BOAT SHOW CHANGES WILL BE GOOD FOR GRAVENHURST - NICE TO SEE LEVELS OF CO-OPERATION COMING FORTH
A FEW YEARS AGO, WE CURRIES, AND OUR FAMILY ANTIQUE BUSINESSES (THERE ARE THREE) WERE ANNUAL VENDORS AT THE ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC BOAT SOCIETY SHOW, HELD AT SAGAMO PARK; ALWAYS AN EXCITING DAY ON LAND AND WATER. NEWS THIS WEEK, THAT THE ACBS WITH SOME LOCAL PARTNERING, IS CONSIDERING A PROPOSAL TO EXPAND THE SHOW FROM ONE DAY TO THREE, IS GOOD NEWS FOR THIS TOWN, WITHOUT A DOUBT. AS FOR THE "RACING THEME," WELLL SIR, THAT PROMISES TO BRING IN A MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE….AND POTENTIALLY MANY WHO WILL COME BACK ON ALL THREE DAYS OF THE EVENT. OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE ACBS WAS ALWAYS FRIENDLY AND ORGANIZERS MADE SURE TO CHECK-UP ON VENDORS BEFORE AND DURING THE SHOW, TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS GOING OKAY….WHICH IS A NICE FOLLOW-THROUGH. WE WOULD FILL OUR BOOTH WITH MUSKOKA COLLECTIBLES, AND SOMETIMES, BY TEN IN THE MORNING OF SHOW DAY, WE'D BE SOLD-OUT OF THE BEST ITEMS, FROM BOAT HARDWARE, VINTAGE MUSKOKA PHOTOGRAPHS, RARE DISTRICT BOOKS, AND CRESTED HOTELWARE, WHICH WAS ALWAYS A BIG SELLER; ESPECIALLY IF IT WAS A LOCAL NAVIGATION COMPANY PIECE, OR FROM ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN HOTELS……SUCH AS WINDERMERE HOUSE, ROYAL MUSKOKA, OR BIGWIN INN.
I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THIS WAS A HUGE GRAVENHURST COUP, TO HAVE WON THE SUPPORT OF THE ACBS, OVER OTHER REGIONAL COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE THEY PUT ON A QUALITY SHOW, KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY. WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE OF THE CUSTOMERS WE HAD, AT THE DAY-LONG EVENT, FROM ALL OVER NORTH AMERICA, AND SOME FROM ENGLAND, ALL GREAT ADMIRERS OF VINTAGE WOODEN CRAFT. BUT SO MANY OF THESE FOLKS WERE JUST ENAMORED BY THE SHOW'S SETTING ON SPARKLING MUSKOKA BAY, WITH ITS RESTORED STEAMSHIP, THE RMS SEGWUN. THE ACBS PROMOTIONS, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WONDERFUL ADVERTISEMENTS FOR GRAVENHURST……ALTHOUGH QUITE A FEW LOCALS ARE UNAWARE THE EXTENT AND WIDE RANGING IMPACT OF THESE MARKETING ACTIVITIES. WE NEED THE ACBS ANNUAL SHOW. IT HAS BECOME A TRADITION, AND YES, EVEN AS SPECTATORS TODAY. WE MAKE A POINT VISITING EACH YEAR BECAUSE, WELL, WE LIKE ANTIQUE BOATS. IT'S IN THE FAMILY. I CAN REMEMBER, OCCASIONS, WALKING THROUGH THE LARGE CROWDS, WITH MY FATHER-IN-LAW NORM STRIPP, AND FEELING AS IF I WAS ON A WALK-ABOUT WITH SOME HIGHLY POPULAR POLITICIAN, FOR THE NUMBER OF HANDS HE WOULD SHAKE IN A KILOMETER WALK, AND HOW MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OLD BOATS HE'D WORKED ON; ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH WELL-WISHERS FROM THE TIME WE TOOK OUR FIRST STEP, TO OUR RETURN TO THE BOOTH. NORM WAS A WELL KNOWN WOODEN BOAT RESTORER, QUOTED IN A NUMBER OF BOOKS ABOUT VINTAGE WATERCRAFT, BUT WAS ALWAYS PRETTY MODEST ABOUT HIS WORK.
HE WAS EVEN TELLING ONE CHAP, ABOUT THE TIME HE WORKED WITH HIS FATHER SAM, IN WINDERMERE, TO PAINT THE HULL OF THE STEAM YACHT, "WANDA," WHEN IT WAS AT THE EATON COTTAGE, AT RAVENSCRAG, ON LAKE ROSSEAU. SUZANNE TOLD ME HOW HE COULD IDENTIFY INCOMING WOODEN BOATS, WHEN THE STRIPPS OPERATED THE WINDERMERE MARINA, AND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINES, OF EACH, BEFORE THEY LANDED AT THE DOCK. HE USED TO REFER TO DISAPPEARING PROPELLOR BOATS (DP'S)AS "DAMN PESTS," BECAUSE SOME HAD VERY UNRELIABLE ENGINES, AND HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME HEADING OUT ON THE LAKE, TO ASSIST ONES THAT HAD BROKEN DOWN. BUT HE SURE WAS A CELEBRITY AT THOSE ACBS SHOWS, AND A LOT OF THE BOAT OWNERS THEMSELVES, EITHER KNEW HIM PERSONALLY, OR KNEW OF HIS WORK. BY THIS TIME, NORM WAS IN HIS EARLY EIGHTIES.
I GET EASILY SIDE-TRACKED THESE DAYS. IT MUST HAVE BEEN ALL THE FESTIVE TURKEY. THE POINT IS, I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF AN EXPANDED ACBS PRESENCE IN GRAVENHURST, IN EARLY JULY, AND AS BUSINESS FOLKS UPTOWN THESE DAYS, WE MOST CERTAINLY DO BENEFIT FROM THE SHOW-DAY ATTENDANCE. ONCE AGAIN, IT'S WHEN WE SELL A LOT OF REGIONAL COLLECTIBLES, AND ANYTHING RELEVANT TO VINTAGE BOATING, TO A WIDE ARRAY OF OBSESSIVE MUSKOKA COLLECTORS. WE GAVE UP OUR PLACE IN THE SHOW, WHEN THE BOYS OPENED THEIR MUSIC SHOP, SEVEN YEARS AGO, BECAUSE THE LADS WERE A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE EVENT. IT TOOK FOUR OF US, TWO FULLY DEDICATED DAYS, AND SOMETIMES THREE, TO PREPARE FOR THE EVENT, SET-UP, STAFF THE BOOTH FOR THE DAY, TAKE IT DOWN, SHIP HOME AND UNPACK. IT WAS EXHAUSTING WORK BUT ALWAYS AMAZINGLY PROFITABLE…..AND FOLKS WE MET AT THOSE SHOWS, OVER SO MANY YEARS, ARE STILL OUR CUSTOMERS, IN OUR NEW SHOP IN THE FORMER MUSKOKA THEATRE BUILDING. SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM AT ALL, ENCOURAGING THE TOWN AND ALL THE PERTINENT COLLABORATORS, TO ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET FOR THE ACBS…..BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS PUT ON A FABULOUS EVENT, AND ENTERTAIN THOUSANDS OF OUR RESIDENTS, PERMANENT AND SEASONAL, AND OF COURSE A LARGE NUMBER OF DAY TRAVELLERS, ATTRACTED TO MUSKOKA BY THIS MARINE HERITAGE CELEBRATION……AND LAKELAND SETTING.
OUR FAMILY SOLD OFF ALL OUR VINTAGE WATERCRAFT, AND THE COTTAGE AND MARINA THAT WENT WITH THEM……BUT IT'S STILL AN INTEREST FOR OUR FAMILY, TO STAY CONNECTED TO OUR OWN MARINE HERITAGE. HOPE THE NEGOTIATIONS GO WELL. THIS REALLY IS GOOD FOR THE TOWN. NO QUESTION.
FOOD BANKS, SUPPER CLUBS, AND THE INCREASING ROLE OF DISTRICT SOCIAL SERVICES TO FIGHT FOR THOSE IN PERIL
When I was a full time newspaper editor, our newsroom always had piles of unsolicited documents, from government sources, bolstered by reims of statistics. It didn't take us long, to debunk most of the theories based on those same statistics. The province or the feds used to contract out for statisticians, to compile the "everything we needed to know" listings, for whatever story we were working on. We could quote them, recite them, pay attention to the findings, or as we liked to do, most of all, find fault with them. The problem with the statistical approach, is that there are lots of relevant factors, left off, when the information was being gathered. They were and are still imperfect, and we found them to be out of sync with the world we were seeing every day, on our reporting assignments. We saw folks in crisis, who were so protective of their situation, that they wouldn't have been included as a statistic in the first place. While some critics will argue "that's impossible," well folks, it was not only possible, it was too large an omission, of general statistics, to avoid. Due diligence, usually found the flaws in information gathering by government sources. It's like when you hear or read about unemployment statistics, and the number of jobs created seems encouraging. Often newsrooms, in print and the electronic media, will get lazy, and report the findings as presented to them, whether there is a vested interest attached to the numbers…or not. So the qualifying statistic, in this case, is to find out how many people lost their jobs, and how many gave up the search, when their unemployment insurance ran out. There is a drastic shortage of comparison reporting. A great lethargy cross referencing and using critical analysis, to uncover flaws in these generalizations, that are so misleading to the prevailing truths.
The same is happening right now, with the statistics on those Canadians on social assistance…..using food banks, and supper clubs to keep from going hungry….or worse. The statistics the governments are working on, in most cases, and especially what is revealed to the media, are at best, close but not a ringer. This is the big problem here and in a lot of locales. There are thousands upon thousands of Canadians, who will not sign-up for social assistance, or visit a food bank, or attend a supper club event, because of pride. They find other ways of coping, and don't think for a moment than dumpster-diving doesn't happen here…..or that it's just an urban thing, or done by groups of social activists trying to prove a point about wastfulness and human needs.
The District Chairman, John Klinck, as far as I'm concerned, is on top of this one. In fact, I think he is the first District Chairman I've known, who is making the issue of poverty in Muskoka, and the increasing demands on Social Services budgeting, a front page news story…..on a regular basis. When it comes from the top official in Regional Government, the media pays attention……as they should. And I believe Chairman Klinck has drawn considerable focus, to what the citizens at greatest risk, are enduring monthly, trying to survive in a still difficult economy. He's not allowing the Province to hide behind statistics alone, or on less than revealing overviews, written with political spin by government writers……who, I'm sorry folks, but seldom address the true breadth and depth of the prevailing crisis. It is a crisis of poverty, and the only solution the province has, as shown time and again, is to defer to another level of government…….the problems they don't want to face themselves. They don't know the story beyond the statistics. There is a big scene unfolding, that upper government will find impossible, by statistics and rhetoric, to cover-up much longer. Some of the most profound rebellions and revolutions in world history, have had poverty as the impetus for social and economic change. I see history repeating.
There are so many personal stories, and tragedies that need to be researched. There is field work needed, to find out how these problems are manifesting and expanding. The true face of poverty isn't one you may imagine, based on statistics alone. These are people we meet on the street daily…..who live near us, and who used to attend some of the same events…..same coffee shops, and work at the same business or industry. They don't fit a standard profile, which a gathering of statistics may portray, for political convenience. They are just ordinary citizens who have come upon hard times, and financial difficulty for any number of reasons…….including health issues, injury, layoffs at their workplace, indebtedness, family circumstances, elderly citizens on fixed incomes, with medical needs……the list is a long one……the reasons for each crisis, sometimes so complicated, we wouldn't even know how to respond, except with a tear, and a hug….and "I'm sorry," as a most basic offering of condolence. What the province and the federal government is missing, way beyond what the gathered statistics tell them, is that the situation is nearing the "out of control," level, and there are very few emergency procedures left to employ…….if we ever get into another recessionary period in the near future. With the admitted crisis level of Canadian indebtedness, we should all be very worried, about any near-future economic down-turn. We are all impacted by poverty, directly or indirectly. So it is our business. As voters, it's our business. Finding the right government to take this matter seriously, and offer tangible and ongoing solutions, is the way to go. Not by statistic gathering to support an out of touch political platform…..and ideology, like the one where a governing party tells us we're doing pretty well, considering every other country in the world. This is dodging issues to stay in power. I've never seen so much of this ridiculous fact re-arranging for convenience, as with our two upper levels of governance. While I'm sure there are lots of ratepayers angry with District government these days…..and some of their actions, and inaction in current affairs, I still must offer credit to the District Chairman, John Klinck, for keeping the matter of the economically disadvantaged in the forefront of government business. The public at large, needs to know the calamity growing out there……and how the cavalry isn't coming when called.
God bless the volunteers, who work at the food banks, and assist with food preparation and serving, at numerous regional supper clubs, and shelters, and those who are front line in social services, who see the suffering every day……and feel desperate themselves, at not being able to do more to help. I know many of these people, who go well beyond the day to day business, and office protocols, to help out in other ways……..in emotional support, that never shows up anywhere in the massive volume of statistics piled on already cluttered desks. I'm sure a lot of these social services front-liners, carry an extra heavy burden, that we can't even imagine…….having to tell clients they don't qualify for assistance; and there is no help available anywhere, to resolve their individual conundrum. How emotionally draining is this? For all parties? They're not just civil servants. They're caring human beings, who would probably like to re-write a lot of government protocols…..but are just staff, and nothing more in the grand scheme of policy making. Here's an idea. Let the upper level politicians, have some down to earth chats, with front line workers in the field of social welfare…..to share some reality beyond the dank, black on white, of compiled statistics.
As I have before, I must thank John Klinck, for keeping up the media attention on this issue of social welfare, and the increasing stresses on the present system, to cover all the needs, in this huge regional municipality. He seems prepared to expose the crisis honestly, and that is good for all the citizens of our region; in order to appreciate more fully, that despite the statistics that are offered up by political glad-handers, some things can never be adequately explained by statistics alone. I'm sure District is well aware how serious the matter is……and thankfully, they want to talk about it. I'm sure there are politicians out there, who wish they'd just bury-it, and suck-it-up, as the cost of being a government official. It's business as usual. Well, this isn't business as usual. Since my relationship with the media began, in 1979, working for the The Beacon, in MacTier, and throughout the district, with Muskoka Publications, and then both the Gravenhurst Banner, and the Bracebridge Examiner, I have never witnessed, read, or seen with my own eyes, the number of poverty related situations, as I have in the past two years living in Muskoka. Maybe it's the case Chairman Klinck is fed up with complacency, and indifference to a growing reality amongst Muskoka residents, and has decided to go-public, with his worries about the future. I believe this is the case. And I can tell you, it has inspired more thoughtfulness in the community, and questioning, about our upper levels of government…..and how new policies are going to increase difficulties, leveling out the new and future incidents of citizen poverty. Someone has to say something. I'm very pleased our District Chairman is willing to rock the boat…….and tell it the way it is……not just what a statistic indicates, as a general, faceless overview. I don't often commend local government these days, but I am definitely upbeat about this present term of representation……and I can appreciate the difficulty they face, getting an audience at Queen's Park these days…..where it is pretty much a rudderless ship floundering in a stormy sea.
Please give some thought, some time in the New Year, to offer assistance, even as a volunteer, to one of the local food banks, or supper clubs, that help out the less fortunate. It's what a home town does, after all…….taking care of its neighbors. Need is considerable. The post Christmas season is always tough on these charitable operations. Thanks for all your kindnesses in the past, and thanks for joining me today. It's always nice to share stories with friends and neighbors…….some I know, some I hope to meet one day soon. Cheers from Birch Hollow.
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