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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-10-16, Page 15There are Canada geese, as well as campers, at Family Paradise, near Walton Motorcycling's a family sport at Hully Gully SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, OCTOBER -18,'1975 SECOND SECTION PAGES 1A — 4k Recreatign_ Seaforth rea s newest Watching a Moto Cross at Hully Gully, near Varna ' Bill Mott at Family Paradise trout pond Recreation is probably one of the service industries that has expanded the most rapidly in the last five years. For more than 25 years, young ¤ people and families have made an exodus to Huron County to enjoy sun filled days on its beaches., Recreation facilities developed along the lake, and resort towns like Grand Bend felt the influence of the tourist d011ar. In the last f w years, however, recreation has moved inland in Huron County. For the first tim/ central Huron County is feeling the influence of the tourist trade. One p.of the big recreation owners is conservation authorities who are buying up a lot of land and either tleveloping it for recreation or leaving it in its natural state. The Maitland Valley Conserva- tion just announced plans for a major, expansion of 400 square miles , which will make the 1,000 sqdare mile Conservation authority the tenth largest in the province. The Hullett Wildlife Management Area will eventually cover 6,000 acres, and has meant- buying 'up a lot of farms. Early this year, local farmers were concerned about the effect of flooding sections of the Hullett 4., Wildlife Area on the drainage of neighboring farms. A•public meeting was held and the Ministry of Natural Resources said acquisition or compensation could be considered. ' What has caused contention was experts TalliIng farms marginal operations, whereas the farmers protesting that they were family farms that alw ays kept food, on the table and their families provided for. Looks Golden Recreation is a fast growing industry whoi-P.- future looks golden. In spite of inflation, there seems no shortage of money, and With early retirements, and the short work week, this trend will no doubt continue. With Huron County just a little over a two hour drive from United States and southwestern Ontario, it could soon develop into the recreational playground of urbanites. Not only is the public sector investing a lot of manpower and money in recreation facilities, but so are privat entrepreneurs. ill and th Mott with their kids o Huron County about six years to set up a recreation camping and trailer park, known as Family' Paradise near Walton. Mr. Mott who was formerly a' salesman in Kent County said they located in Huron County because they were looking fors,a place during the mercury scare, and fishing was definitely out in Lake Erie. He bought about 117 acres, 50 of which he uses for camping, 40 for bushland and 30 which he rents to a lOcal farmer. In 1968, when he bought the land it was swamp and bush. "Ninety-five percent of the land can't be used for agriculture. For a farmer, to spend what we spent on the land, Would have broken him," Mr. Mott said. The former owner, Fred Glanville had built a trout pond which is now stocked with fish and enjoyed by ducks and geese. His intention was to establish a trailer park but he just didn't do it, Mr. Mott said. Amount of Work Bigger fools make bigger mistakes", he said. "I should never have bought it for the amount of work that went along with it". "There are days I get up on Friday morning and don't go to bed until Sunday night" when the dance hall is involved and with entertainment Sunday afternoon, he said. The park has about 33 seasonal campers and is licensed for 125 trailer sites. "I'd say we've had a thousand people in of on time including our picnic area," Mr. Mott said. He's estimated he has invested over $150,000 in Family Paradise including the building of a seven acre lake which is fed by springs and the construction of the dance hall over three years ago. "No one should expect to go into the tourist business, and get their money back in a year. It's taken six years to make it pay. Most places can figure it will take ten years before they get any money back. If it wasn't for .the dance hall we wouldn't have been able to survive," he said. The campers are mostly from London. Kitchener and Listowel areas. who just want a weekend out of the city. Some of the trailers arc like homes inside, there are very few campers who would want to rough it anymore, he said. At first., father and 'son would go into the bush to gather wood for the bonfire, but not anymore, Mr. Mott said. Now the campers buy 'their wood. For those wanting a quiet weekend to commune with nature, think twice abut pitching your tent at Family Paradise. Mr. Mott said very few want that type of weekend and the dance hall and Sunday afternoon entertainment which includes a talent 'show thjs , year was a drawing card that boosted their picnic area. Cert ain Noise The dance hall continues throughout the winter and the campers .enter the trailer . parks with the un rstandin iey have to expect a r am amount of noise until Sunday night. Many campers come because of the dance hall, Mr. Mott said. Family , Paradise offers swimming, fishing, camping, picniking, entertainment dancing in the hall which seats 230 and snowmobiling in the winter. The crowd at the dance is middle-aged mainly because of the orchestra hired, he said. "It's^ not because a person doesn't want to cater to teenagers. One makeS.lt bad for therest. There are a whole lot of good kids, but a few get a few drinks in them, and want to be destructive and fight. We don't have that problem here, V he said. Family ,,Paradise is a family operation run by himself, his wife, his daughter Linda, 19, and son, Jim, 14 and a couple hired on the weekends. Mt. Mott said the dance hall and picnic area are definitely fulfilling a local need. Quite a few come from the Seaforth-Dublin area, he said. One man came from Florida especially for a Hallowe'en dance, and a couplez comes a couple of times a month from ThaMesville. "They must want to dance more than I want to dance," Mr. Mott said , as he shook his head. "If 1 had to locate again, I ' wouldn't locate here, not for camping, for the dance hall, yes," he said. Most of the camping business is repeat, and they've suffered from not being along. the lake front in a resort area. In ,,spite of this more trailer parks are going up than ever before. He named six that have started within a radius of ten miles; since he began, six years ago. Not a Gold Mine He feels too many are going inland. Two Chatham fellows thought trailer parks were a gold mine until they got into it and out of the business, he said. The Mott are 'involved ,with four licenses -7 one from the Department of Tourism, the Liquor Control Board, the Department of Fisheries and one for wildlife. "We didn't reglize it would take so much money, we thought we'd have our money back in two years. A lot think they-can stake out their land, put up a few outhouses, but the modern camper wants all the conveniences including flush toilets and organized activities." ' A lot of people say, look at .the money you take in through that gate, but they don't see the moey that goes out that gate for repiir jobs and hydro costs". The Department of Tourism estimates the average 'cost of se •tting up one serviced lot is $1,000, he said. "A good many times, I thought of bailing out. Even yet, sometimes ...What's the sense of it, seven - days a week? If we figured our hours up it would be a lost cause," he said. The most recent attraction is, buggy rides. Mr. Mott purchased about six ponies. "A lot of the things you do is not to make money, but to keep them happy." That night, they„ were having heir annual corn roast for all those in the trailer park. In the winter, the local ,snowmobile club is involved with the park, but few local people snowmobile in the park. "I wouldn't either if I had a 300 acre farm. wouldn't pay anyone else to g snowmobiling," he said. Mr. Mott.doesn't feel there are enough recreation activities for those people sixty and over. Really there is only lawn bowling in 'Seaforth, lie said. In provincial parks senior citizens are admitted free Of charge, but this isn't done if they come to a private park, so they don't come. If the seniors were subsidized by the, government when they came to the private parks as well, it would be worthwhile setting up something for old age pensioners, he said. No Grants at all Mr. Mott said there are no grants of any kind available for this type of privately owned park, but the municipality has done everything to support its attempts to get interest free loans. Many municipalities don't want mobile home parks because it's a permanent deal, and they are hard to tax. But all the trailers except his own which is on a permanent foundation ' are classified as a recreational vehicle and must be able to be moved within four hours as .required by government regulations. Mr. Mott said they are actually involved in about four Wtsinesses, all combined, 'incIdding 'the . grocery store, camp sites, dance hall-and pony rides. The camp store, he said, carries necessities. "We want the campers to go, into the neighborhood. We want businessmen .on our side. We don't want 'to take their business." "Lots of, the money from this park is left in local stores and businesses". While here, they do their laundry, buy groceries. "It's the odd one who won't take a trip into town, which is usually Seaforth, on the weekend and shop or go to a restaurant, Mr. Mott said. "A. lot of money is in the neighborhood that wouldn't be 'here' and 95 per cent of what we spend also goes back into the 'r?iunicipality." An example Of which could be the building of the seven acre lake by a local firm. Likes Huron Ruth Mott' said she likes Huron ' County because of the atmosphere and scenery. In Chatham, she said, like most large cities, you don't know your next door neighbor. At the trailer park, many people return and you get to know them individually. Mr. Mott said the future for recreation in Huron County looks good because it is half-way between the large cities to the south and the northern country. Speaking about recreation ' for the young, he said he didn't think there was enough participation activities in the area -- just roller skating and the ball team which has just started, he said. Holly Gully Another newcomer to Huron County and to the recreation field, is Randy Collins, owner-operator of Hully Gully. Mr. Collins came to Huron County to farm in Stanley Township six years ago with his wife, Audrey, and two kids, Becky 10, and Charles, 11. They have another son nowrGordie, 5. "the only product of Huron County", he laughed. He bought 200 acres, farmed for three years, and joined a local farmer's union, He said he became "disenchanted" with farming because some people were making a lot of money in the food sector, and the farmers weren't getting their fair share. The year 1973.1974 was certainly a high profit year. "If it happened a year earlier, I might have been still farming," he said. The first year,"Hully-Gully 'was only open during the winter for snowmobiling, but since then it has stayed open year found with snowmobile trails and races in winter, motocross or motor-cyle racing in the summer. Besides, Story by Nancy Andrews Photos by Dave Robb, Rob Tetu Hully Gully has camp-sites to accommodate those who want to stay the weekend, and winterized cabins. A chalet was built for banquets, dances and Mr. Collins runs a repair and sales shop. Forty acres with two moto-cross and one snowmobile track is used for, recreation and the rest is rented to a local farmer. In the winter months, H• ully- Gully has a co-operative agreement with property Owners along the Bannockburn River to Bayfield. This allows Hully-Gully snovvmdbilers to ,.travel on trails on-about 3.000 acres. There is some damage done along the trails, but that is hard to control, he said. He blames those who sneak in for that. he estimates $200,000 has been invested in Hully Gully which includes building the tracks, and the two and a' half acre pond, which is fed by a spring. Enjoy It Mr. Collins said: "I' don't think that we are out of place in recreation. We are in it because we enjoy it. It's..a good thing we enjoy our work, he-cause we do a lot of it." , Mr. • Collins who comes from a rural town p just outside of Windsor,/said until they came to Huron County, neither he, nor his wife had ridden a snowmobile. "We "have always liked competitive sports," he said. Audrey won the" competition for the top lady snowmob.iler in '72-'73 for the Mid-Western Ontario Snowmobile Circuit. , He said he and his wife don't race seriously anymore, but did try it, jus4 so they would know what the competitors like and dislike in a track. Many of the competitors are uptight and hotheaded before a race, but after having raced, he satd: "You understand it. We don't get all excited about it. We know the tension they are under." Mr. Collins said if he had known he was going. into recreation, he would have bought land 25 miles closer to London. He said they have no complaints from local residents because they are more than a mile from any house. "I think it's a good place to live. It's a rolling area, and not right next to a metropolitan area. It's Canadian, " he said in comparison to the Windsor area which is so Americanized. Lots to do • Mr.Collins said rural Ontario is really busting with things to do. Some people say they don't want to move out to the country because there is "nothing to do". Every weekend there is something to do like summerfests and fairs. He said Hully Gully's location makes it difficult to advertise because the facility isn't a part of any one community, and has to be considered a Huron County- centered recreation area. The sales - repair shop and banquet hall really serve local needs. People don't have to go to the large cities to get e quipment or for repair work, he said. The banquet hall is the social center for the recreation area, and mati,.y 1060 functions like wedding, receptions and dances are held there. Hully-Gully rents six motorcycles and snowmobiles in the winter. A lot of this is local business, with London about as far as they come for this. "The rental business is getting bigger all the time," he said. Hully-Gully employs four full- time workers and 35 when a special event is being held. Mn 'Collins said they tend to get totally involved in whatever they are doing.So, one of the mechanics who worked on the road racing circuit took a training course that will allow him to teach a motorcycle course. The mechanic hopes to teach a course at Conettciga College. He said: "I wish everyone an a motorcycle would take this course. Corporate Citizen Mr. Collins said they are trying to be good corporate citizens, and to promote the sport. The' owner, whose eleven-year-old son races, said one fellow comes into the shop ..and jokingly calls the machines the murder cycle. Mr. Collins said ihey'are doing what they can "to get it called the way it is." Motorcyclists don't have a good image. "We don't have any problems with anyone and don't' intend to," he said. At first the Ontario Provincial Police were very concerned about the moto-cross races, but all the races are sanctioned by the -Canadian Motorcycle Association, Fifty per cent of the participation, is family oriented. with several members of the same family entering different competitions, he said. Summerfest A summerfest is held annually and they usually lose money, but it is a part of their on-going public relations, which includes allowing the Stanley Township Recreation Committee use a section of one of their tracks for their ball diamond. "We have hardly come to r eap any of the benefits. We itope there is sotne latent energy there," he said. "I've been told, it will' take us five years, we are likely a year (Continued prom Page3A)