. IT WAS GOOD FOR THE WINTER BLAHS, THAT'S FOR SURE.

MORE TO COME.