Percussionist Jon Gill performs at MusicFest Canada

Jon Gill (right) of Grand Bend is a member of the 2010 Zildjian Outstanding Percussion Ensemble of the year (below), and winner of the Zildjian Outstanding Percussionist Award.

As told to Casey Lessard
Photos by Casey Lessard

When we won in 2008, it was the first time in six or seven years that any of our bands had earned gold at nationals. It wasn’t a tradition before, but over four years, we’ve earned seven golds at eight festivals. It’s a legacy of excellence at South Huron.
I still can’t believe it (the individual award). I know a couple of guys who have won it before, and I look up to them as amazing people who I want to be half as good as they are. To be compared to them on a national level, it’s mind-blowing for me.
I wanted to start playing drums in Grade 4, but my parents wouldn’t let me. They got me started on bass guitar, and then I came here to the high school. Mr. (Bob) Robilliard recognized that I had a sense of rhythm, so he gave me a pair of drumsticks and stuck me in the percussion ensemble. It really caught on and I really enjoyed playing. I bought my own drum kit and I started playing a lot.
A lot of us take lessons from Dave Robilliard, and he’s taken that percussion ensemble further than we could have imagined.
I don’t think we could do it without the help of dedicated professionals. It just gives us the real world experience and the ability to go beyond just playing. I’m hoping to be a high school music teacher (attending UWO in the fall), and I want to give back to students what my teachers have given to me.

A Killing Snow runs June 23 to August 13 and features Patricia Hamilton of Green Gables fame

Patricia Hamilton is a Canadian icon best known as Rachel Lynde in Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea. A long-time stage performer at Shaw Festival and other theatres, she makes her Blyth Festival debut in Grand Bend resident Paul Ciufo’s A Killing Snow, which runs June 23 to August 13.
Nominated for the Governor-General’s award for drama for his play Reverend Jonah, Ciufo’s follow-up was inspired by the 2007 murders of Bill and Helene Regier, and focuses on the way people react to such events. “The panic people were feeling, and also the feeling of how could something like that happen here,” Ciufo says. “I explored that fear in a different way. My way of exploring that is writing a play.”
The play also examines the surprising complexity of small town life. One character is a pig farmer who also models. Patricia Hamilton’s character runs a lunch place in Clinton, but is also a psychic. Big cities aren’t always as dangerous as we think, and small towns aren’t always safe. These ideas are brought to light in a thrilling ensemble piece, and Casey Lessard spoke with star Patricia Hamilton to learn more.

Interview by Casey Lessard
Photo courtesy Blyth Festival

You are performing in Paul Ciufo’s play A Killing Snow. Tell me about the play and your role.
It’s a murder mystery about a group of people who get stuck in a farmhouse for four days because they can’t get on the road due to whiteouts. Murders ensue.
I play a middle-aged woman with a grown-up family who is on the road and ends up at this place. Her old lover owns the house and she hasn’t had anything to do with him for a long, long time. One of the other people stuck is her daughter’s ex-boyfriend. They all know each other, so when people start dying, you wonder who is killing whom.
It’s an interesting play by Paul because he doesn’t only write murder mysteries. He’s trying to broaden his writing. If you get a good murder mystery, it will do the circuit and can make the playwright some money.

I take it there aren’t very many older women in theatre; it’s really a young people’s game. Does that give you an advantage?
I think it does. There are a lot of plays being written about older people. The baby boomers are interested in people their own age and the problems of those people. I think you will see a lot of plays about people of that group. They’re going to see things that interest them about themselves. The second play I’m doing here at Blyth is called Pearl Gidley, and it’s about two elderly women living together in Blyth in 1969 who take in a boarder who is a deserter from the Vietnam War. It will speak to the audiences that come to Blyth.

Most people would recognize you from the role of Rachel Lynde, but you’ve been doing much more over the years as an actress. What has brought you to perform for the first time at Blyth?
I like the theatre more than I like television and film, although the Green Gables stuff was fantastic. I did it for seven seasons plus the four movies, so I played that role for about a decade. But I really am a theatre actress mainly, and I love working in repertory theatre, which is what they do at Blyth.
For the last 12 years, I have been at Shaw Festival, and I love doing that. Before that, I used to do a lot of new Canadian plays. There is nothing more wonderful than being the first person to say a writer’s words on stage.

Our most memorable moment from your career is in Road to Avonlea, where Rachel Lynde has a stroke. It’s such a touching concept.
That series was very good to work on, and it was given good production values from the beginning. And it was about an iconic book that every Canadian girl had read as a child. As we went along, the scriptwriter had already seen what I could do, so that script was written for me. When you got an episode where you were featured, like that one, it’s very exciting.

Sarah Polley was also in that show. She directed a film called Away From Her (adapted from a story by Alice Munro) about Alzheimer’s. It’s so interesting that you’re able to perform acts of reality for older people, for example strokes. Other Canadian films are also about this reality, for example Juno. Do you think we are different from the Americans in what we’re doing?
Yes. That’s one of the reasons we fight so passionately to have our own culture. We are not like the Americans in so many ways. Our culture should reflect who we are. We have to stand up for our culture, and Blyth is a place that really does that.

What’s special about Canadian theatre in particular?
It’s ours. We’re writing about what we know. And the actors who live in Canada have a better chance of being able to perform it because we know it. It’s fun to do plays about a place you know. That’s what Anne of Green Gables was about, too. It’s about doing things that are part of your culture.
I’m an actor. I’m a Canadian actor. I love performing on stage, and I love it in all its forms. There are plays from all over the world that attract me. I look for plays where there is a part for me, where it has something interesting to say, and where I can work with congenial comrades, all of which is true at Blyth.

Actress Cynthia Dale

Casey Lessard stole Dale away from her lunch break to discuss the role and how she ended up in Grand Bend.

Interview and photo by Casey Lessard

Cynthia Dale: Sweet Charity had been a dream role of mine for 30 years. It’s been the part I have wanted to do, and I’ve had some fabulous parts. In January, I was out with some girlfriends, and they said, well, why aren’t you doing it? I said I was too old, etc., but they convinced me to do it.

You’ll be 50 this year.
In August. It’s hard on the old bod. I am a dancer, thank God. I didn’t have to learn how to dance for the part. It’s a full part for anybody at any age. It’s just a lot of work, but that’s okay.

What attracted you to this role?
It’s who Charity is. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is full of moxy and sass. She’s a broad, but she believes in love and sees the world through rose coloured glasses and dreams of another life. She’s a part of everybody in the world because everyone has those qualities.
The show has some of the best music to sing and dance to. It’s just a fabulous show for music. It doesn’t come along that often. It had a revival on Broadway a few years ago and had a brief tour. If I didn’t step into it at this point, I may not get the opportunity again.

This is your first time with Drayton. What’s that been like?
It’s great because I know so many people in the cast. I’m doing it because it’s Michael Lichtefeld’s production. I did six shows with Michael at Stratford over the years. He knows me really, really well and knows what my strengths and weaknesses are. I knew I was going to be in really good hands with him.

You’ve been performing for a long time; most of your life. Do you find the roles you think you should be doing are changing?
No. I’ve been really lucky in the past two or three years. That hasn’t hit me yet. I played the crème de la crème parts in theatre for 10 years. There weren’t many more that I wanted to play other than this. There are others, but they are older ones. I’ve got some time for those.

You’ve also done some production work, including judging Triple Sensation (she spent the last two years co-producing a CBC movie). With your reputation, are you able to write your own ticket?
No, I don’t write my own ticket. I still audition.

But your name must carry some cachet.
I guess it does. I got offered a play in Toronto this week I’m probably going to do. I still lose parts I really want to do. Usually they’re TV or film roles. I’ve done pretty much every role I wanted to do in theatre. There are parts that come along and the director just doesn’t think you fit into his vision. That’s what theatre is.

There’s a mystique about people who are on television or film that they are different from other people, but it doesn’t exist.
No. We go buy groceries. We’re normal people and we have every single joy and hardship that everyone else does. I love performing, but it’s not the be all and end all for me.

This is your first time being to Grand Bend, but you haven’t been downtown yet.
I’ve been too busy. I started training in January, and Michael and I started rehearsals a month beforehand.

I see you also do art, and especially beach scenes. I’m surprised you haven’t been down to the beach.
I know, that’s what people keep saying. Go paint the beach. Part of the plan in July is to paint.

Looking at where you’ve been and what you’re doing, what would you like to do for the next 25 years?
I want to raise a good kid. That’s the dream. That’s all. If I work, that’s lovely, too.

Drayton Entertainment continues its tradition of tributes to popular music, this season bringing Country Legends to life at the Huron Country Playhouse. The Alex Mustakas show sold out last year in Penetanguishene, bringing a fusion of classic country, gospel and bluegrass music, dance and comedy to the Grand Bend stage. Among the highlights are songs by Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, and many others. Country Legends runs from June 30 to July 24. Tickets are available at huroncountryplayhouse.com or by calling 519-238-6000.

Here’s your chance to mingle with local artists and enjoy an evening out: artists at the Sunset Arts and River Road Galleries, located west of Purdy’s on River Road, invite you to their 2010 gala opening June 25 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Grand Bend Strip publisher Casey Lessard is among the artists selling art at Sunset Arts this summer. His photo of tundra swans mid-flight is one of the works featured in his Casey365.com project from 2009.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

I feel a level of simpatico with Mark Reilly. We’re not friends, not business partners; I met him once and talked to him on the phone once. But I know how he probably feels: he just wants to run a business in Grand Bend within the rules established by the prevailing authority.
When I started the Grand Bend Strip, I got a some nasty looks from people I didn’t know. Others simply ignored me, considered the paper junk mail, or didn’t care. They liked the old way, the other newspaper. But, as I believe Mark Reilly is, I was committed to doing my best every day and showing that I wanted to be part of this community. Luckily, there is a vocal minority – you who are reading this – who said, let’s support this guy. He’s doing something good.
I think Reilly’s dream of making Grand Bend a destination for athletes is a good thing. Somewhere along the line, he screwed up the execution. Too much, too soon. The town just redid the beach and downtown, after all. Add to that a contract that was too long for too little.
But let’s try to determine who is responsible here. It is really Mark Reilly?
Mark Reilly simply made a proposal to run a business. He did nothing wrong in that respect. His idea had no fundamental flaws. However, he made some mistakes by not communicating with residents, by not paying his initial fee, and by not securing insurance for the season. After his first mistake and the resulting meeting May 1, I can’t blame him for making the other two mistakes. He probably didn’t expect this project would happen this summer.
Is it Lambton Shores council, or perhaps the administration, that should bear the blame for the controversy and uproar by a group of concerned citizens? The administration wrote the terms of the agreement under direction of council, and made some critical errors in its construction. After a series of mistakes, council had enough reason to be concerned that it gave 60 days notice to terminate the contract with PVB. Good thing for them that PVB made the mistakes it did.
I’m going to take it one step further, though. If council and the administration are responsible for this mess, then perhaps the person ultimately responsible is you. After all, you voted in the council and they direct the administration.
I want to hear who you think is responsible. Visit our website and answer our poll, which is active now. It’s an early way to express your opinion to council. You’ll get another opportunity in October with the municipal election.
Regardless of your opinion, it looks like this project will go ahead. Ed Fluter says those supporting this project are a silent minority. But when it comes down to decision time, there may be a more important portion of the population that emerges. They’re the ones who vote in the councilors for wards other than Grand Bend. And when the residents of Grand Bend say, not in my backyard, are they listening? If not, who is in the majority here?

The Grand Bend Strip and publisher Casey Lessard took home more awards than any other newspaper in Ontario Friday, May 14 at the Ontario Community Newspapers Association gala held in Toronto. Here are the results and judges’ comments:

Is mom stunned by the success of the Grand Bend Strip? Unfortunately, they only take one photo at the Ontario Community Newspapers Association awards banquet in Toronto, and this is the one they sent us. From left: publisher Casey Lessard, mom Rita Lessard, OCNA president Don MacLeod, and co-owner Anjhela Michielsen hold the most plaques taken home by any newspaper at this year’s awards, held May 14.

3rd place – General Excellence (best overall paper), circulation under 1,999
Note: Top marks in 4 of 11 categories, including Front Page, Presentation, Photography, and Production Quality
Judges Norm Park, Cindy Beaulieu, Kelly Clammer, Heather Thomson: The most eye-appealing publication in this class. No question about artistic quality and photo presentation. That is tops in the class. This paper also provides good, easy to read features with strong leads. It’s a home-spun feel-good paper with a professional flair.

2nd place – Photographer of the Year (competing with all newspapers)
Judge Bill White: Strong features. Some very nice lighting.

1st place – Best Creative Advertising (under 9,999) – ad promoting Casey365.com
Judge Wayne Aubert: Unexpected clean layout for the clutter of ads in a community paper.

1st place – Best Feature Photo (under 9,999) – cover photo from Parkhill fair
Judge Dave White: I think the photographer made some smart decisions regarding depth of field and camera angle to help us feel this child’s pure joy. The viewer is right there with her. I really love this image.

2nd place – Education Writing – SHDHS music trip to Chicago
Judge Richard Dal Monte: Great photos and a good idea going along for the ride on the band trip to the Windy City.

3rd place – Best Sports Photo – Hockey Night in Zurich dressing room photo
Judge Ron Scheffler: The photographer is commended for exploring behind the scenes to reveal a closer look at those who play simply for the love of the sport.

3rd place – Best Photo Layout – Parkhill’s Five Fun Days
Judge Joe Callahan: An uncomplicated layout and typography that allowed the photograph to communicate effectively.

3rd place – Best Rural Story (under 9,999) – potato farmer Marcus Koenig
Judge Jake Boudrot: Well written, well researched, significant local story, with a nice layout and excellent photographs.

Why you’ll see PVB on the beach this summer

PVB Enterprises runs Canada’s largest independent beach volleyball camps. When one of owner and former national team member Mark Reilly’s club players, Taylor Ivey, and her parents Charlie and Katrine invited him to Grand Bend, an idea was born.
Reilly proposed developing a program in Grand Bend similar to the one he started in 1999 at Ashbridge’s Bay in Toronto. With plans to operate youth and adult camps and tournaments on the town’s north beach, Reilly and PVB approached Lambton Shores council in October 2009 and entered into a contract March 29, 2010 to run 15 courts for ten summers for $1500 per year.
Residents were informed April 5, and expressed to Reilly and the Iveys at a PVB-hosted meeting May 1 that they disapproved of the project and wanted it stopped.
While council supports the project, contractual problems (discussed on page 4 of this edition) led Lambton Shores to give PVB the 60 days notice required to void the contract. Council decided Monday night to renegotiate, and the matter is before lawyers. The Grand Bend Strip spoke with Mark Reilly Sunday night, ahead of the meeting, to see what he’d like to see now.

Interview by Casey Lessard

Grand Bend, Ontario - Mark Reilly of PVB volleyball.

Some changes to your original contract have been made as of Friday. What is the status?
Following the May 1 meeting we had with the community, we realized and were sensitive to many of the residents’ concerns. We’ve scaled back the contract and nothing has been signed yet, but we’ve had discussions with the municipality on how we could change a few clauses. Essentially adapt the contract to better suit the needs of the community and the municipality. We realize that the nature of the contract will demand an exceptional relationship with the municipality.

Here are some quick facts about the program: the original contract pitched 15 courts on the north beach for 10 years at $1500 per year; basically 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week for 15 weeks. What is the new agreement you’ve come up with the town?
We’ve scaled back the number of courts from 15 to 10 in year one. We’ve cut out all of the adult programming, all of the liquor licences and the idea of running tournaments where liquor would be involved for year one. We’ve entered a profit sharing agreement with the municipality where registration that comes through on the tournament side would result in revenue for the municipality. We’ve taken all of their concerns and digested them and came up with a proposal we believe will be suitable to the municipality and the residents.

Is the time length pretty similar?
We’ve scaled things back big time. We’re trying to show the residents and the municipality that we are listening and we’re hoping the residents will be sensitive to the changes and aware that the changes were made on behalf of them.
The courts are not being used nearly as much as it appears. In terms of the beach being used 24/7 by the beach volleyball courts, that’s not even close to a true equation. We have three child youth camps in place that are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, and that’s for a total of three weeks. We’re running three OVA youth tournaments; we cancelled our first tournament in June.

One big change is the venue.
Yeah, the venue is now being changed to the main beach. For us, it’s equally exciting. Each beach has its advantages, but the main beach, we’re very happy to be there.

Would you consider other venues?
The program needs to exist and function out of the Grand Bend beach. The beach is the lifeline to the success of the program. Tourists and volleyball clientele want to be on the beach and experiencing beach volleyball on the beach in front of the water. Grand Bend presents an exceptional beach to do that on.

A lot of people remarked on the dollar figure for the original deal. What is the situation now?
The municipality will be making more money now, but it’s a win-win. What will end up happening in the new deal, the town will make more money with more programming. Should we be offered more tournament time, the municipality and businesses will make more money. Should they decide to lighten the tournament load, they end up getting less revenue. They want more money, they’re getting more money. But with that, we have to have more tournaments.

What is your vision for beach volleyball in Grand Bend?
We’re going to take slow steps and see what the market yields. If you do your research, some of your top volleyball players, including the top male and top female, came from the London and Kitchener-Waterloo areas. Western Ontario has a great volleyball history, and that history will get better. You’ll start to see beach volleyball athletes develop. Athletes simply don’t want to travel to Toronto and Cobourg, so our hope is a lot of families will see an opportunity to stay close to home and invest their time and energy in Grand Bend.

What’s your reaction to the way the community reacted to your proposal?
You have a generational gap who don’t understand the demands that young children are faced with and the many routes young children and adults can take these days. They don’t get the PlayStations and all the other distractions life presents for these families and young kids. I’m sensitive to that. I’m not calling them naïve. I’m calling them unfamiliar with the environment kids are dealing with.
At the same time, I’m completely aware and sensitive to these families who are craving more for their children. This program, without a doubt, is going to give the community a healthy, athletic focus. There are many residents, older and younger, who are afraid to speak. The way the other side presented their case, it was quite bluntly very aggressive. Any time people are afraid to speak, you have a problem. People should be able to speak openly and voice their opinions, and that certainly was not the case with this item. A lot of misinformation was dealt initially, and that bred anger and created a revolt against the project. As a citizen, I don’t agree with that.

I understand you have received some threats. Do you have any safety concerns?
I don’t. I think there will be a lot of focus and attention dealt toward volleyball and I think it’s a good thing. People are going to quickly realize this is a good, sound project, and we’re doing a good thing for the community. People involved in the project are going to take a lot of pride in the program, what we’re doing. I’m not concerned about safety at this point. We’ve addressed some of the safety issues, and we made it very clear that we’re going to be watching very carefully for outsiders who are not in support of the program.

There have been suggestions that because of your relationship to Charlie Ivey, who is related to former mayor Cam Ivey, that some favour was curried here. Has your affiliation with the Iveys led to any special treatment at council?
For anyone who wants to know how the volleyball business works, this has been the most taxing volleyball project I’ve ever been attached to. For anyone who thinks this has been an easy journey and that the Iveys have helped streamline this process and make it easy for us to get a contract, they’re sadly mistaken. Of every deal I’ve ever put together – with literally 20 or 30 companies or municipalities – this has been an extremely detailed process. Charlie has been a mentor to me, but in no way, shape or form has the Ivey name taken this deal through the pipes easily.

How do you heal the gap between your company, which wants to be here, and the people who are already here, especially the group led by Ed Fluter? What steps can you and they take to heal that rift?
I think they have to understand that there is a generation looking for more. We’re very grateful and thankful to be on the beach. We plan on working through a program model that is respectful to the community. If they plan to continue to slam the program and ruin the program, if that’s how they want to spend their lives and create their legacy in Grand Bend, that’s their path. If that’s the path they want to take, no one can stop them. But I’ll tell you that they’ll be upsetting a lot of families if it continues.

What is Grand Bend missing if it decides not to do this?
It’s a watershed moment. In the community of Grand Bend, we’ve had countless people email us to say they’re scared and are starving for a program like this. There’s a group of people that yields a lot of power and they do it in ways like mobbing. That’s what this was. They created misinformation and have managed to get a whole lot of people angry.

What if you aren’t here? What will you do?
I’ll continue on. I’m a passionate guy who’s involved in a game that’s done a lot for me. I don’t plan on ever stopping my volleyball journey. The sport has done wonderful things for my life and I feel I’m a disciple of the game.
If we need to go an alternative route, we will. But my hope is we don’t have to go down that road. I’m really confident that Grand Bend is the right spot to be.

Ed Fluter is a Grand Bend resident and representative of a new community association supported by many residents in the area. Fluter and his group oppose the PVB project – and any others – using the public beach for commercial purposes.
The Grand Bend Strip spoke with him shortly before Monday night’s council meeting.

Interview and photo by Casey Lessard

What are your main issues with volleyball on the beach at Grand Bend?
This is not a volleyball issue. I am a strong proponent of volleyball and other sports. My career was as a physical educator and coach. I love volleyball and sports and the benefits of sports. This issue is about commercializing our beach, a beach that has been designated for public use. It’s my feeling and our feeling – I represent a fairly large segment of the population right now – that no commercial activity should take over any portion of any of our beaches.
Beach volleyball is big business. If you have John Morrison of Not So Pro owing the City of Toronto $328,000 (including, according to the Globe and Mail, $113,000 for three months rent), you have to know this is big business. Even if it weren’t a huge potential for business, it’s still a for-profit activity on our beach.

So what do you say to suggestions that many of those opposed are of a certain generation that does not understand the needs of young people?
It has absolutely nothing to do with it. We are trying to protect this beach for people of all ages. We feel it is totally unfair that an organization of any kind is allowed to take over and lease a portion of public beach for private use for four months. One of the great joys I’ve seen over the years, on that part of the north beach that is not used for bathing purposes, the area considered underutilized is often used for spontaneous free play for people of all ages. I’m a strong advocate of that. Zoning regulation states that lakeshore be used for such passive recreation.
This deal is a precedent we don’t want to be set. I’m not against non-profit groups coming in and using a portion of the beach for a weekend, preferably during the shoulder seasons. In fact, I would be a proponent of that.
That portion of the beach that will be used for beach volleyball can be used by nobody else if they’re running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week for the entire summer.

You are part of a new group referred to at council as the Community Association of Lambton Shores. Can you tell me about that?
We felt that our voice was not being heard. When you can show up with 100 people at three or four council meetings, when you can show up with 200 at the only meeting we had any opportunity to have input in (the PVB meeting on May 1), when you can get over 1000 names on a petition, including 50 businesses, when you can get that kind of vocal majority and be totally disregarded, you have to take further steps to fight this and other concerns through a group.

This has become quite a heated debate. Someone suggested they would put spikes in the courts where the children were playing volleyball. Do you and your group condone such violence?
Absolutely not. We condone no form of civil disobedience.

What do you plan to do if the revised agreement with fewer courts, shorter hours and fewer tournaments goes ahead this summer?
We are against that because it still doesn’t solve the bottom line issue. We have a number of strategies planned that I would prefer to keep in confidence at this point in time. We’re not going away. We’re not going to roll over and give up on this issue. We’ll take it as far as we possibly can.
There’s a small minority – I call them the silent minority – who claim they haven’t been heard, but have made no attempt to be heard in a formal, professional way other than complaining and gossiping in the background. Let them step forward and speak out.
We’re not getting personal in this debate. I have no personal issues with the proponents. This is an issue we’re fighting because we strongly believe in it.

And why council still wants to see beach volleyball in Grand Bend this summer
Interviews performed by Casey Lessard in advance of May 17 council meeting

Gord Minielly, Mayor
Years on council: more than 25, mayor since 2006.
Position sought in October 2010: none

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
Yes.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
Yes, I did. We’ve certainly altered it since the original, so I’m supportive of what’s being changed since the original.

Is there anything you would change about the contract?
I think it’s still a good idea, although there is a percentage of people who don’t support it. I like the concept of volleyball for kids on the beach, and I think it’s going to be beneficial to some of the people on the main strip. Maybe we should have done it on a yearly basis. We haven’t done anything about tournaments, but the fact that they’re not going to have any alcohol is a positive. The food voucher thing used to be done by the guy who rented the beach house, but it certainly wasn’t our intent to include that, so it’s gone.
If you bring more people to Grand Bend, the revenue of the businesses should increase. With Americans not coming the last little while and probably again this year, it’s an opportunity to get folks to bring their kids and generate revenue for the main street.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
I think they should. If they become successful, perhaps we can find a second venue so some of it can happen on the beach and some of it locally nearby without having to drive four or five miles to do that.
We’re kind of out of the contract, in my opinion, so we do have an opportunity to renegotiate if they’re interested. We’re not sure if that’s true or now. As of Friday afternoon, with 60 days notice, we’re out of the contract. They have been given notice.
It gives council some control to tighten up the contract if they’re still interested.

What rationale broke the contract?
It was the insurance portion and the fact that they were supposed to pay their $1500 by a certain date, which they didn’t do. The beginning of the season in the agreement was May 1. (They’ve been informed of this?) Yes.

Do you plan to make a new contract?
If council agrees, we will. If council doesn’t agree, we won’t. As of now, they still have the right to renegotiate. Because of the 60 day notice, there’s a little more time on our side to modify the agreement to what the residents were looking for.

What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
The beach is for everybody’s use. If we can make this successful and bring more people, the long term would be to have two venues. Volleyball on the beach and volleyball close by. It would bring more folks and help everybody be a little more economically viable.

Carolyn Jamieson, Deputy Mayor
Years on council: more than 20
Position sought in 2010: Deputy mayor

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
Not the way it was, no. It was way too large.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
In principle. I still think it’s probably too big. I had my doubts about the number of courts, but I went along with the majority.
Is there anything you would change about the contract?
No.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
I do not have a problem with them operating on the beach.

If you could get out of the contract today (interviewed May 16), would you do it?
I have no idea. I hadn’t thought about that.
What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
As a beach. They play volleyball there now, so they should continue to play volleyball. They swim, they sunbathe, they walk. You use it as a beach. I am not a beach person, so I am a poor person to ask. I do not like the water and I do not swim. But I understand that many, many people use that beach. They enjoy the beach.

John Dehondt, Ward 1
Years on council: four
Position sought in 2010: mayor

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
Yes and no. I supported a volleyball school. I didn’t support tournaments, beer tents, food concessions, or the size that it came up at. Actually I suggested it be two-thirds the size they suggested.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
No.

Is there anything you would change about the contract?
There was to be a clause in it that should the residents not be on side, that we can terminate the contract. There are a number of things wrong with it. That would be the simplest. The way I saw it happening, they would go out and do their communications program. They would come back and say, “it’s not going the way we thought, why don’t we do this and this?” Work out a collaborative agreement between what the residents and PVB wanted.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
No, I do not.

If you could get out of the contract today (as of May 16), would you do it?
Yes.

What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
My vision is to keep it uncommercialized. I qualify that, too. I’d like to see an international rugby tournament. I’d like to see volleyball played, but being played on four permanent courts that allow people to play, including the teams that have been coming there for years. I’d like to see a committee created that would be made of people from the service clubs that would come up with recommendations of what and how we should protect our beach. That would be the best solution. As far as the volleyball goes, it should go back to the recreation and leisure plan. I think what would be supported would be a small community-based volleyball school. We have enough talent in the community that we could probably create some sort of volleyball school that would be at a different scale than PVB but still give us the opportunity to let young people have sports activities. But it doesn’t have to be on the beach.

Is Klondyke still an option?
Kids don’t care if volleyball is on the beach or at Klondyke. I really don’t believe that. The kids just want to learn and go play volleyball. I can see doing 90 per cent of the activities off beach. They could do finals and tournaments on the beach. That would be perfect. I think residents would get behind that.

Bill Weber, Ward 2
Years on council: 22
Position sought in 10/2010: mayor

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
The initial proposal from PVB was different than what was approved by council. Many changes and controls were added by staff following council’s direction from discussions held in open council meetings.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
Yes. The contract was moved and seconded and passed by a quorum of council so I support it as a member of council. No, I do not agree with all of the terms in the contract.

Is there anything you would change about the contract?
Things I believe should be negotiated: I have always said that a smaller number of semi permanent courts would be better – six may be a good number; and I think the contract should able to be reviewed, amended, extended, or cancelled each fall after the season of operations.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
I believe a school for volleyball on the beach can be beneficial to our residents and our businesses, so yes.

If you could get out of the contract today, would you do it?
Anyone can get out of any contract. But what is lost in reputation or opportunity for the community may take years to recover from. The last motion from council was to look at options and negotiate with PVB to address concerns and work toward a volleyball program in Grand Bend.

What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
The beach is public and should be enjoyed by all.

Mark Simpson, Ward 3
Years on council: seven
Position sought in 10/2010: mayor

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
In principal I did support the concept. I had concerns with the number of courts, parking, the amount of the lease, and alcohol at events.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
As a member of council, I accept the contract as written.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
The municipality does not provide programming. We provide the facilities for both non-profit and for-profit organizations to provide the programs.

If you could get out of the contract today (as of May 16), would you do it?
While I wasn’t at the council meeting where the contract was approved (I have missed 2 meetings in 7 years, and that was one of them), I support all the decisions made by my colleagues that night.

What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
Passive recreational use with the continued use by community groups for their activities, and for other programs that are suitable for beach use.

Ruth Illman, Ward 4
Years on council: seven

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
I supported the concept of a volleyball school on the beach as I believe it provides increased opportunity for physical activity for youth and adults. The volleyball school can also be seen as having potential for economic spin off for community businesses.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
Lambton Shores does not have a parks and recreation department and I can support the for-profit proposal provided that we treat this organization consistently with other for-profits that have provided programming in our Lambton Shores facilities and that all operational costs be the responsibility of the organization. I do not envision provision of alcoholic beverages on the beach, use of food vouchers, use of amplified music or PA systems. It is also important to have an evaluation of the program at the end of the season.

Is there anything you would change about the contract?
If I had this to do over, I would prefer that the municipality initiate the communications plan and that we start smaller than what we initially agreed.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
Yes.

If you could get out of the contract today (as of May 16), would you do it?
We agreed as a council that we wanted staff to go back to PVB and discuss a modified version of the volleyball school. I am hopeful that negotiations and discussions can achieve some positive adjustments.

What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
I see the Grand Bend beach as one of the many jewels of this municipality. I want to see the beach as an attractive, safe and fun place for all of our residents to live and play and for tourists and families to visit. I want to see opportunities for both organized and unorganized play for children and youth.
I want to see the beach continue as an internationally recognized “Blue Flag” beach with more opportunities for environmental programming in partnership with other community groups and organizations. The opportunity for partnerships for environmental education and partnerships in beach safety education is certainly possible in conjunction with a beach volleyball school.
I want to see more opportunities for the handicapped and disabled. The main beach enhancement goes a long way to making the area more accessible but we do need to review the overall beach enhancement plan and consider accessibility possibilities for the north beach. I look forward to community discussions of these issues as we move forward with the Recreation and Leisure Master Plan.
We do not staff a recreation department and we do not have the financial means to do so unfortunately. We facilitate programming by partnering with both public organizations and private profit and not for profit organizations.

Gerry Rupke, Ward 5
Years on council: four
Position sought in 10/2010: Ward 3

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
I thought it was a great concept. We had some significant concerns, and they were to be addressed and brought back to council again. I wasn’t there when it came back to council.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
It didn’t address all the concerns we had, and one of them was communication with the local residents. We realized from the start that would be problematic, and would require significant effort by the company to sell their program to residents.
Is there anything you would change about the contract?
The communication plan. Nothing proceeds until local residents are happy with the plan.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
I think it’s a good potential use of the beach, yes. I’ve seen it done in other communities. In fact, I was just in Israel, and in Tel Aviv they have a very similar beach. There were four or five courts there in continuous use and quite compatible with other uses adjacent to it.

If you could get out of the contract today (as of May 16), would you do it?
Yes. I would alter it. (But you support them offering something on the beach?) Yes.

What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
It’s a primary asset of our municipality and should be used for the benefit of our municipality as a whole. All the way along our shoreline we have a great asset, and we should ensure it is used in an environmentally appropriate way to benefit this community.

Doug Cook, Ward 6
Years on council: A few months
Position sought in 10/2010: Ward 6

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
(Was not on council at the time.)
Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
I would support most of it in principle.
Is there anything you would change about the contract?
I’m a business owner, so I thought they were given a pretty lucrative opportunity for $1500. That’s my only position.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
I have no problem with that.

If you could get out of the contract today (as of May 16), would you do it?
I still like the premise. The fact that you’re giving young people the opportunity to have a sports program in Grand Bend is a good thing. The spinoff benefit to the local businesses was another opportunity for them. Businesses on the main drag tend to need some support, so I think more traffic in town wouldn’t hurt them at all.
What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
I really don’t know the issue very well. I’d have to find out more about what’s going on in Grand Bend. There is a recreation committee being put together right now that will be coming out in the next few months, and it will give direction for what we will see in parks and recreation use across Lambton Shores.

John Russell, Ward 7
Years on council: less than a year
Position sought in 10/2010: Undecided

Did you support the initial proposal from PVB?
Yes.

Do you support the contract the way it was signed?
I don’t support the existing contract because I didn’t know it was going to be signed (missed meeting due to family concerns).

Is there anything you would change about the contract?
Those are all details. The issue is for or against. I’m for it. I’m for volleyball. I’m for recreational opportunities. We made mistakes and PVB made major mistakes because they didn’t listen to us when we said they had to deal with the public. That’s our mistake, too, because we didn’t force their hand with that.

Do you think PVB should be operating on the Grand Bend beach?
I have no problem with them operating on the beach.

If you could get out of the contract today (as of May 16), would you do it?
Yeah. I made a motion that was defeated at the last council meeting that referred the issue of volleyball as a use of beach. It should be referred to the master plan on recreation, which is starting as we speak. We have a strategic plan. Recreation, heritage and culture are not in that plan. A strategic plan without recreation is not strategic.
I supported what they were trying to do. The idea of having volleyball on the beach is a good idea. But we have a bad history on this council of not using the public in a correct manner. That’s why you have these types of documents and public processes (master plans, etc.). Because this wasn’t quite correct, I suggested that the world wouldn’t come to an end if you don’t do it right now.

What is your vision for the long-term use of Grand Bend’s beach?
I don’t have one. That’s why I go through processes like that. I spent a lot of years chairing planning in Bosanquet, and my feeling is this: it’s not my vision; you get public input and find out.