Village Squire, 1980-07, Page 5— .-waner-sr-orri
While travelling down Highway 21, the marina appears as a
sudden surprise with many colourful boats In a plcture5gUF Cove,
Bayfield
A village with character and charm
faces the pressures of progress
BY JIM NEER
Like the faded silver star that hangs centred on a string of
Christmas lights stretched across Main Street in June, the small
village of Bayfield is a reminder of another time.
Streets Tined with magnificent maples and elms, the sleepy
hamlet has been a quiet playground for the wealthy from
Kitchener, London and Detroit for decades. But no longer.
Situated north of Highway 21, Bayfield's charm is the product
of a bypass. Each summer, vacationers infested the beaches of
Lake Huron, but few dared go beyond the confines of the Blue
Water Highway into downtown Bayfield. For those who did, the
reward was a breath -taking little village with the character and
charm most Canadian towns possessed in the early 1900's but
lost to the powers of growth and the practicalities of aluminum
siding.
For many who discovered Bayfield's magic, the lakeside
community became a retirement centre, (Bayfield boasts one of
the oldest populations per capita in Canada. To others, it became
a weekend retreat to escape the drama and tension of the big
city, but for all', Bayfield in the past was a privilege only
permitted a select few. Today, the secret's out.
Walking down the dirt paths that connect Main Street shops,
you become a victim, seduced by the little village's hypnotic
charms. Turn of the century architecture smothered by luscious
greenery is par for the downtown decor. Shutter -clad buildings,
pink picket fences, flower boxes, Canadian flags pointing out
from second storey balconies, lilac bushes and those full leafy
monsters lining the street create a lazy atmosphere that relaxes,
slows the heart and eases the ache of the city from your bones.
A COLLECTION OF SHOPS
Main Street in Bayfield is a collection of gift shops, clothing
stores, markets, an Inn, a hotel, a library, a post office, a
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JULY 1980 PG. 3