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Second Section July 30, 1997
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Grand fiend's grand gentleman
Les Barr will be honored by the village as the first lifeguard on the beach over: 50 years. -ago
By Craig Bradford
T -A Reporter
GRAND BEND - Fifty years atter
he first donned the life guard duds.
Les Barr. is still in the swim in his"
favorite spot on earth:
Barr, 77, will be .given a plaque
by. Grand' Bend council on: ;Sept. 2
'recognizing his being one of the
'first Grand Bend beach life guards
and for his contributions to the com-
munity.
AGrand. Bend, cottager since
.1932when he Sumnie.red,there with.•
his parents, Barr has seen a lot. of
people.come and_ go over the: years. •
but his Iove.of the 'Bend has never
wavered. '
• When he came, -back to the .lake=
side village in 1946 after five-ydars •
as•a tlight"engineer on Spitfires and,
then Lancaster, homher, in the,Roy-.
al Canadian Air Force. Barr and
friend- Dave Stitt .noticed no one
was guarding -'the beach although
there were -sometimes 15.000 sun
and surf worshippers from all. Over '•
southern , Ontario ,and: Michigan
Crowding -the. sand. Barr and Stitt-
wrote. village council about the
oversight. and. soon - the two were
Hired for $5 a day to "fill the -role-.
-For two glorious summers The two
life guards eyed the waters.. Barr
said. Thankfully •there were' only
three rescues the two had to per-
form over those two summers .and
•
all those in trouble:made out tine.
"We never had a drowning there,"
Barr said. "There has been re-
markably- few drownings over. the:
years here. it's a fairly safe Keach.
What Barr remembers most is the
r
main eason 'many' young men
hopped in their can and -'made the
trip to the 'Bend on hot summer
days and steamy nights;
"Meeting the pretty ladies. that
was the -most fun." Barr ,aid -look-
ing back to his life guarding days.
Now he enjoys the friendly. con-
fines of his summer haven.
•
Historlc 'Bend. Left photo: The Grand Bend beach circa' 1947; the Lakeview Casino is prom-
inent and the lifeguard stand is at centre right: Right photo: Grand Bend:s first life guards,
Les Barr, !eft, and Dave Stitt, were captured on film in '47 by Bill Norfolk who won first prize
at the '47 International Pictorial Salon. at Vancouver's. Pacific National Exhibition. Inset:
, . Grand Bend summer restden Barr isle receive a Naqua df recognition from village_courrcTil=
for being the first guard on the beach. ,/
"It's -just the:lifestyle-we lead in
the summer months." he said, try
ing to sum up 'what he tikes about
.the 'Bend. "I thoroughly enjoy.he
ing, here in 'retirement.: There's a -
party atmosphere,here."
Though the '-Bend .is sill! a. spe-
cial place -for him, Barr said it 'isn't -
What -it'used to he.
• 'Years ago Ole Main Street ,was a
delightful place lot those who .visit
ed
visited hdcause•th}:,husineses were run •
by- families who lived here all year •
round." he said.' "Now all Of that is
gone,— all we have is rented prem -
nes. There isn't any' local people
that own businesses) nn the Main •
Street and that's -what a lot of us
miss.•
,
Barr. retired foraix years after 12
years as a London property manag-
er and many more years before in
the appliance business, is a fixture
in Grand Bend. Everyone knows
and,loves him. and Barr titill goes
for a dip almost everyday. -
Village councillor Barb Wheel
-
dint. w•ho alo,hg with Barr friend
Gord - Rottar- ,is organizing the
plaque presentation. said Barr' is
quite.a character." -
''He knows more' history on this
area than anyone." she said. Wheel -
don . shared perhaps hur favorite
Barr story — hd; was a sweeper. for,
the Lakeview Casino. meaning he
and 'another young man -would take
!
•
1-
a rope and clear the d{ince tlo'or s0
sneaky dancers didn't get ..more ,
than one dance out (if the SI fee -per '
dance. - - ,
Rottar, who's known. Barr, for o
.. about 15 years, said his friend is "a
real interesting story.;' ' -
'He's • from 'the- Great Gatshv
era." he said. "Everything is a 'pro -
duction. everything has great
A perfect example. • 01, Barr's
grand style is his love of ,the U.S..
southwest. While Barr spends from
April to theend of Octoher in --
Grand Bend, the rest ot, the year he-
-
e-- spends roaming New Mexico and •
the other desert states. to quell •his
•
althma sy mptoms. When he.: re-
turns.,Barr shows off his Santa Fe-
_ style apparel and his' growing .col-
- lection of Stetson hats.
When' asked how he feels about
::getting -an award of' recognition
from the .village; • Barr.: shows_ "his .
`humble'side. y ,
:Tin honored. of course: -he said •
Rottar said it's important to rec-
ognize people like Barr. '
great believer in -Marking
milestimes in the community,'- 'he
said. :'Les is part of the history.of
this community." • • ;
Barr will ,just add' the plaque, to
the ones recognizing his 75th hirth-
day frond --.Prime Minister- Jean
Chretien. Carrolton -Middlesex MI)
Rose=Marie lir. and Grand Bend
Mayor Cam Ivey: - -
Those who want to- have a -
glimpse of what Barr lociked like as •
a young man patrolling the beach
need..only to ask Barr or Rotiar. -
Both have)copies of. Bill Norfolk's
-award-winning photo of• Barr and'--•
,Stitt-atop.theiri life guard stand in
August 194-7. The photo took -_first
at the '47 international Pictorial Sa=
Ion -at Vancouver' s•Pacitic;National
Exhihitidin. •
Barr .said he lost; track of Stitt. a
tormer Toronto journalist:, seven •
years ago
Computer activity camp
The county pilot project Computer Activity Camp held last week at Zurich Public School was
a tremendous success. Children teamed computer skills, including exploring the Internet, as
• well as completing craft projects and participating in outdoor activities. Pictured at the com-
puter are Becky and Michael Dietrich with instructor Dave Bieman.
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