Lakeshore Advance, 2013-08-21, Page 54 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesda , Au . ust 21, 2013
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editorial
Ideas great- just as
they were decades ago
The Grand Bend Chamber of
Commerce meeting last week
was really positive with
Chamber -municipal- business and
resfdents engaging in possible solu-
tions to age old issues. The problem
though came when so many in
attendance had been to hundreds
of meetings just the same. Good
ideas are just that- until they are
implemented. Those ideas become
reports, 20 -year plans, and strategic
plans on shelves gathering dust. For
the new council members, many of
these thoughts are new- for many
in attendance- they keenly remem-
ber the principles for parking poli-
cies of old.
Ai
We think good ideas to
death, when we should be
acting them to life.
— Brian G. Jett
In 1964 editor Wilma D. Dinnin
wrote in the Grand Bend Holiday
editorial she hoped there would
soon be a solution to the dredging
issues of the harbour, that there
would safe sidewalks, that the pro-
vision of more parking areas would
make the visitors happier and that
there would be an adequate sewage
system to serve the built up areas in
Grand Bend. She hoped the new
bridge at the intersection being
built would hold up for 50 years as
the last one had. In the summer of
1984 the council of the day wanted
better ties'with the Chamber o(
Commerce, they wanted the har-
bour improved and they dealt with
irate visitors who received tickets
because they could not see the
signs. "Action such as this may
deter people from coming back to
the Bend," read a letter within a
council report.
Having these meetings are great.
Communication and dialogue -
that's all good. People leave the
meeting happy. By gosh someone is
listening. Without implementation,
we will have the same results -
meetings with good ideas and no
teeth. There are always powerful
options and recommendations -
and plenty of them. And there are
always new economic development
insights. One attendee at last
week's meeting said, "Let's just do
the list of long- time wants before
we stall a new list."
The rub though is always money -
how much are these great ideas
going to cost. We are told not to be
afraid of new ideas- that's not the
problem here. At a round table
meeting in 2007 people wanted all
way pedestrian crossing at the
intersection, they asked for bridge
access across the river for pedes-
trian and bikes, the asked for guide-
lines for signs and boards on hulld-
ings in the winter, they asked for
Way sighs to direct people to the
beach, they asked for ways to
encourage people to open year
round, they asked for a safer
bridge...well you get the point.
None of the suggestions in 2007
were new. The old ideas are quite
good- we just need money, cooper-
ation with other levels of govern-
ment and some action.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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name, address, daytime phone number and signature (for verification, Anonymous letters
will not be published. We reserve the right to edit all editorial submissions Including
letters for clarification, style and length. Letters must be signed and be in good taste and
follow the laws of libel and slander.
letters to the editor
Boaters would
like their concerns
addressed
Thank you for the letter dated August 6111.
1t Is nice to know that the Municipality is,
working hard to address the concerns c,
Sonic' of it's 1't'sidents, however it seems t0
Ilse that it would make sense to discuss
issues with all parties affected rather than
just acting on the concerns of some. I laving
been Involved in business and dealing with
the publk' for close to 40 years, I have found
that there are always two sides to every story
and the only way to make a {proper decision
Is to War both sides. Since this did not hap-
pen, I would like to take this opportunity to
table the issues of the affected boaters.
First, the docks that are currently provided
to us at a substantial annual rent are not safe
and are not usable In their current condi-
tion. The walkways are on a substantial slope
in some areas 1111d are uneven. In S011le areas
the boards erre rotten and are lifting. 'There
have been instances where people have
slipped on the walkway when it is wet
because of the slope wild have tripped
because of the unevenness,
'Ihe clocks are way too high for most of the
boats that are renting these slips, due to the
lower water levels that have occurred over at
least the last 10 yrs. The Municipality's solu-
tion is to attach a cut off aluminum ladder to
the dock that is very shaky when a person
tries to climb it and is totally unusable by
anyone that Is not reasonable athletic. l have
seen numerous instances when older peo-
ple and people with young children have
conte close to having major accidents trying
to negotiate these ladders. As well, the lad-
ders are just cut off to sire with a hacksaw
and then a piece of duct tape placed over the
ends to keep people from cutting themselves
on the sharp edges. Not a very satisfactory
solution.
Instead of complaining, the boaters took
upon themselves to build secondary docks
and steps ata proper level, In order to pro-
vide safe access to our boats by all users and
guests, 'ibis was done on our own time and
at our own expense.
We are very conscience of the ice situation
in the river during the winter/spring peri-
ods. Therefore, we raise the docks that we
had to build every fall and lower them every
spring, We either attach them to the main
dock at n higher level (well above the ice
flow) or store them on the municipal grass
area (near the back wall). By necessity, these
docks have been constructed very sturdy
and are quite heavy (we use a winch to raise
and lower them) so it would be very difficult
and unsafe to try to carry them up the steep
steps In order to remove them from the
property. 1 spoke to our Ward 1 councilor
about this and he indicated that It would not
be a problem to continue to store these
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