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Times Advocate, 1992-05-20, Page 5IP" Times -Advocate, May 20, 1992 Page 5 Grand Bend businesses predict booming summer By Michelle Ellison T -A Staff GRAND BEND - Although the calendar doesn't reflect it ehmno- logically, the Victoria Day week- end marks the beginning of sum- mer for Grand Bend and despite the generally Mort acononsy,alst alt- ers and business people .acre way optimistic about the four months of seasonal business that is about to envelop than. It does not stem as though it is the economy that plagues most businesses. According to Joe Kiss, part owner ofthe latest addition to the bar scene Big Daddy Shin Digs, "There is no such thing as a recession in Grand Bend." Guzzle Pizza owner, Jeff Stoll agrees as he sarcastically asks his manager, -"-Hage -you ever-heard-ef- a recession in Grand Bend?" Owner of J Dees Summerhouse, Jim Davies, expects "Not a bad year for the Bend," and says he ex- pects an increase in sales at his res- taurant located right on the main strip. The optimism, however, is not surprising according to the presi- dent of the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce and owner of Randi's clothing store, Randi Downs -Ivey. She says the spring has brought great business to the Bend this year. "So far this spring has.been fab- ulous," she says, "It's been more worth my while to stay open seven The end result is an addition that days a week rather than just week- includes skylights and sliding glass ends." doors but they are very happy with New entrepreneurs have obvious- the decision. ly heard that Grand Bend is still "We more of less did it to contain booming. As usual, a new group the noise and mainly fordo -swath - of ambitious entrepreneurs hoping er," said Mike McCann.___ to inake a name for dsemselves in The unstable esttaen yttthayte an }Grand Bend's summer tourist mar- advantage to retailers. Pewer loans • ket. means fewer new businesses for Maria Sherazee has had experi- Grand Bend meaning retailers have ence in other seasonal lakeside less competition. Davies says not towns such as Wasaga Beach but as many of his retail spaces located this year is the first year ,she has just off the main strip have been opened her clothing store, Natives, rented out this year. in Grand Bend and she feels the "If Grand Bend -has same number tourist town has become better rec- of tourists come, you'd expect busi- ognized recently as a summer vacs- ness 10 boom," he says. boning spot for young people and families. Thus, she hopes business Of about 12 spaces available in will improve. the group of kiosks, only half %vete -Pat intend '-Lnded-a -spot in --a--open•fortinsinessorrthe ioltg-weait=-- booth in the "kiosk" area and says end. Downs -Ivey says that isn't un - he doesn't expect the economy to usual for this time of yeah-. Never - have much effect on his business. theless, Ireland points out that "I think it's mostly impulse buying, although it means less competition therefore weather is more impor- for him, more businesses in the tent than the state of the economy." group would make the area more As Ireland points out, the biggest attractive. indicator of how profitable the Diversification seems to be the summer business will be is the key to being competitive in Grand weather. Most merchants are Bend this summer. Both Ireland much more concerned with this and Sherazee, rookies to the Bend's factor than the economy. retail clothing sector, both concen- The owners of Gable's Tavern trate on carrying lines and stocking decided to curtail this factor by apparel not found anywhere else on looking into a retractable roof that the strip. could their protect their well Stoll agrees that diversity is key known patio from the elements. in all business. Sanders on the Beach beachfront patio was a busy place on the Victoria Day weekend. Ac- cording to merchants, business In Grand Bend for this summer should be booming as long as the weather co-operates. "You just have to come up with different ideas. Innovative think- ing," he says. As a result, his fast- food pizza restaurant that is already well established in London, will -have a direct phone line to the boat- er's lounge at the harbour, a deliv- ery service and a DJ -for the "bar crowds on weekends. Kiss says he and two other part- ners opened their new drinking es- tablishment because Grand Bend needed a unique bar. "We wanted to open something 193v survey used for new shoreline plan EXETER - Imagine a survey team stopping their Model "T" truck and unloading their gear at Sarnia to start on a two month sur- vey along the shoreline. Well that is what survey crews from the De- partment of Lands and Forests, Province of Ontario did in 1935 along Lake Huron's southeast shore from Sarnia to Kincardine. Although the purpose of the sur- vey is not completely understood today, the results are invaluable as an accurate record of the location of shoreline feature sin addition to being an interesting historical docu- ment. Firstly, as a record of change in the shoreline location, the survey enables an accurate comparison to the present day shoreline using re- cently completed mapping. The survey incorporates a traverse line which follows the beach between the toe of the bluff or dune, and the water's edge. Along this traverse line measurements and angles were taken to the significant features such as water's edge, high water mark/toe of bluff and where possi- ble, top of bluff. The spacing of these measurements varied with the features being measured and the terrain encountered. In addition, survey checkpoints or tie-ins were established by measuring from the traverse line to fixed features along the traverse (i.e. corners of build- ings, survey monuments, or iron survey bars). This enabled the tra- verse line to be relocated with re- spect to physical features in exis- tence at the time of the survey. Secondly, as an• historical docu- ment, the survey provides details of such things as ownership, property values and features common along the 1935 shoreline. Since 1935 was a period of very low water levels, buildings were abundant long the beach in the foil ofd houses, boat houses, and change houses. Cottage areas which still use the same name today ..are indicated along the traverse. Such Bosanquet Township regions as Southcou Subdivision, Beach O'Pines, the boy Scout Camp and William Scott Subdivision are mentioned. Grand Bend and area includes such fest tures as the casino dance pavilion, Maple Grove Syndicate and a nota- tion of wooden pilings from a dock into Lake Huron at the Hay/Stephen boundary (now beside the Lake Hu- ron Water Supply Plant). Further to the north, Turnbull's Grove and the hamlet of St. Joseph are shown. The Ducharme Subdivi- sion area shows evidence of beach use (i.e. notation of "Wagon road to beach".) From Hay Township to Stanley, the cottage areas of Drys- dale Beach, Egerton Beach and Elli- ott's Subdivision (now Crystal Springs) are indicated. The Village of Bayfield has three pumphouses shown on the beach as well as a storm signal station on the bluff at the west end of Wellington Street (now Bayfield Terrace) and a pop stand shown on the pier. No cottage areas existed in Goderich Township in' 1935 until you travel north to Iron Springs Subdivision in Lot 29, Concession 1. However, the names of the landowners do appear in Goderich Township and "William Elliott' is the indicated owner of Lot 32, Concession 1 where the present day "Elliott's Grove " cottage area now exists. The 1935 survey is being used by the ABCA as part of the Shoreline Management Plan presently being completed for the shoreline region. Comparing the 1935 shoreline loca- tion to the location today enables an accurate determination of shoreline location change. 1., 4 • Original shoreline map of Grand Bend from 1935 survey. Back in Timefrom the archives of the Times -Advocate 10 Years Ago May 19,1982 - Speaking at the annual graduation ceremo- nies at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology, Minis- ter of Agriculture Dennis Timbrell urged students to be=flexi- ble as situations within and outside agriculture have undergone many changes in the past generation. Exeter police will soon be equipped with a new type of open holster making a gun more easily accessible as the old- style required the officers to use two hands across their bod- ies to get the gun out. The Kinsmen dub of Sarnia has elected former Exeter resident Bob Beavers as president for 1982.83. There were plenty of celebrations in Kitchener and Exet- er on the weekend as the Kitchener Rangers won the Memo- rial Cup with Dave Shaw of Exeter in the lineup. Jamie Chaffe was named president of the South Huron District High School student council for the next year. 25 Years Ago May 18, 1967 - An Ontario Municipal Board hearing gave approval to a project to, bring a water distribution system to (,rand Bend. The tender of Redfern Construction of Toronto in the amount of $1,881,738 to construct the jaekhill dam and res- ervoir was approved this week by the /usable River Conser- vation Authority. Education Minister William G. Dihvis was in the area Thursday to officially open the new Stephen Central School. He hinted grants for schools built after 1965 would be sub- stantially increased. Davis along with Hon. Charles MacNaughton received an enthusiastic welcome from all area schools they visited and would have liked to call an election immediately and extend the right to vote to those six years of age and over. Superlatives flowed easily after students and staff of South Huron District High School returned from a visit to Expo 67 in Montreal. T -A school reporter Ann Creech said the architectural designs were "out of sight". The new coaches for the Exeter Greys ladies softball team will be Dick Bennett and Jim Loader. Mrs. Ken Johns of Exeter was elected to the provincial board of directors of the Ontario Association of Childrens Aid Societies. 50 Years Ago May 21, 1942 - At the request of Dr. ES. Steiner and Clark Fisher, Exeter council granted the sum of $100 to the Exeter Agricultural Society and agreed to turn over the ad- ministration of the fair grounds to the Athletic Association. Three -former students of Exeter High school passed vim; first dass honours at London Normal school. They were Grace Beckier, Ann Morgan and Greta Webber. The Exeter Lions motored to Dashwood for their semi- monthly meeting at Addison Tieman's hotel. A splendid ban- quet was served by Mine Host Tiernan. Although he has resigned as high school principal, E.J: Wethey asked to remain as mathematics master. Harold Sturgis was named principal. Opening the season at the Lakeview Casino in Grand Bend will be Canada's most outstanding drummer Glenn Bricklin and his 10 piece orchestra. The Exeter Women's Institute decided to disband for the duration for an all-out war effort. 100 Years ago May 19, 1892 - Large amounts of white fish are being caught daily in Bayfield. Eggs are being bought and sold in Exeter by the pound and the farmers are doing considerable kicking. At Crediton Eli King had a successful barn raising. After seeing Robert Essery's new fence, anyone wanting a good fence will do well to call on D. Cary. Chairman Wiliam Bowden has announced a Queen's Birthday celebration and farmer's picnic in Exeter on May 24. Admission is 25 cents. Hay for the horses will be fur- nished free. In a notice to correspondents, the Advocate editor said, " Send in only items that you believe to be fact, and not articles that are intended as personal insults." The advertising wagon of the Kickapoo Indian Medicine Company was in Zurich last week distributing pamphlets for an upcoming visit. At the Exeter market, potatoes were 30 cents a bushel and wheat sold for 80 cents a bushel. different. No carpeted floors, no big wooden tables.... bright and plays good music," he says sitting behind the bright green "wave - shaped" bar. Whether the concern be weather or economy, no one was worried on • the opening long weekend. Beau- tiful weather brought the typical crowd of partiers, shoppers and food lovers spending their money so that it really did seem like in the land of sun, sand and surf the word recession didn't exist. BUZ BEST RATES on your G.I.C. Ilig Gasser-Kneale Exeter 235-2420 Grand Bend 238-8484 9H -M0 ©L_'C)A - CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS . /KMD] Kime, Mills, Dunlop. Chartered Accountants Daniel B. Daum, B.A., M.Acc.. C.A. Manager 412 Main St., P.D. Box 2405 Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S7 (519) 235-0345 Fax: (519) 235-3235 John A.M. Norris CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT 497 Main Street South. Exeter, Ontario NOM 1 S 1 Tel: (519) 235-3240 FP • (519) 235-3246 AUCTIONEERS FILSON & ROBSON• The Experienced Auctioneers that Guarantee You More SS Considering A Sale a Need an Appraisal 666.0833 666-1967 Call Collect Supplying You with 30 Yrs. 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