OPERA HOUSE STILL STANDING - TOWER WHERE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE, ROOFING STILL IN A FLAP BUT HOLDING
A BULLET DODGED IS WHAT? GOOD LUCK? UNBELIEVABLE NATURE DEFYING CAPABILITY? OR ONE OF THOSE "WHEW" KIND OF SITUATIONS?
IN ENGLAND, CATTLE FARMERS WANT TO CULL BADGERS BECAUSE OF THEIR LARGE SCALE INFECTION OF LIVESTOCK WITH TUBERCULOSIS. I'M A GRAVENHURST BADGER. I APPARENTLY ANTAGONIZE SOME FOLKS AT TOWN HALL. GEEZ, YOU DON'T SUPPOSE I'M BEING CONSIDERED FOR A LOCAL CULL, WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ACTIVISTS KEEPING ME COMPANY? IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU STARTED A CAMPAIGN TO "SAVE THE GRAVENHURST BADGERS." YOU SEE, AND I GUESS I SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR BORING SOME OF MY READERS, BUT I SIMPLY HAVE TO BADGER FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE DAY, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW STRONGLY I FEEL ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF OPERA HOUSE CONSERVATION.
ADMINISTRATORS WITH THE TOWN COULD WELL BE A LITTLE SMUG TODAY. THE SKY DIDN'T FALL. THE WINGS OF THE HURRICANE ONLY TOOK OUT POWER, SOME TREES, AND GARDEN GNOMES LEFT OUT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. THE BADGER WAS RAISING UNWARRANTED FEARS AGAIN . THEY MIGHT EVEN CALL IT "FEAR MONGERING", AND "DOOMSAYING!" GETTING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF GRAVENHURST ALL HOT AND BOTHERED, THAT THEIR OPERA HOUSE WAS AT RISK FROM HIGH WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAINS……WHEN IT WAS SAFE AND SOUND. NOT QUITE. WELL EXCUSE ME FOR WORRYING ABOUT THE STAYING-POWER OF A PARTLY FINISHED ROOF, COVERING AN HISTORIC INTERIOR. GIVEN THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE STORMFRONT ELSEWHERE, EVEN IN OUR REGION, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR……WE DODGED A "RIGHT HOOK," "A POWERFUL JAB," AND A HONKING BIG BULLET! IN THIS CASE, I AM A PROUD BADGER, EVEN IF IT MAKES ME JUST AS UNPOPULAR AS MY ENGLISH COUSIN. I FEEL OUR TOWN TOOK A HIGH RISK WITH AN IMPORTANT BUILDING……AND I'M JUST ONE OF MANY OBSERVERS WHO THOUGHT THE RISK OF STORM DAMAGE WAS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY.
CONSIDER A BUSINESS SIGN FLYING OFF IN THE WIND, AND KILLING A PEDESTRIAN BELOW. IT WASN'T NEW YORK. THAT INCIDENT WAS JUST OVER A HUNDRED MILES FROM OUR TOWN. TORONTO. STUFF LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN IN HIGH WINDS. WHERE THE FRANKENSTORM HIT HARDEST, THIS WEEK, IN NEW YORK STATE, WITH STORM SURGES AND COINCIDENTAL HIGH TIDE, BREACHING LEVYS WITH A COMBINATION OF NASTY ELEMENTS, IT WILL COST MULTI BILLIONS TO RESTORE WHOLE COMMUNITIES. THERE ARE PROPERTY OWNERS TODAY WITHOUT HOMES AND BUSINESSES. WITH POWER OUTAGES ACROSS A WIDE SWATH OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD, ADD ON A HUGE DISCOMFORT, INCREASED DANGER, LOSS OF INCOME, AND LOSS OF LIFE. WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK TOO FAR, TO REALIZE HOW CLOSE WE CAME TO A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT EVENT. FALLING SIGNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE WITHOUT SOMETHING GOING TERRIBLY WRONG. AND IT DID. JUST AS IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN ANY OTHER LOCATION, WITH SOMETHING OR OTHER RIPPED FROM ITS MOUNT, AND CAST DOWN TO THE GROUND…..AND POTENTIALLY ON TOP OF SOMEONE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME.
THE OPERA HOUSE TOWER DID NOT WIND-UP IN THE MIDDLE OF MUSKOKA ROAD. THE HALF-FINISHED ROOF, FROM THE OUTSIDE, HELD THROUGH THE WIND AND RAIN. AS FAR AS WHAT OCCURRED INSIDE, THAT WILL BE UP TO COUNCIL TO REVEAL TO THE PRESS, WHICH UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE PUBLIC RELATIONS MOVE AT ANY RATE. IF THERE HAS BEEN PENETRATION OF THE PROPERTY, AND SOME WATER DAMAGE, IT IS INCUMBENT ON THE TOWN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS, AT THE VERY LEAST, AND MAKE SOME SORT OF COMMITMENT TO RESOLVING THE DEFICIENCY.
POSSIBLY THE GREATEST ADJUSTMENT IN THINKING, ONCE THE FULL MEASURE OF STORM DAMAGE IS ESTIMATED AROUND US, AND HOW THE STORM FRONT MADE LIFE A MISERY FOR MILLIONS, IS FOR OUR MUNICIPAL LEADERSHIP, TO APPRECIATE THAT THEY ARE A VERY LUCKY CLUSTER OF CITIZENS TODAY. IF THEY DON'T KNOW THIS, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE CHAT WITH THEIR INSURER, TO FIND OUT JUST HOW THEY WOULD HAVE FARED, GOING INTO THE DEEP AUTUMN SEASON, AND THROUGH A MAJOR STORM, WITH AN UNFINISHED ROOF……AND HAVING TO REPORT A MAJOR PROPERTY DAMAGE INCIDENT. FOBBING IT OFF ON THE CONSTITUENTS AFTER THE FACT, WOULD HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY FOOLISH, BECAUSE FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS, I'VE BEEN WARNING THE TOWN, AND MY READERS, THAT UNFINISHED ROOF JOBS AND SNOW DON'T MIX WELL. THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN ARE NOT GOING TO BUY THE "WE JUST DIDN'T EXPECT THIS KIND OF WEATHER" EXCUSE. THEY KNOW BY PASSING THE OPERA HOUSE DAILY, WORK ON THE NEW ROOF HAS DEFINITELY NOT BEEN SAILING RIGHT ALONG, CONTRARY TO PRESS STATEMENTS. IT DOESN'T TAKE ANY ROUTINE SURVEILLANCE TO REALIZE THAT INCLEMENT WEATHER HAS CERTAINLY CAUSED DELAYS TO THE WORK. OF COURSE WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY BALANCING OUTSIDE WORK WITH SUNNY WEATHER. BUT FOLKS, THIS IS THE INCLEMENT WEATHER SEASON. WHAT WAS EXPECTED? A PROLONGED INDIAN SUMMER? ANOTHER DROUGHT THIS YEAR?
THE CRITICAL, "MOVING FORWARD" (WHICH IS TOWN HALL'S NEAR-OFFICIAL MANTRA IN THESE SITUATIONS), ASPECT OF THIS LATEST BRUSH WITH FATE, AND UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER, IS THAT WE MISSED A NASTY EVENT THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED CONSIDERABLE GRIEF AND DAMAGE COSTS. I'M NOT CONFIDENT THE TOWN WILL SEE THIS THE SAME WAY; AND THUSLY CONSIDER THE RISK OF A PARTLY FINISHED ROOF, STILL, AS ONLY A MINOR OR "MOOT" ISSUE, FOR THEIR GOVERNANCE ATTENTION. CAN COUNCILLORS STAND BELOW, LOOKING UP AT THE ROOF AND THE SKY, AND FEEL CONFIDENT THAT EVERYTHING IS "MOVING FORWARD," BECAUSE THEY ARE TOLD THIS…….OR READ THIS……WHEN THEIR EYES SEE THE PROJECT DIFFERENTLY? BUT BASED ON NEW INSIGHTS, AND ATTENTION TO RISK MANAGEMENT, AS WE CARRY-ON WITH THIS MARCH OF TIME, HOPEFULLY, WE CAN ALSO, AND CONTENTLY, WATCH OUR ROOF PROJECT "MOVE FORWARD"….. QUICKLY. COMING UP SOON….. A BRAND OF MUSKOKA WINTER YOU DON'T WANT TO SCREW WITH!
WILL MOVE AHEAD TO SEEK AN ADVOCACY COMMITTEE FOR THE OPERA HOUSE
It would be an amazing occurrence, to me and quite a few others in this town, many reading this daily blog, to discover that the Town of Gravenhurst has found reason enough, to pursue what I have suggested in columns over the past year, that an Opera House Advocacy Group be formed. It would be such a show of good faith, respect in stewardship of an historic building, and cement a working relationship with the public to breathe new life into this storied entertainment venue. They don't have to give up their authority for the building. They don't have to feel their jurisdiction is being eroded by allowing the public to have input, via a three to five person committee. As the Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge has its citizen board of directors, to liaison with the town, and presumably the Board of Education, there is a need in this town, to incorporate public stewardship, if only on an advisory basis…….even without a formal committee structure. Setting up such a Board of Directors, on the formal side, or an Advocacy Group on the advisory-only level, would show a sincere interest in establishing a more dynamic relationship with constituents, who ultimately are stake holders in the future success of the Opera House.
As the town continues to grapple with what they want the Opera House to be in the next decade, there is a distancing, for whatever reason, from the citizens themselves. This isn't about having a group of individuals the town can occasionally call upon, to ask a few questions, or run some ideas past. This is about having a free-standing group of citizens, who are not prone to being influenced by the town, or tithed in any way to the municipal way of doing things. The group may not have the ability to over-rule the Opera House management, or out-muscle the town via given authority, but they will have the inherent privilege to remain independent, and non-political, and without the kind of vested interest, that would lead to unfair lobbying for projects where a conflict of interest might develop. The Advocacy Committee needs to be made up of Opera House guardians, conservators, stewards, and lovers of its tradition; a social-cultural way of life that has sprouted from the Opera House, like vegetation exploding out of a chia pet.
The problem for the town, is to realize they aren't the best stewards of this historic facility. If they could admit this, the first full step would be taken, and indeed we could "move forward." If we expect that the new town CAO, and Council with a few selected advisors, will set down the most advantageous future for the Opera House, it would be, in my opinion, like standing at the crossroads pondering, and then, without sage advice, selecting the wrong road. In this case, the wrong road will always be the one that was taken without public consultation. Period. The best plan, and I'm sure my readers are pondering this reality right now, is for Council to ask themselves collectively…….why this advocacy committee wouldn't work….or on the other hand, why are we being so stubborn, denying what would be a show of good faith in the citizenry of this town; to let them, once again, into the process of determining the building's future. My strong recommendation, is that those councillors who have not read the conclusive book, "The Many Stages of Our Lives," dig their own copy out of those held in reserve (boxed)….and read it thoroughly……to fully appreciate the legacy they represent and protect. Maybe after reading it, they might understand why folks like me are deeply concerned about a partly finished roof project, and the reality there is no citizen board of directors, or advocacy group, to help craft a constituent friendly future. If our citizens are not renting this building to put on community events…..every month, then council needs to know why……not simply opinions from paid staff…..but rather, advice from those residents who have no reason to toe the line with their responses.
The Opera House, for most local, low budget uses, is cost prohibitive. Now once again, after you read the book, you will appreciate that the Opera House history, is deeply etched by community events, theatre, concerts, emergency relief events, and fundraisers throughout more than a century of use. The past decade has seen a pretty significant change, a watering down of its former heyday, and should new chapters be added to the book……it would be impossible to dismiss the fact, there are less and less of the events in modern history, that made the Opera House a community hub in the annals of town history. Council doesn't seem interested in this truth of our heritage. They refuse to compare the past to the present, as a critical analysis…..of the way it is being destined to run in the future. If the Opera House doesn't serve the needs of the community first, then it must be considered a failure. If council really wanted to know the truth about the Opera House, they would endorse an Advocacy Group, charged with finding out for them…….what does the community expect from Opera House rates, rentals, and entertainment. They'd be enlightened. To my way of thinking, enlightenment helps us at the crossroads, make the best suited choice for where we wish to travel.
I will personally herald this Advocacy Group proposal for the next municipal election. Not because I want to be placed on the Committee, but because I know capable people here who should be……and who would make exciting new history, by helping the town create a powerful dynamic for an old building. This may read like a sale's pitch. It's not. I shouldn't have to sell the town on an idea, that is as imbedded in the Opera House history, as its concrete footings. Advocacy for the Opera House is as old as the building. 1901-1912!
Thanks so much for joining today's blog. Hope you fared okay during the big storm. Please drop by any time.
Excuse me. Now I have to run like a badger.
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