May 24th, Victoria Day The Beginning Of More Prosperous Times

MAY 24TH VICTORIA DAY HOLIDAY WAS LOOKED-FORWARD-TO, AS THE BEGINNING OF MORE PROSPEROUS TIMES

TOURISM? DO WE REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY?

     Every Muskokan, at some point in their lives, here, or having moved elsewhere, will have at least one adverse opinion of the tourist industry, as they have known it, working and residing in this district. As much an advocate as I am, for the industry's ongoing success, I have also found myself at times, wondering out loud, when our visitors would finally head back to the city, and leave us in peace. Muskokans often say this to one another, as steam-letting, after a particularly busy day, possibly having been up to their arm-pits in ice cream residue, from making cones for the previous eight hours; or the marina gas attendant who has been yelled at by tourists, and then by management, for making tourists angry in first place. I've committed this act many times myself, and always for the same reason. Being conflicted about making money, by having to share the place I love with others. I am thusly a hypocrite, to advocate for the well being of tourism, on one hand, and then slap them (tourists) on the back of the head, with the other. I'm willing to bet, if you have a stake in this region, even in the past, that you have muttered the same thing, when finding yourself twentieth in line at the grocery store, when normally, in the off-season, being the third in line, at the check-out, would seem outrageous. It's better that we say these things quietly, if we feel we must, because truthfully, we'd be screwed without our tourist folks, spending their vacation money in our region. A little gentle complaining often regains our perspective.    
     Our family learned early-on, as new residents of South Muskoka, that Victoria Day, and the May 24th holiday weekend, was much more than just a tribute to our British Ancestry, and a long serving Queen from another century. It was, in Bracebridge, the occasion that merchants welcomed back the tourists, after being separated by what was usually a long, cold winter season. It marked the beginning of what has come to be known as "the tourist season," and the impact and implications of a good or poor season, would be felt by almost every household. In one way or another, most residents back in the 1960's, at least, were in some way connected to the vibrancy or lack-there-of, connected to the largest industry in Muskoka. I offer an advance apology to pet lovers, but a Bracebridge oldtimer once told me, while I was researching a story about the tourism legacy, that "You can't swing a cat by its tail around this town, without hitting someone who works, has a family member, a cousin, aunt or uncle, who is dependent in some way, big or small, on the tourist economy." Since then, I've heard a hundred different versions of the same overview, and I dare say, it is pretty close to being accurate. If it is true, as I believe it is, I do find it troubling, that tourism, in the collective mind of local government, in particular, seems these days, more of a profitable inconvenience, than an industry deserving our full, uncompromised attention.
     Lately, I've been annoyed, as you may have read already, about the Town of Gravenhurst, sending out its welcoming committee, in the form of bylaw officers, to enforce the two hour parking limits in the Uptown area of town; the area that struggles to maintain its relevance, and attract new vendors to what can be, at times, a very quiet main drag. Except in the so called "tourist season," when commerce picks up for three to four months, before it begins its seasonal decline in the fall of the year. So it seems odd to me, and quite contradictory, that the Town targets the tourist season, to punish tardy motorists, who spend more than two hours in our beleagured Uptown, without, of course, moving their cars to a new parking spot, for another two hour jag. I know a fair bit about this, because I was one of the victims of the bylaw officers' early season mission, at a time, by the way, when there were only three other cars parked on the entire block. I was dinged twenty bucks for having been five minutes over the two hours, from the time they applied a chalk mark to the tire of our van. I like to think that our leadership in this town, is perceptive and experienced enough, to look at this parking time-limit nonsense, and weigh it sensibly against the negative collateral damage, of ticketed tourists, saying "to hell" with Gravenhurst there-after; and watching as our town fades as an image in the rear view mirror of their cars.  Short-sighted seems the most appropriate summation, of what is a loosey-goosey program of parking enforcement, which by the way, is suspended for all intents and purposes, once the tourists leave in the autumn season. How nuts is this? Pretty nuts, I dare say!
     Instead of welcoming our all important tourists back, with a banner strung across the main street, of the traditional Uptown, we send out uniformed parking fuzz, to show our patrons exactly what Town Hall thinks of them. It's not exactly what we think of as Muskoka hospitality. Those at Town Hall, who were elected to represent our best interests, are not doing their job, in this regard, and need to review their somewhat askew policies, when it comes to nurturing the one industry that is keeping us all in  business. And this is the perception problem. If there was no discernible tourist industry in Muskoka, starting this week, the same cat, (and I apologize once again), swung by its tail, would find almost everyone it connects with, hurt by the sudden collapse. Businesses that, at first glance, might not appear tourist industry related, could crumble as well, because of the huge tidal wave of collateral damage, that radiates, as if a brick thrown into a still pond.
     I have talked to many politicians and town officials, most that have moved here from other areas of the province, who have informed me, that tourism will be replaced by new investment in manufacturing, and other economic diversification, including the present claim that we will be bolstered by the high tech sector, possibly making this Silicon Valley north. I started hearing and reading these claims in the early 1980's, when Muskoka was starting to attract a lot more attention from urban area investors, licking their lips about the possibilities of claiming the region for themselves, and their vested interests. I've heard these stories through every year, of every decade since, and yet, although I predicted as much, the tourism industry continues to represent the biggest annual economic boost to our region, well above any of the secondary industries; and most of them, as rare irony, are also in some way connected, to the well being of industry number one. Manufacturing? Look at what is happening in Ontario today, with huge declines in the manufacturing sector; so it shouldn't be any surprise, Muskoka is lagging a tad, from where some delusional visionaries thought we'd be, sometime down the road. Now it's the high tech sector that is going to take over, but this has been touted for the past decade, with only minor progress being made. I sometimes view statements like these, and related "pie in the sky" promises, as if there is truly an anti-tourism movement fussing-about out there, that might one day, become a more frightening force to contend with, than at present.
     Although I have stayed out of the ongoing debate, regarding the proposed hydro-electric installation, at the Bala Falls, it is pretty obvious to most of us tourist-supporting-types, that it takes a pretty special dam to warrant being framed in a photograph for the travel album. As there are budding plans for similar projects, on other waterfalls in the region, it is worth bringing this "tourism" thing up, for consideration, because it could also be the case, our municipalities have forgotten about the ranking of the "tourist as a VIP". The Bala Falls is one of the most photographed natural sites in the entire region, and corrupting the view in any way, well, seems rather contrary to the benefits we receive very generously, when our visitors are heartily entertained by what they see and experience here. I think it's a prime example, of the way tourism has become a diminished reality in Muskoka, except for the business community, that damn well knows, who is really buttering the toast. We need electricity from some source, and waterfalls have been providing Muskoka with juice since the days of the great installation at the Great Falls, on the Muskoka River, that even provided electricity for the Town of Gravenhurst, ten miles south. We like the convenience of the electrical switch, in the "on" position, but we don't always like the compromises that are associated. In Bala's case, gosh, it's a tourism jewel, as both a community, and natural paradise, so the compromise of the falls is pretty huge, and honestly, deserves the current debate and ten times more. Compromises to our number one industry folks, hurts us all down the pike, and it doesn't matter what the generalists want to counter-with, because the stats don't lie. This has been a long serving tourist region, and it has been a major industry since the late 1800's, and it will be the same, if safeguarded, for another century. But I don't know how many tourists will be pleased, when the appearance of the Bala Falls just isn't the same anymore. The loss isn't just Bala's. All of Muskoka is affected in some way, when our natural resources are compromised, even if, arguably, it is in the best interest of every electricity craving citizen. Most visitors to Bala, who pump up the local economy, want to take photographs of the falls without compromise. They get enough of that, driving through, and living in urban areas elsewhere. I don't have a business in Bala, and I don't reside or cottage in the charming community, but I do understand the war of passions taking place. In this historians' mind, the fervor is a good thing, despite what might be said to the contrary. Democracy has to prevail sooner or later. But at the very least, all sides have had plenty of time to vent concerns and frustrations. From a purely historical perspective, tourism needs its advocates, and that requires a deep understanding, of how it will be affected by this profound change to the landscape. If tourism will be hurt, and the community negatively impacted as such, because of the change at the falls site, then I do very much understand, the passion expressed, to stop the development. The precedent is clear. There are other waterfalls to be worried about, and what has been a Bala problem, could soon become a serious district wide issue, that draws a much larger group of residents into the debate. Political will is going to be tested and citizen activism will generate forth, like never before. This is a good thing. Tourism is going to get its long overdue day in the limelight. Do we want tourism to remain hale and hardy, or shall we live off the successes of hydro electric generation for all the live long day?
     Historians aren't futurists, and we can only draw from precedents of the past. If we are responsible to our calling, in this region, we can therefore, never deny how important and relevant tourism has been, to what we have attained, and benefitted from, to this point in our chronicle. Predicting whether the Bala Falls installation, will be more beneficial than detrimental, to the local economy, and tourism specifically, is a task for the visionaries. The only comment we historians might offer, as acquired wisdom, is that tourism in Muskoka, has never let us down, despite many, many economic downturns nationally, from the outbreak of World War to the days of the Great Depression. Looking out at our busy street here in Gravenhurst, today, of the holiday weekend, well, tourism is doing pretty well all these years later. So if this is the case, what measures need to be taken, to keep it this way?