What Gravenhurst Needs To Improve its Future Prospects

A beautiful Winter Drive along the Doe Lake Road – Muskoka

 

A beautiful Christmas Day drive along the Doe Lake Road in Muskoka provided some wonderful winter scenes throughout the fields along the road.   Despite the damage caused by the freezing rain in past days, it created a beautiful reflection on the trees and branches along the country road.

Fred Schulz Photo

WHAT GRAVENHURST NEEDS TO IMPROVE ITS FUTURE PROSPECTS -

CAN YOU HELP YOUR HOMETOWN IN 2014?

     AS I WROTE ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO, I HAVE UNTIL NEW YEAR'S EVE TO GET MY POLITICAL ACTIVISM OUT OF THE WAY….AT LEAST AS FAR AS THIS BLOG IS CONCERNED. AS WE ARE NOW WELL INTO THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION SEASON, (ELECTION IN THE FALL OF 2014) ESPECIALLY POIGNANT WITH THIS WEEK'S PUBLICATION, OF THE NOTICE TO POTENTIAL CANDIDATES, IN THE BANNER, I HAVE GIVEN NEW YEARS EVE AS A LIMIT, SO THAT I WON'T USE THIS BLOG-SITE, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, AS A POLITICAL BATTERING RAM. SHOULD I DECIDE TO RUN FOR COUNCIL MYSELF, AS A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE, IT WOULD BE UNFAIR AND UNETHICAL, IN MY OPINION, TO BE USING THIS AS A CAMPAIGN TOOL. ADD TO THIS THE FACT, I WON'T ENTER THE RACE, IF I BELIEVE THERE ARE BETTER CANDIDATES RUNNING; WHO I WILL SUPPORT AND ASSIST WHERE POSSIBLE. IT WON'T BE IN THIS BLOG. ONCE AGAIN, IT WOULDN'T BE FAIR. I DIDN'T BECOME A BLOGGER, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TO CARRY ON POLITICAL ACTIVISM. IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, I LAUNCHED A BLOG WITH PRACTICAL INTENT; TO HELP SAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WETLAND, AND KEEP OUR SUPPORTERS AND ADVERSARIES INFORMED. I TOOK SOME MEASURED POLITICAL SHOTS, BECAUSE THE TOWN COUNCIL LEFT US WITH VERY FEW OPTIONS OTHERWISE, WHEN THEY DECIDED TO SELL OFF THE BOG FOR RESIDENTIAL LOTS. WE JUMPED ON IT EARLY IN THE PROCESS, OF DECLARING THE PROPERTY SURPLUS, AND WITH THE PUBLICITY PROVIDED BY MUSKOKA TODAY, WHICH WAS PIVOTAL IN GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT TO CONSTITUENTS, THE BLOG WAS THE TRIGGER POINT FOR A LOT OF OTHER INFORMATION SHARING ON A DAILY BASIS. IT ALL WORKED WELL TOGETHER, AND THE INITIATIVE WAS HALTED. THE BOG WAS SPARED AND THE BLOG WAS CONCLUDED. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. BUT IT COULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY, AND IT SCARES THE CRAP OUT OF ME, TO THINK JUST HOW MUCH LIFE-CHANGING POWER, A MUNICIPAL COUNCIL HAS AT THEIR BECK AND CALL. WE PURCHASED THIS HOUSE, AT BIRCH HOLLOW, BASED ON THE FACT THE OPEN SPACE WAS GUARANTEED, WITH THE CALYDOR PLAN OF SUBDIVISION, WAY BACK IN TIME. WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE THE EARLY PLANNERS OF THAT SUBDIVISION, AND SOME OF THE FIRST RESIDENTS, TO HELP WITH THE FIGHT.

     ON HUNDREDS OF OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF TOWN COUNCIL IN GENERAL TERMS. THIS IS HOW I SEE COUNCIL. WHILE THERE ARE COUNCILLORS WHO MAY FEEL I'VE PAINTED THEM WITH THE SAME BROAD BRUSH STROKE AS THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, DESPITE THEIR OWN DISAGREEMENTS WITH TOWN POLICY, THE FACT THEY HAVE KEPT THEIR OBJECTIONS CLOSE TO THE COUNCIL TABLE, HAS DENIED MANY CONSTITUENTS FROM SEEING ANYTHING BUT UNANIMOUS APPROVAL….TIME AND AGAIN, ON IMPORTANT ISSUES. THE PRESS CERTAINLY HASN'T BEEN RUNNING STORIES, FROM COUNCIL COVERAGE, THAT WOULD LEAD ANY ONE OF US, TO BELIEVE THERE IS ANYTHING HAPPENING WITH COUNCIL OTHER THAN BUSINESS AS USUAL. WHICH TO ME, DOESN'T MATCH THE WORD ON THE STREET, OR WHAT WE ARE HEARING ABOUT, CONCERNING THE ALLEGED DISUNITY AT TOWN HALL. SO AS FAR AS AN INDIVIDUAL COUNCILLOR, BEING HEARD OBJECTING TO A TOWN INITIATIVE, THEN FOLKS, WOULDN'T THAT BE GREAT? MAYBE OUR COUNCILLORS AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON AT TORONTO CITY HALL….BUT THEY SHOULD. IN GRAVENHURST, THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING. A LOT OF US HAVE SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT JUST WHO IS MANAGING THE AFFAIRS AT TOWN HALL….AND A MAJORITY OF US POLITICAL KEENERS HAVE OUR SUSPICIONS. IF I WAS ASKED CANDIDLY, ABOUT MY OPINION OF COUNCIL, I WOULD SAY "COLD AS ICE." "INDIFFERENT." "OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE CITIZENRY," AND LET'S NOT FORGET MY BEST OVERVIEW…"A SMALL TOWN WITH A CITY'S POINT OF VIEW."

      COUNCILLORS HAVE ALL HAD THE CHANCE TO COME FORWARD AND TELL THEIR STORIES. A YEAR AGO, I OFFERED TO INTERVIEW ALL OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY, TO GIVE THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY. I INDICATED TO ANOTHER COUNCILLOR, THAT MY ONLY RULE, WAS THAT I WAS PREPARING THE QUESTIONS, AND WHILE I WOULD SHARE THEM IN ADVANCE…..I WOULDN'T BE CENSORING THEM, OR EVEN REVISING THEM. THEY WOULD HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER TO ANSWER THEM ALL, OR JUST THE ONES THEY FELT COMFORTABLE WITH. I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO THINK THAT I WAS ABLE TO TAKE EDITORIAL SHOTS, WITHOUT OFFERING A REBUTTAL. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN OPEN TO CONVERSATION, AND COUNTER-POINT, AND I HAVE ENOUGH MEDIA EXPERIENCE TO HANDLE FAIR INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL COUNCILLORS. I'VE INTERVIEWED PREMIERS AND SO MANY FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS IN THE PAST, THAT I KNOW HOW TO TREAT AN INTERVIEW WITH AN UNBIASED NEWS PROTOCOL. I THINK I COULD HAVE HAD ONE INTERVIEW BUT THAT WOULDN'T HAVE SERVED MUCH PURPOSE, OR HAVE ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING MORE THAN ALIENATING A COUNCILLOR FOR THE REST OF THE TERM. BUT I WANTED TO MAKE THE OFFER NONE THE LESS….SO THAT IF THEY WANTED TO TAKE A SHOT AT ME, I WAS WILLING TO RUN THEIR STATEMENT WITHOUT EDITORIAL COME-BACK. SO IF ONE OF THEM THOUGHT I DESERVED A FLEECING, THEN SO BE IT! THAT'S DEMOCRACY. WHY SHOULD I BE ABLE TO CRITICIZE IF I CAN'T TAKE THE SAME MYSELF.

     I HAVE EVEN OFFERED AN APOLOGY TO THE MAYOR, PREVIOUSLY, FOR BEING PARTICULARLY HARSH ON COUNCIL AS A WHOLE…..AS IT IS WHAT I BELIEVED WAS NECESSARY FOR THE BENEFIT OF MY CONSTITUENT READERS. IT WASN'T TO SUGGEST I HATE THESE PEOPLE…..BECAUSE I DON'T. I MAY DISLIKE THEM AS COUNCILLORS, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THEY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, BUT AS CITIZENS THEY DESERVE OUR SUPPORT, FOR STEPPING-UP, AND TAKING IT ON THE CHIN. IF YOU DECIDE TO GET INTO POLITICS, THE REQUIREMENT IS A THICK SKIN. YOU PROBABLY WON'T READ THAT IN THE MUNICIPAL HANDBOOK, BUT IT'S TRUE. I THINK EVERY COUNCILLOR AROUND THAT TABLE WILL ADMIT THIS…..AND FOLKS, THIS IS WITH A MILD AMOUNT OF PRESS COVERAGE. I'M PRETTY SURE, THAT IF THE DAYS OF THE OLD PRESS WAS STILL A FACTOR (AS IT ONCE EXISTED), WE WOULD HAVE HAD A LOT MORE DOUBLE BANKED HEADLINES, AND INVESTIGATIVE STORIES, THAT WOULD NOT HAVE PLEASED THE RANK AND FILE AT TOWN HALL. THIS COUNCIL IS GETTING OFF LIGHTLY, AND I WANT THEM TO KNOW THIS. I'M NOT THE EDITOR OF A NEWSPAPER. I'M NOT GOING TO SEND REPORTERS TO DO A MAJOR INVESTIGATIVE PIECE. I'M JUST A BLOGGER WITH A LIMITED READERSHIP, WHO KNOWS WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THE PAST; AND WHAT COUNCILS DIDN'T GET AWAY WITH, MAKING MAJOR CHANGES AT TOWN HALL WITHOUT HAVING TO PRESENT THE ACCURATE PICTURE TO THE PUBLIC….VIA THE FRONT PAGE OF THE LOCAL NEWS. I FEAR THEY HAVE BEEN LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY, THAT WILL BE ERODED AWAY, IF WE FIND COUNCIL-HOPEFULS WHO WISH TO REVEAL AND EXPLOIT, SOME OF COUNCIL'S SHORTFALLS….AND ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT. THEY DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT A BLOGGER LIKE ME. THEY DO NEED TO BE AWARE, THAT THERE MAY BE CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO CHALLENGE THIS COUNCIL'S RELIANCE ON STATUS QUO, AND LACK OF TRANSPARENCY. COUNCIL'S TIGHTLY KNIT, PROTECTED ENVIRONS ARE MORE POROUS THAN THEY MAY BELIEVE…..AND BECOME MUCH MORE REVEALING AS CAMPAIGNS COMMENCE. THIS IS WHEN OTHERWISE SILENT CITIZENS SPEAK UP, AND START MAKING DEMANDS. HOW ARE COUNCILLORS, WHEN CONFRONTED, GOING TO REACT TO CRITICISM ABOUT SPECIFICS, AND THE ACTIONS AND REACTIONS THEY'VE HANDLED AS …."THE COUNCIL?" ONCE CANDIDATES BEGIN DECLARING, AND PREPARING THEIR PLANS OF ACTION, TO WIN THESE AVAILABLE SEATS. HOW WILL COUNCILLORS HANDLE THIS NEW VULNERABILITY? NOT BEING ABLE TO DODGE OR FOB-OFF RESPONSIBILITY. I SUSPECT IT COULD BECOME UNCOMFORTABLE. UNLESS OF COURSE, THEY DECIDE NOT TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION, AND FINISH OFF THE YEAR HOLDING THEIR CARDS CLOSE.

     I AM NOT "THE DECIDER." AS I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THEIR TERM, MY INTEREST HAS BEEN A SIMPLE ONE……THAT THEY, THE FOLKS WE ELECTED, HANDLE THE MUNICIPALITY'S AFFAIRS RESPONSIBLY, AND TRANSPARENTLY, AND THAT THEY RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF THE CONSTITUENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRACY OF GOVERNMENT. I HAVE NOT FELT THIS WAS THE CASE. MY OPINION HASN'T CHANGED. AND I DON'T SUPPOSE THEY GIVE A DAMN ABOUT MY OPINION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. I WEAR MY OBJECTIONS OPENLY. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AVAILABLE, IF ANY OF THE COUNCILLORS WISHED TO OBJECT OR CLARIFY. I'M NOT ABOVE ANY ONE, AND AS FAR AS FAIR PLAY, I TAKE MY ROLE IN DEMOCRACY VERY SERIOUSLY. I DO PARTICIPATE. I DO HAVE AN OPINION. AND I RESPECT YOUR OPINIONS. THERE MAY BE CONSTITUENTS WHO DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS MUNICIPALITY. THERE ARE OTHERS, WHO ARE DAMN ANGRY. OTHERS HAVE A FIFTY-FIFTY BELIEF, AND FIGURE THAT IF THE COUNCIL DOESN'T ACTUALLY BANKRUPT US, THEY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB. THERE ARE STILL OTHERS, WHO TAKE THE WORD ON THE STREET, AT FACE VALUE, AND BECAUSE THE TOWN OFFERS NO EXPLANATIONS, THE EMBELLISHMENTS CLIMB AND INCREASE IN SIZE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. BUT COUNCILLORS DO HAVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND BEFORE THIS ELECTION IS OVER, THEY WILL HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE HOT SEAT. IT'S JUST PART OF THE TERRITORY OF BEING A PUBLIC OFFICIAL. SHOULD SOME OF THESE SAME PEOPLE WISH TO SEEK RE-ELECTION, THEN THEY WILL PREPARE THEMSELVES ACCORDINGLY.

     BUT HERE'S ONE TO WATCH FOR. I AM GOING TO BRING THIS UP EARLY, BUT THIS IS WHAT IS SUSPECT WILL HAPPEN. ONCE AGAIN, ONE OF THE TOWN GROUPS, WITH A CONFLICT IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TOWN, WILL DECIDE TO HOST AN ALL CANDIDATES MEETING…..LIKELY AT THE OPERA HOUSE. I EXPECT, AS USUAL, THEY WILL ATTEMPT TO VOID THE EVENT OF CRITICAL, OFF-THE-FLOOR QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THEY CAN BE EMBARRASSING. AND OF COURSE, IT WOULD GIVE THE CONSTITUENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO QUESTION, IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF CONSTITUENTS, PRESENT COUNCILLORS WHO HAVE MOST TO ANSWER FOR…..ESPECIALLY TRYING TO WIN BACK THEIR JOBS. SENDING IN YOUR QUESTIONS, TO BE VETTED BY A PANEL FROM THIS GROUP, IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE DURING THE LAST MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND IT WILL BE THE SAME THIS ELECTION. IT SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN INTO TWO NIGHTS. ONE NIGHT SHOULD BE FOR MAYORAL CANDIDATES ONLY. THE OTHER, FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL COUNCILLORS. QUESTIONS SHOULD BE FROM THE FLOOR. NOT SANITIZED BY A GROUP THAT HAS NO RIGHT TO DO THIS. IF I DO DECIDE TO RUN FOR OFFICE, I WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN SUCH A CONTROLLED EVENT….AND I WOULD URGE OTHER LOVERS OF DEMOCRACY TO PULL OUT AS WELL. ANY WAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING IN THE COMING MONTHS.

       I HAVE MADE IT CLEAR TO AT LEAST ONE OTHER COUNCIL, THAT THE "ONE MUSKOKA" PLAN FOR REDEVELOPING THE CHARACTER OF REGIONAL GOVERNMENT, SHOULD BE A PRIORITY. THE DUPLICATION OF SERVICE IS COSTING US TAPPED-OUT RATEPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY. THERE ARE A LOT OF RATEPAYERS, DESIRING CHANGE….AND I THINK ALL CANDIDATES SHOULD TALK WITH THEIR COMMITTEE, TO FIND OUT WHAT THIS EFFICIENCY MISSION REPRESENTS. IF I RUN, I WILL BE DOING SO, TO REPRESENT THIS PLAN FOR MUNICIPAL OVERHAUL……..ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T SOUGHT THEIR OUTRIGHT SUPPORT. THIS MAY COME DOWN THE ROAD. EVERY COUNCIL CANDIDATE SHOULD KNOW WHAT "ONE MUSKOKA" IS ALL ABOUT…..BECAUSE THERE IS CHANGE COMING REGARDLESS. THEY SHOULD AT LEAST KNOW THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THEIR ARGUMENT.

      THE CITIZENS OF GRAVENHURST HAVE A LOT OF CONTEMPLATION AHEAD. THEY ARE GOING TO BE HIT WITH ALL KINDS OF PROMISES IN THE COMING YEAR, AND I'M SURE THERE WILL BE PRESENT COUNCILLORS AMONGST THE REST, TRYING TO CONVINCE US THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB THIS TERM. I HOPE THEY COME TO MY HOUSE. THEY'RE GOING TO BE HERE FOR AWHILE. POINT IS, WE ALL HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT. A CHANCE TO CORRECT WHAT WE PERCEIVE TO BE WRONG WITH OUR MUNICIPALITY. WE HAVE A CHANCE TO CONFRONT COUNCIL HOPEFULS ABOUT THE BAD PUBLICITY WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING, SUCH AS POSTINGS VIA TWITTER…..AND SOME OF THE HARD FEELINGS OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE, AT PRESENT, FEELING ABOUT A MILLION MILES AWAY FROM THE COUNCIL THEY HELPED ELECT.

     THERE WILL BE THOSE CITIZENS WHO OPT NOT TO GET INVOLVED. THERE WILL BE CITIZENS WHO CAN'T BE BOTHERED VOTING. THEY DON'T BELIEVE THEIR VOTE WILL MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO THE OUTCOME. AND IF I WAS ASKED, IF I HAD ONE CRITICISM, ABOVE ALL ELSE, ABOUT THE TOWN IN WHICH I DWELL, IT WOULD BE THIS……THAT SIMPLY STATED, THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY CITIZENS WHO CAPITULATE TO THE POWER OF TOWN HALL, AND REFUSE TO CHALLENGE AUTHORITY ON ISSUES THEY BELIEVE WERE HANDLED BADLY.  IF WE HAD DONE THE SAME, AND REFUSED TO PUSH BACK AT COUNCIL, FOR THEIR DECISION TO DESTROY THE BOG, SUZANNE AND I WOULD BE STARING OUT THE WINDOW AT A ROW OF HOUSES, INSTEAD……OF THE BEAUTIFUL SNOWY WOODLANDS, AND THE LOWLAND THAT FILTERS RUN-OFF WATER FROM A LARGE CHUNK OF THIS TOWN, BEFORE IT FLOWS INTO THE ALREADY WATER-QUALITY CHALLENGED MUSKOKA BAY. I HEAR, FAR TOO OFTEN, HOW CITIZENS HAVE ACCEPTED DIRECTIVES FROM COUNCIL, WITHOUT ANY CHALLENGE WHATSOEVER. THUS, DEMOCRATIC PRIVILEGE IGNORED BY THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT MOST. I'M NOT SUGGESTING YOU CAN WIN EVERY CHALLENGE….BUT I'D MUCH SOONER CONFRONT AUTHORITY, WHERE I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE, THAN TO FEEL I HAD FUNDAMENTALLY, AND IGNORANTLY ABANDONED MY OWN CIVIL RIGHTS.

     THERE ARE CHALLENGES UPCOMING SOON, WHEN RATEPAYERS WILL HAVE TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES, OR LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES. THE BIA EXPANSION PROTOCOL, THAT COULD SEE IT ALMOST TRIPLE IN SIZE, IS ONE OF THE FIRST CONCERNS ON MY LIST OF MANY. IT'S UP TO ALL OF US TO MAKE DEMOCRACY WORK. GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS NEXT MUNICIPAL ELECTION, IS A GOOD PLACE TO START. MANY CITIZENS IN MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, ARE WELL AWARE HOW ADVERSE, A ROGUE COUNCIL, OR MAVERICK COUNCILLORS, CAN BE, TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE WE ENJOY IN OUR COMMUNITIES……BY THE POLICY AND DECISIONS THEY HAVE A HAND IN CREATING. IF WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH THESE INITIATIVES…..THEN DAMN-IT, WE NEED TO PLAY OUR PART. AND THAT DOESN'T JUST MEAN, LIVING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF A BAD IDEA.

     CONSIDER RUNNING FOR COUNCIL. NEED SOME TIPS? YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT AN OPEN LINE WITH ME. HISTORY LESSONS ARE FREE FOR NEW CANDIDATES.