There is seemly no end to the people's attempts to develop the village even though topographically it is unsuited for development and growth there ends up as congestion. Why is this village wanting to grow and failing spectacularly? Does the village, town, city have an identity crisis?
The sad reason is that Grand Bend is on the curve and is the nearest sunny beach to London, Ontario. The village is mainly a fun park for London and frustrated Londoners. Other cities are too distant to make Grand Bend attractive. There is not much that village has to offer other than forest and beaches. The forest and beaches have been exploited magnificently, and yet growth in Grand Bend itself is unsustainable.
Why would you want Grand Bend to grow? This is a question, I am struggling with. Growth appears in all the election materials and publications. The sad fact is that it is not growth but a slowing down of lost investment capital. Invest in Grand Bend and lose your capital. That's not a growth center. Grand Bend's dream should be revamped to something more akin to it's neighbour, the village of Bayfield to the north. Rather than trying to be a fun park for London, Grand Bend should raise it's price of admission and become a dwelling place and village community catering to the rich and famous. That the community is unsuited for large scale development is unfortunate since many people have lost so much money trying to make their businesses succeed where reality dictates the community is flogging the wrong merchandise. Mayors of the community will come and going spreading their message of growth and prosperity to an environs better suited to deer and forestry.
The long term residents of Grand Bend who try to make money out of the fun park businesses will be spectacularly disappointed. The village is a temporary fun park that does not even have a book store. Even Bayfield, Goderich, and Kincardine have bookstores, and very good ones at that.
What Grand Bend does have is natural beauty, a clean beach if people look after the agricultural runoff, an artistic and highly intelligent community of thinking people most of the time, creative buzz, and musical talent! What it also has is a fun beachy park atmosphere, albeit not as great as that of Port Elgin, but fairly respectable, none the same.
In what directions could Grand Bend develop? It's possible that the village could be home to a university, but not a large university, and one that snuggled carefully into the background so as to maintain the many natural qualities that the village has to offer. Woods would need to be planted and forests developed to build up the collegial community, but it would be better than continued expansion of the University of Western Ontario at London, Ontario, which is rather getting rather crowded and which does not really need the money. If Grand Bend were home to an environmental or physics and arts university this would be fitting.
The village has a lovely river system that could have forest walkways and trails of oak and vine. Add a few redwoods to growth slowly over the centuries. Yes, Grand Bend needs a bypass and it needs a university. It needs even more forest and woodlands, hardwoods and cedars, expensive homes and artistic individuals plying their talents. It needs horse farms, pony treks, livery services, and riding to grow new businesses around the horse and cycling. Grand Bend needs to develop in the healthy sustainable directions that will give local people more permanent employment and perhaps attract a bookstore once again and a Starbucks cafe. Even the McDonalds could offer it's coffee range. And, the health shop could return to help people live longer lives. More yoga classes and health centers year round. Better golf courses and services for the elite of Ontario could be added. Scaling up the quality would be good for the village. Sailing systems and electric boats could be developed locally. Good restaurants would survive with a university as there would be business year round. Young people would enjoy being beside the lake and get better grades. Such development would be ideal and would build on existing natural infrastructure. The manmade infrastructures unsuited to the town and ushered in by previous mayors wanting to promote fun land could be quietly recycled.
Will ye no think kindly on those who would be your friends! May the sun shine with your thoughts, today, and happiness grow in your heart! May you allow yourself some peace of mind.
