A LITTLE MORE FROM THE PALETTE KNIFE OF FORMER MUSKOKA ARTIST, RICHARD KARON. THE SERIES WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY EVENING, (APRIL 16TH) AT 8:30 P.M. ON THIS BLOG-SITE, TO COMPANION WITH A YOUTUBE VIDEO TRIBUTE OF THE ARTIST'S LIFE. PLEASE JOIN ME FOR A GREAT MUSKOKA STORY.
GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE, HAIGHT / CARNEGIE CENTRE, BETHUNE HOUSE!!!!! WHAT A GREAT CULTURAL CENTRE FOR ALL OF US
NOT A BAD TRIO OF POTENTIAL PARTNERS TO CREATE UPTOWN BUZZ
WOULD YOU BE SURPRISED AT ALL, IF I TOLD YOU I GOT KICKED OUT OF CUBS FOR INSUBORDINATION? NOW HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW, WHO COULD MANAGE TO GET KICKED OUT OF CUBS? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. EXCEPT IN MY CASE. HELL I GOT INTO A HUGE FIGHT WITH MY HOCKEY OLD COACH, BUCKO MCDONALD, FORMERLY OF THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS….WHO DID A STINT WITH BRACEBRIDGE MINOR HOCKEY IN THE 1970'S. I THINK HE CALLED ME A "LITTLE BUGGER" (I USED TO GET CALLED THIS A LOT) AND I MAY HAVE REFERENCED HIM AS "AN OLD FART." IN A PRACTICE DRILL, HE ALMOST KILLED ME. I WAS A GOALIE AND HE HAD ME SKATE A NORMAL FORWARD'S DRILL, DOWN THE ICE, RIGHT AT HIM. I WAS THE FIRST PLAYER TO SKATE DOWN THE ICE. IF I HAD READ ABOUT BUCKO'S HOCKEY CRAFT, (IN SEVERAL BOOKS), BEFORE I MADE THE RUSH DOWN-ICE, WELL SIR, HE'D HAVE MISSED ME BY A MUSKOKA MILE. IF I HAD EDUCATED MYSELF PROPERLY (AS I DO TODAY), I WOULD HAVE KNOWN TO NEVER, EVER LET HIM GET CLOSE ENOUGH, TO THROW A HIP-CHECK. HE HAD A BIG, BIG BUM. AS A WELL STORIED DEFENCEMAN, IN THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE, HE HAD TAKEN OUT A LOT OF PRO PLAYERS WITH THAT WICKEDLY SMOOTH TWIST, AND WHIP OF OUTSTRETCHED HIND-QUARTERS. ON THIS DAY, HIS ARSE HAD ALSO TAKEN OUT THE BACK-UP GOALIE, ME! I SAW MY VERY SHORT LIFE PASS BEFORE ME, IN THE CARTWHEEL JUST INSIDE THE BLUE-LINE. HE LOOKED DOWN AT ME, WINKED AND SMILED. THEN HE YELLED BACK AT THE OTHER PLAYERS WAITING TO COME DOWN THE ICE. "DON'T DO WHAT CURRIE JUST DID," HE STATED, WITH THE HALF-IRONIC LOOK OF SUDDEN CONTENTMENT, THAT HE COULD STILL DO STUFF LIKE THAT WITH HIS BODY. SO I GOT UP AND COUNTED MY FINGERS, TRIED TO GET A LINE ON HIS BULBOUS NOSE TO HIT HIM, BUT INSTEAD CALLED HIM A MISERABLE OLD FART. HE TOLD ME I WAS BENCHED, AND I TOLD HIM I QUIT. NEVER CAME BACK. BY THE WAY. THIS IS THE SAME BUCKO WHO APPARENTLY CONVINCED BOBBY ORR HE WAS A DEFENCEMAN. WONDER IF HE GAVE HIM ONE OF THOSE BIG BUTT HITS HE WAS FAMOUS FOR. I DON'T KNOW IF THESE TWO INCIDENTS SET ME ON A LIFE-PATH, BUT GEEZ, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE BEATING-ABOUT-THE-BUSH. I'VE HAD LOTS OF RUN-INS WITH POLITICIANS, AND UNFORTUNATELY, MY FIRST CHAT WITH FORMER MAYOR JOHN KLINCK WAS ON ONE OF THOSE DAYS. MAYBE I WAS HAVING A BUCKO FLASHBACK.
THIS IS A LENGTHY BUT NECESSARY INTRODUCTION. I HAVE ENOUGH IRISH IN ME, YOU SEE, WITH A TAD OF GERMAN ON THE SIDE, TO BE JUST A WEE BIT IRRITABLE WHEN I RUN INTO A LITTLE INCONVENIENT ADVERSITY. I'M A PRETTY EASY GUY TO GET ALONG WITH MOST OF THE TIME, IF YOU DON'T HIP CHECK ME BEFORE WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO HUG OR AT LEAST SHAKE HANDS. SO THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF FIRST-MEETINGS THAT HAVE ALSO BEEN FINAL MEETINGS.
FORMER GRAVENHURST MAYOR, JOHN KLINCK, AND I NEVER MET OFFICIALLY, BUT IT DIDN'T MEAN WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PHONE-TIME, AND UNSPECIFIED ANGST TO LOCK HORNS. THE ISSUE THEN, WAS THE CONSERVATION OF THE BOG, HERE IN THE CALYDOR SUBDIVISION. I DON'T NEED TO DREDGE ALL THE ARGUMENTS UP AGAIN, AS I'M SURE MOST ARE TIRED OF READING ABOUT IT, IN THIS BLOG. WHAT BEGAN AS A BATTLE BETWEEN LOCAL CITIZENS AND TOWN HALL, WAS RESOLVED IN THE END, BY A LATE SUMMER VISIT FROM THE MAYOR, TO THE SUBJECT ACREAGE, AND A WILLINGNESS ON HIS PART, TO BE MORE CONCILIATORY ABOUT DESTROYING THE SMALL, BUT SIGNIFICANT TOWN WETLAND. WITH HIS LEADERSHIP, AND A MAJORITY OF COUNCILLORS AGREEING, TO REMOVE THE WETLAND FROM THE "SURPLUS PROPERTY" LIST, THE TINY, LUSH BOG, WAS SPARED FROM THE EARTH MOVERS. THE UNASSUMING LOWLAND FILTERS A LARGE AMOUNT OF RUN-OFF WATER, FROM MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, BEFORE IT DRAINS INTO MUSKOKA BAY. IT WAS HIS WILLINGNESS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PROPERTY THAT WAS PIVOTAL TO THE POSITIVE OUTCOME. TO THAT POINT, WE HAD ONLY BEEN ABLE TO SECURE ONE OTHER COUNCILLOR'S VISIT, TO THE BOG, AND THAT WAS PRESENT TOWN COUNCILLOR, SANDY CAIRNS, WHO VOTED TO SAVE THE PROPERTY FROM DEVELOPMENT. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHERS WHO VISITED, BUT WE CAN'T CONFIRM THIS. I WROTE THEN OF MY APPRECIATION, FOR THE MAYOR'S WILLINGNESS TO SEE THE ISSUE FROM OUR SIDE, BEFORE RELYING ON DOCUMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS ONLY TO MAKE A DECISION. THE BOG WILDLIFE IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD. I HAD NEVER ACTUALLY CHAINED MYSELF TO A TREE BEFORE, BUT I HAD A BIG ONE, AND A VINTAGE LOCK (I'M AN ANTIQUE DEALER) TO GIVE IT A GO, TO PROTECT THIS LOWLAND AND FOREST. THE CHAIN'S STILL HANGING IN THE BACKYARD, JUST IN CASE THE ISSUE ARISES AGAIN.
SURPRISINGLY, I HAVE FOUND MYSELF ON-SIDE WITH THE FORMER MAYOR, NOW CHAIRMAN OF THE DISTRICT OF MUSKOKA, A NUMBER OF TIMES RECENTLY, PARTICULARLY HIS EMPHASIS EARLIER THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE, ON THE GROWING AND SERIOUS ECONOMIC DISPARITY INCREASING IN OUR REGION, AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF SWELLING RANKS FOR BOTH THE UNEMPLOYED AND RECIPIENTS OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE. I'M GLAD HE MENTIONED THIS, BECAUSE WITH THE LATEST FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL BUDGETS, AND NOTHING PARTICULARLY HELPFUL FOR THOSE ON SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, I THINK WE ALL MIGHT EXPECT THAT ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS, AND FOOD BANK BUSINESS TO BE BRISK. WHILE IT'S NOT TO SUGGEST HE'S BEEN THE ONLY DISTRICT CHAIRMAN, OR REGIONAL COUNCILLOR TO MAKE THIS A FOCAL POINT, OF DISCUSSION, IT IS BY ALL MEANS, A REFRESHING CHANGE FROM WHAT IS GENERALLY SEEN AS AN UNFLATTERING STATISTIC, RELEGATED TO A SMALL NEWS ITEM ON ABOUT PAGE EIGHTEEN. SPEAKING OUT ABOUT HIS CONCERNS FOR THESE UNFORTUNATE FINANCIAL REALITIES, AT LEAST SHOWS, HE IS FULLY AWARE THAT THE BURDENS OF OFFICE ARE NOT CONFINED TO PLANNING MATTERS, ROAD RE-ALIGNMENTS, RE-CONSTRUCTION, SEWER AND WATER, AND INVITING THE WORLD TO INVEST IN MUSKOKA. HE APPEARS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE HUMAN MISFORTUNE GOING ON, HERE AT HOME, IS GOING TO GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER. IT'S JUST NICE TO KNOW THIS ISSUE IS MUCH HIGHER ON THE AGENDA THESE DAYS, AND I'M SURE FOLKS TENDING FOOD BANKS, AND OFFERING HOT MEALS TO THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY, WOULD FEEL THAT, WITH HIS OBSERVANCES, THE MESSAGE IS GETTING OUT THERE…..AND IT'S ALWAYS POSITIVE WHEN IT COMES FROM THE TOP TO START WITH.
WHILE HE WAS MAYOR OF GRAVENHURST, JOHN KLINCK TRIED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO CONVINCE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, TO MORE FULLY EMBRACE THE POTENTIAL OF OUR CONNECTION, THROUGH BETHUNE HOUSE, TO CHINA, AND THE THOUSANDS OF CHINESE VISITORS, COMING TO OUR REGION OF THE PROVINCE EVERY YEAR. HE HAD BEEN TO CHINA ONCE OR TWICE, REPRESENTING GRAVENHURST, (I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE CASE, BUT I MAY BE CORRECTED) AND I CAN REMEMBER HIS SENSIBLE, LOGICAL APPROACH, TRYING TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS, AND UPTOWN BUSINESSES, IN PARTICULAR, TO FIND WAYS TO CONNECT WITH THOSE TOUR GROUPS, SPECIALIZING IN MID-ONTARIO, MUSKOKA AND ALGONQUIN PARK VENTURES; AS WELL AS FINDING WAYS TO ATTRACT DAY-VISITORS GENERALLY, WHO COME SPECIFICALLY TO SEE BETHUNE HOUSE. I'M GOING OUT ON A LIMB HERE, BUT I DON'T THINK HE GOT A VERY GOOD RESPONSE. AS A BIG SUPPORTER OF ALGONQUIN PARK, AND ONE WHO PASSES BY BETHUNE HOUSE ABOUT FOUR TIMES A DAY OR MORE, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAYOR KLINCK, WHETHER IT WAS TAKEN SERIOUSLY OR NOT, WAS MAKING AN ASTUTE OBSERVATION ABOUT TOURISM SPIN-OFF. I HAVE WITNESSED CROWDS AT BETHUNE HOUSE THAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS INCREDIBLE, FOR ANY LOCAL VENUE, ESPECIALLY IN THE AUTUMN OF THE YEAR, WHEN WE CAN ALWAYS USE A BOOST IN TOURISM.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT JOHN KLINCK'S PRESENTATIONS, ABOUT OUR CHINESE FRIENDS RECENTLY, AS I HELPED OUR BOYS, ANDREW AND ROBERT, AT THEIR UPTOWN MUSIC SHOP, (IN THE OLD MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING), OPPOSITE THE OPERA HOUSE, LAST THANKSGIVING WEEKEND. I WAS ASTOUNDED BY THE CROWDS OF VISITORS WHO HAD WALKED FROM BETHUNE HOUSE, TO THE BETHUNE STATUE, IN THE OPERA HOUSE SQUARE. WE HAD MANY OF THESE FOLKS VISIT OUR STORE, AND WE WERE GLAD TO SEE THEM. BUT WHAT WAS STUNNING TO ME, IS THAT DURING THIS TIME OF CRABBING AND WHINING ABOUT THE DOWN-TRODDEN MAINSTREET BUSINESSES, AND THE TOWN NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT, WE WERE LARGELY MISSING A HUGE AND HAPPY AUDIENCE WANDERING ALL ALONG OUR UPTOWN ARTERY.
WHAT I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT, WAS THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY HERE, BY OUR BUSINESS LEADERS, AND TOWN OFFICIALS. MAYBE MAYOR KLINCK HAD THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE, OR SOMETHING SIMILAR, BUT BY GOLLY, HERE WAS THIS BIG-TIME AUDIENCE, COMING AND GOING ALL DAY, (ABOUT THREE WEEKENDS IN A ROW) AND THERE WASN'T A GRAVENHURST PROMOTION TO BE FOUND….OTHER THAN THE NORMAL FARE OF BUSINESS-AS-USUAL. I THOUGHT, TO MY CRAZY SELF, HOW GREAT AN OPPORTUNITY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, IF THE OPERA HOUSE HAD BEEN OPEN, FOR THESE VISITORS TO HAVE A LOOK-SEE. MAYBE THE TOWN COULD HAVE OFFERED OPERA HOUSE TOURS. POSSIBLY WE COULD HAVE ENLISTED SOME VOLUNTEERS TO PUT OUT A DISPLAY OF OPERA HOUSE ARCHIVES MATERIAL (I DO THAT KIND OF THING, SO I WOULD HAVE VOLUNTEERED), TO SHOW SOME OF THE HISTORY OF OUR COMMUNITY……OF WHICH, BY THE WAY, THEY ARE MOST DEFINITELY INTERESTED. I THOUGHT ABOUT AN ART SHOW, BY LOCAL CREATORS……NOT AS A SALE, BUT AS REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ALL ABOUT, THROUGH THE FOUR SEASONS. THE TRILLIUM COURT IS PERFECT FOR THIS.
We should have had the Mayor and Council, on site, for at least some of the day, that Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend, to welcome these eager and excited visitors to our town. The goodwill, you see, becomes global, and at a time when we don't have a lot of money for promotion, there's nothing that compounds interest in our town, like a handshake and smile of "welcome." And then, to kindly offer, a fine table to have a picnic lunch (in the Trillium Court), in a nice, historic landmark, we locals are quite proud of showing off. As we scramble around here, looking for anything to promote new business to our town, we at the same time, seem awfully contradictory, about fulfilling what potential we already have at our beck and call. Why is this? Why are these Bethune House visitors, by the thousands, largely ignored by our town, especially at this peak time of year for their annual visits? Here we are in one of the most beautiful regions on earth, and we find it so difficult to tap into what we have so much of……
Town Council must surely be aware that Bethune House is a national historic site. It's not a little deal. This is on the map. The international map. With the new visitors' centre being constructed at present, which will open soon, this is another outstanding boon to our town……and we should, as John Klinck suggested many years ago, ask Bethune House, and tour liaison officials, how we can help as a community, support their initiatives, and build a better relationship with our Chinese guests. It's not the case, I'm only interested in immediate profit, trying to lure them into main street shops, to drop some money. Rather, this is the time in our history, to start building our own bridge that has never really been finished, and develop a sensible, balanced, long-term relationship with a really fine museum. A start would be to offer an apology for being tardy and uninspired for far too long, in our relationship with all parties connected to the historic site, only one street removed from our main business corridor.
Does anyone know, or can guess, how many millions of photographs have been taken of our fair town, by these same enthusiastic visitors? How many of these photographs of our historic main street, the Opera House, Muskoka Bay, Gull Lake, Lake Muskoka, and our woodlands, have been sent online, around the world? I'm sure the doomsayers of our community, will see no potential in improving this relationship. That's why they are doomsayers. For those who do appreciate, the positive advertising we have been receiving for years, from these guests, without knowing the full extent, there must also be the sense, we have failed as a community to be the good hosts we think we are…..at least most of the time.
Now that the Chamber and the BIA are in a much better position, in Uptown Gravenhurst, to gauge what's going on, and share the opinion we could do more to enhance the relationship, it may also seem abundantly clear, the Town itself could generously provide the Opera House as a rest station for those who might wish a little break from all the sight-seeing. I'm sure something could be arranged, with Opera House volunteers (my wife Suzanne, and I, would gladly participate), to conduct tours, set up a little local display or two, and share what we can, of our hometown pride, with those who really want to know what it's like. I think the arts community would be willing to show visitors what this town is made of……and it's pretty darn good.
While other communities, like Bracebridge, are having quite a time these days over "branding" concepts for the future, we have such a wonderful opportunity here, to join forces with a hard-working, and dynamic museum that has a national profile, and international significance. I hear and read a lot about our other historic sites, and opportunities at Sagamo Park. Glad to have them. But they're not the only game in town. We should reflect a tad on the heritage component that doesn't get a lot of press, and generate much interest in our business community. Regardless of the reasons we've avoided this, in the past, or neglected negotiating a better working arrangement, there's no time like the present, to make amends, and prepare for a better reception for our visiting friends, this autumn season in Uptown Gravenhurst.
John Klinck deserves credit for this insight. Not me.
CULTURAL CENTRE IS A PERFECT ADDITION TO THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE
I think it might well be time, to start blowing our own horn around here, and not just the one on the Segwun. The Trillium Court is a gem of open space in the Uptown, that in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and the BIA, and the Haight-Carnegie Centre, could be a fantastic cultural centre, with many activities going on there, day and night, of an artistic, musical, performance nature; hosting art and flowers shows, to name two out of a trillion ideas, during the busy summer days, and just about anything else that might attract tourists and locals to come for a hearty look-see. Cultural centres for visual and performing arts, are central and popular in many other towns, and cities. While we're looking at ways of increasing the entertainment dynamic at the Opera House, the cultural template fits, and will make it a much more lively place, for more people and groups, than it has seen in a long, long time. Our boys have run small concerts in the Trillium Court a number of times, and had reasonable audience numbers. What a great gig for a summer afternoon, with a quartet enjoying the ambience, and a small crowd enjoying what they're enjoying. What I really don't want to see, is it become a glorified office building. It did start off as a town hall facility, but today we have a brand new one of those, so we shouldn't encumber it with office activities.
When I refer back to the Muskoka Festival, I don't do so without full knowledge, that it wasn't quite the halcyon time, we might, rather sentimentally, remember it to have been……without financial woes and related difficulties, struggling along for quite a few years. And as Michael Ayoub used to say, "putting bums on seats," was job one. I knew this in the press, and we tried our best, to give the Festival as much publicity as we could afford. They were major advertisers with us, so we had a lot to lose if they couldn't carry-on. I liked the way they were able to secure corporate sponsors, something that can be done again. Who really cares if there's a full-stage-banner, that highlights the sponsor or sponsors of a production. I would never object to seeing a large board strategically placed in the lobby, showing me how many sponsors had donated to the theatre company, or the concert series…..or maybe the bluegrass festival…..who knows. When we look at the possibilities of a re-birth, of the Gravenhurst Opera House, and a more determined community effort, to negotiate entertainment we wish to have…..instead of what is force-fed to us, we certainly can off-set costs dramatically by seeking corporate sponsorships. I haven't seen this in ages, yet I can still remember Muskoka Festival programs with sponsors stamped on the front and back pages. The Barge brochures are clear evidence of what sponsorships can bring to the table. With a coming decade or longer of austerity budgets, in all levels of government, we have to be resourceful to get what we want. I guess it really depends on how much we want it though!
I want to see Stuart McLean back at the Opera House. At Christmas. I want Rita McNeil as well. And the Irish Rovers (for my wife). I want to see community theatre, like the old days when the Rotary Club used to stage their annual plays. I want to see interesting concerts by big acts and small, and go to fundraisers for good causes. I want to see Fred Penner. I loved that guy when I was doing the Mr. Mom thing. We need Saturday afternoon entertainment for children. For young families, and curious grandparents. I want to see people getting excited again, when they see an Opera House staffer, changing the letters on the marquis. Yes, I want to see a crowd gather, to get the heads-up on what's coming in the next month. To see them trotting into that box office, to buy tickets, would be a damn fine thing indeed.
Most of all, I want to be able to chat with any local I find, on the street, in a park, in the bleachers at a ball game, having their hair done, or enjoying a pint, lounging on an outdoor patio, and find out that they have indeed, been in the Gravenhurst Opera House, at least once in their life. We've got some catching-up to do folks. A lot of people who call this town home, have never set foot in the building. Now that's disturbing, considering how much we pay to keep in open and operational.
It all comes down to community enthusiasm, and citizen will, to reclaim what we should never have lost control of, in the first place. I think change is imminent.
Thanks so much for joining today's blog. Please join me again soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment