9 minute read
From Our Editor
Let’s Get Real
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The line drawing above is one of the “roughs” of Shelagh Armstrong-Hodgson’s illustrations that accompany our annual package of real estate articles in this issue (the final illustration is on page 26). Based on the current market, we felt that Monopoly was an appropriate concept to illustrate the articles about today’s real estate game. Shelagh’s final illustrations are perfect, and her unique style adds an artistic touch to the pages of On The Bay.
Another welcome contributor to our real estate package is Marg Scheben-Edey, who wrote the articles. Before her recent retirement, Marg had a long and illustrious career as a realtor in Southern Georgian Bay. I was an avid reader of her real estate blog and found her to be a clear and perceptive writer, so when I heard that she had retired, I contacted her to see if she’d be interested in writing about real estate for On The Bay. Her answer was an enthusiastic “yes,” and she had lots of great ideas.
As an editor, assigning stories to a non-journalist is always nervewracking because you never know what you’re going to get, but in Marg’s case I needn’t have worried. Her articles are insightful, well researched and well written, with very little editing needed. I’m thrilled to add Marg to our roster of On The Bay writers and I know readers will benefit from her analysis of the real estate market, one of the best we’ve ever published.
Buying and selling real estate has indeed become a crazy game and the pandemic has led to increased demand as those working from home or on the verge of retirement or semi-retirement are choosing to make our four-season area their permanent home. As in any game, there are winners and losers, and the losers unfortunately are the workers who keep our restaurants, stores and businesses going, providing the wide range of goods and services our growing population expects in this small corner of the world.
I don’t often sound an alarm in this editorial space, but I’m doing so now because I firmly believe we’re in the midst of a serious crisis regarding affordable, attainable housing. Increased demand means skyrocketing real estate prices, which presents a major barrier to entry for first-time home buyers. And the higher cost trickles down to the rental market, which has also become unaffordable for many.
The Town of The Blue Mountains is taking the situation in hand by building affordable housing units and essentially becoming a landlord. But that doesn’t address the issue of home ownership. Throughout our area, more needs to be done to ensure that Southern Georgian Bay doesn’t become a haven for the rich – unaffordable or ghettoized for those who work hard to make it such a great place to live.
When I was a kid growing up in Belleville, about every third house on our crescent was subsidized housing. These homes were of the same style and quality as all the others on our street, they were well cared for, and the hard-working families who lived in them were part of our community. The kids all played together, the parents all waved and chatted as they mowed their lawns and took care of their properties. There was no class structure or ghettoization. It was a great way to grow up, where diversity was a given and everyone had the same opportunity to live in a nice house, on a nice street, in a nice area. That experience informed who I became and what I believe in.
I’m no expert, but surely there must be a way to ensure that we have a mix of housing available in our towns and neighbourhoods similar to what worked so well 50 years ago. I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions on how we can make our area attainable to all. It’s the only sustainable way forward. ❧
Janet Lees, Editor
A longtime Collingwood resident and former town councillor reflects on our rich history and why now is the time for a performing arts centre
by JOHN KIRBY photo by JESSICA CRANDLEMIRE
The Town of Collingwood recently announced the hiring of a consultant for the Arts & Culture Feasibility Study, and this decision was welcome news to me!
When my ancestors came to this area in the mid 1800s, arts and culture was never on their mind. They came to Canada and to Southern Georgian Bay to start a new life after the hardships they were experiencing in Scotland and Ireland. Over the ensuing 160 years this area has changed so much.
We must remember our indigenous ancestors, the Petuns, who first settled here and farmed the arable lands. As time went on, the next inhabitants recognized the importance of the natural harbour and built a community based on marine commerce. Then a visionary immigrant from Czechoslovakia arrived in the 1940s and his epiphany was a ski hill!
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photos • videos • iGUIDE • twilights • floor plans • marketing QUALITY REAL ESTATE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FOR QUALITY REALTORS AND DEVELOPERS
PHOTO BY DOUG BURLOCK
The CACE group (l-r): Erica Angus, Hella Sandberg, Annie Schiefer, John Kirby, Rob Hart, Charlie Gudaitis, Jeff Shearer, Richard Lemoine, Thomas Vincent.
We are all so fortunate for all those who have helped make it a privilege to live in this very special place. Truly, we are blessed!
In the 1960s when I was in my teenage years in Collingwood, boys would play hockey, girls would figure skate and some of my friends would venture out to the ski hills. When I entered high school in the fall of 1966, I elected to enrol in an instrumental music course in grade nine. This was my own epiphany, as I reflect.
In the ensuing five years, as a member of the Collingwood Collegiate Institute Concert and Marching Band, I and many of my fellow classmates were able to represent our school, our community and our country at Expo ’67, Hemisfair ’68 in San Antonio, Texas and at Expo ’70 in Japan. With my father working in the shipyard and my mother as the home manager of three boys, I would never have had this opportunity, nor would many of my fellow band members, without community fundraising to support our band. I was so grateful and learned very quickly that there are things in life that can open doors and opportunities … and music and the arts were foremost!
After university and my return to my hometown, I ventured into municipal politics on a platform of recreation and culture. In my seven years on Collingwood Council, we were able to establish a Parks, Recreation & Culture Department and hire the first director, Peter Dunbar. Harbourview Park was established, parkland at Sunset Point was returned to the citizens of Collingwood after years of being a trailer park, and Exhibition Park eventually became Central Park. I was chair of the initial committee to establish the current YMCA and this eventually led to the building of the current site.
After leaving municipal politics, I continued to advocate for the arts as an elementary school teacher and then principal. I was part of the Collingwood Civic Committee in 1992 when we completed the first feasibility study on arts and culture; the results then supported a performing arts and cultural centre.
Unfortunately, in those days we did not have the demographics to financially support such a centre. But now today, in 2021, I truly believe our area has the need, desire and financial ability to build and support a dedicated art, culture and entertainment centre in Collingwood, serving all of Southern Georgian Bay.
In August of 2019 I joined a group of dedicated citizens in the area which eventually became known as CACE (Collingwood Art, Culture and Entertainment). Our goal is to enhance the arts component of this most natural, wonderful area of our province and our country.
For the past 18 months we have been working to establish relationships with many arts and cultural groups and individuals in our area. In doing so, we have come to the conclusion that we now have strong community interest and commitment to advocate for and work towards the construction of a professional arts and cultural facility – which would include a large, 500 to 600-seat performing arts venue – to serve the Southern Georgian Bay region and beyond.
CACE was instrumental in encouraging the Town of Collingwood to conduct a feasibility study that will determine the future of arts and culture in Collingwood and Southern Georgian Bay. I encourage all to get involved in this process by going to collingwoodarts.com and registering your support. It is critical that residents show their support to move the project forward. As well, I encourage you to get involved in the feasibility study by completing the arts questionnaire at engage.collingwood.ca/artscentre-feasibility-study.
COVID-19 is complicating things in the short term, but when we emerge from this pandemic – and we most definitely will – I believe Collingwood and Southern Georgian Bay can continue to enhance our cultural heritage and showcase the amazing talent from our region and beyond.
I have been part of the transformation of Collingwood from a oneindustry town when I was growing up, to what it has become today: the premiere four-season destination in Ontario. The changes over the last 40 years have transformed this area into one of the most popular places in which to live, work and play in all of Canada, for young and old.
We are blessed with the beauty of nature all around us, with an abundance of recreational facilities, and hopefully soon, we’ll be able to add a facility dedicated to arts and culture to our region’s many features. ❧
EDITOR’S NOTE: Perspective is an op-ed column featuring a guest writer’s personal perspective on a topic of interest to our readers. If you have suggestions for future topics or writers, or to comment on this article, please email janet.lees@me.com
