Grand Bend, Ontario community newspaper and entertainment events guide. Also serves Zurich, Dashwood, Port Franks, Exeter, Parkhill. Casey Lessard photos.
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To the editor, I cannot believe all the fuss about the proposed beach volleyball. In 2001, the Canada Games committee held their beach volleyball tournaments here in Grand Bend. Everyone enjoyed these games and they were a huge success, with great results and participation by many volunteers and spectators. We believe that beach volleyball can [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard The most popular month for people to get married is June. I suppose people figure if April showers bring May flowers, then June will bring good weather that is neither too hot nor too cold. This is a good time to start a new life with someone you love. [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. It was early November 1953 when my fellow apprentice soldiers and I arrived in Montreal by train. It seemed to us a huge city. We were staying at the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps on Hochelaga Street, and after debarking from the bus, we were taken to the administration [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley Last month, I took a mid-year review of how I was faring with my 2010 prediction that states would face serious insolvency issues. We found evidence that this is indeed happening in the form of the Greek debt crisis as well as a number of other Euro nations that are [...]
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 [...]
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: 3rd place – General Excellence (best overall paper), circulation under 1,999 Note: Top marks in 4 of [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley As we are nearly halfway through 2010 – scary, I know – I thought it would be a good time to see how my New Year’s predictions are panning out. In my December 2009 column, I wrote the following: “My 2010 predictions can be summed up in one word: “insolvency”. [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Happy belated Mother’s Day to one and all. What a great station in life it has been for me to have the privilege and fortune to have been able to attain. I hope it has been as wonderful an experience for others as it has been for me. Being [...]
View from the Strip By Casey Lessard I’ll admit that I don’t spend a lot of time in downtown Grand Bend in the winter. My home base is in Parkhill, and I am usually heading in the other direction, to Toronto, during the school year. That’s why it was interesting to visit the strip April [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley Your faithful editor, Mr. Casey Lessard, recently gave me 100 trillion dollars. Seriously. Following a dinner we had a few weeks ago in Toronto’s Bloor West neighbourhood, in which I proposed that the United States is firmly on the road to hyperinflation, Casey kindly sent me a rather fitting gift: [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard What’s with this weather already? A couple of nice, sunny days, and then it’s spoiled with cold and frost. Twice this past week I had to scrape the ice off my windshield. It’s half a wonder why people get sick when one day we’re wearing shorts and the next [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. My military career of 18 years took me to many places I probably would never have gone on my own. When I joined the RCOC in 1953 at the age of 16, I was sent to Montreal, where the ordnance corps school was located. For a kid that [...]
View from the Strip By Casey Lessard This is the time of year, it seems, when good things start happening. We’ve just recovered from the Olympics with its thrilling ending, the snow seems to be gone for good, and our chihuahua can now handle a walk that lasts longer than three minutes. But here at [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Daylight saving time: is this a good thing or a bad thing? Whether it started in the First World War or it started the First World War, I don’t know. All I know is that we’re denied an extra hour of sleep. That’s not a pretty thing, especially in [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. (Editor’s Note: Please remember that these are memories of a time long ago, and the activities described in the following story are neither condoned nor recommended.) My buddy “Bobbie” and I were walking back to the barracks one summer evening when, out of the blue, he says, “Let’s [...]
The Grand Bend Strip leads all community newspapers in Ontario with eight nominations for this year’s Ontario Community Newspaper Awards, including best overall paper and photographer of the year for Casey Lessard. The top three entrants were announced March 1; winners will be announced at the OCNA’s annual conference in Toronto May 14. The Parry [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. Arriving at Camp Ipperwash in 1960, I was directed to the battalion orderly room, where I was greeted and my name entered on the battalion nominal roll. After all the paperwork was completed and I was told about my assignment to headquarters company, I was directed to that [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard By the time you read this article, I will have started my Lenten fast. Shrove Tuesday, better known as Pancake Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), will be the last hooray for me as I will give up the goodies until April 3, the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Forty [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley In George Orwell’s 1984, the ruling party’s three slogans were “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” If you need any evidence that an Orwellian world is already upon us, you need to look no further that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Those were the words that came out of my mouth the day I slipped and fell on the ice next door. I had been to town in the morning and walked in and out of a number of stores with no [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Christmas has come and gone and, on the whole, I imagine most people were pleased with the presents they received. Some people are hard to please, resulting in the regifting concept. Every year, my mother disliked the presents my brother Richard and I gave her, which I thought was [...]
It was one year ago this month that it was decided that the Grand Bend Home & School Association would start fundraising for a new wheelchair accessible playground for the children of Grand Bend Public School and the youth of the community. The goal was $70,000, daunting to say the least. It was through grant [...]
View from the Strip By Casey Lessard With the mediocre weather and mediocre economy we experienced this year, it’s tough not to feel glum. I’m happy, though, (for the most part) with how 2009 went here. No health problems this year. Missed the swine flu this time around. Anjhela is almost done school. Well, for [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley My wife always makes fun of me after reading my columns because, as she says, “they are always such downers”. I can’t really argue with her on that one. But in my defence, I really am trying to call it as I see it. Anyway, she’s going to love this [...]