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 Sound North Star has the second most nominations with seven.
To learn more about the Grand Bend Strip’s history of awards since its first publication in May 2007, visit http://www.grandbendstrip.com/about/awards.

The Grand Bend Strip and publisher Casey Lessard are nominated in the following categories:

General Excellence – Class 1
(Award for best overall paper from two random issues submitted)
Other nominees: Cobden Sun and Manotick Messenger

Education Writing
(Chicago! – SHDHS music trip)
Other nominees: Parry Sound Beacon Star and Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal

Best Rural Story (circ under 9,999)
(Fields of Gold – Marcus Koenig, potato farmer)
Other nominees: Listowel Banner and New Hamburg Independent

Best Feature Photo (circ under 9,999)
(Best Seat in the House – Dashwood soap box derby cover photo)
Other nominees: Aylmer Express and Bracebridge Examiner

Best Photo Layout
(Five days of good, clean fun – Parkhill Five Fun Days)
Other nominees: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser and North York Mirror

Best Sports Photo
(Hockey Night in Zurich – Mark Buruma in dressing room)
Other nominees: Brampton Guardian and Mount Forest Confederate

Photographer of the Year
(Casey Lessard, photographer)
Other nominees: Belleville EMC and Peterborough This Week

Best Creative Advertising (circ under 9,999)
(Casey365.com – ad promoting website)
Other nominees: Mount Forest Confederate and Nunavut News/North

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 now, anyway.
We got a new little dog, and she is delightful. A true joy, minus her piercing barks.
Made inroads on improving myself, creating new photographs for almost 300 days in a row. Too bad the project was supposed to last 365. Oh, well.
Perhaps I should stop temperin…

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

I’m sure Gord Minielly is ready to let someone else be the front man (or woman) for the municipality after last month’s meeting to discuss the Lambton Shores sewer project. It’s a tough job and he has to do it. You can imagine why his health has suffered; more than 300 people attended the meeting, with most ready to fight him to the death over the project (only a slight exaggeration).
So what should residents do? It’s not for me to say. But I think the decision can only be made after the final numbers come out. If it’s more affordable than septic, doesn’t it make sense to share the burden among your neighbours? Sewers make a home more attractive to buyers, and housing prices go up as a result. I do understand Dick Matzka’s point about the cost of living pushing people out of the market here; I know I’ll likely never be able to afford a house here.
But when the provincial and federal governments are willing to invest in your community, it’s hard to say no. They sent money for the beach and money for the main street. If the money’s still there, it seems foolish to turn it down. But someone has to make the decision on how to spend it. Let’s make sure it’s an informed council. Election day, as Minielly reminded the crowd, is set for October 25, 2010.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

In the wake of Thanksgiving, it’s important to take a moment and consider what we’re thankful for. I’m thankful for the support I have for the work I do here and at home, support that comes from readers and my family.
I also want to send a message of thanks to my mentor Martha Perkins, who is leaving the Haliburton Echo (where I worked before returning to this area) after 24 years (more than half her life). As editor, she has won more than 60 provincial and national awards for her work, so you know I was trained by the best in the business. She’s moving to Vancouver to take an editor’s position at the Bowen Island Undercurrent. Best of luck, Martha.
She’s a big supporter of small towns, and gave me a sense of community. If you believe in community, too, vote for Grand Bend in the CBC Radio 2 SongQuest contest featured on pages 2-3. It’s a long-shot, but let’s try to win!

My apologies to the cast and crew of Our Choir’s the Pitts; a change in publication deadline meant I didn’t have a chance to promote or attend the play, but I hope it was a great success.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

I had the pleasure of driving up the coast a few kilometers with Chris Bregman of the chamber of commerce, business owner George Appel, and Lakeshore Advance editor Lynda Hillman-Rapley Friday. We took Chris’ van to Saugeen Shores to see what we thought they were doing right and wrong. It was an eye opener, more than anything, to see how it compares to Grand Bend. That was my main focus.
After spending the day in two communities, it was clear that Saugeen Shores – although a beach town, too – is more interested in the locals than the tourists. Sure, tourists come, and people I spoke with said they fill the beach, but there is no beach house, no splash pad, and no paid parking. You read that correctly.
They’ve built their town around the beach, but it’s a side salad to the main course: the business centre. And there are no t-shirt or tattoo shops (nothing against them), but plenty of restaurants (not fry shacks) and bars. Just like a normal small town. Not a beach town. Think Exeter with a lake where the river is.
So, is this a good thing or a bad thing? It seems like a shame not to embrace the beach and its tourism opportunities. But they have a beach and still bring tourists. How? Big events. International tourist events. Pumpkinfest vegetables have set world records in the past. Plus their Wikipedia site says National Geographic selected the town as one of the world’s prettiest sunsets (sound familiar?).
For people there, at least it seems by looking at the thriving locally focused businesses, the tourists are secondary to year-round residents. Sound good? Easier said than done.
Grand Bend is a beach town, and it is a tourist draw. We don’t have a major employer like the nuclear power plant, and I doubt we want one of those here. We’re too close to London to have key year-round businesses like bookstores and movie theatres. So, what do we do?
If I had my way, I’d see every downtown building owned locally with residential features to all of them. George Appel thinks main street living year-round will breed main street businesses year-round. I think he’s right. Let’s bring the tax base down low enough that people will see a profit, and let’s put by-laws into place that give the municipality some control over the appearance of main street facades. I’ve heard that Stratford does it, and look at their businesses.
If it’s going to work, it will take cooperation between businesses, building owners and the municipality. Is that possible?

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

We’ve been through this process before, but now that funding is coming through, it seems a good idea for anyone interested in the future of Grand Bend to attend next week’s meeting concerning the Main Street Enhancement Project that is set to be completed by next summer. The meeting is Thursday, August 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Grand Bend Public School.
I’ve talked about this in the past, but I think it’s important for you to attend to have your say on a project that will change the face of the Main Street for years to come. The project will likely consist mostly of roadwork and new sidewalks, but there are always surprises.

I actually took two days away from the paper this week, spending time at Anjhela’s cousin’s camp on the Bruce Peninsula. It was heavenly. Even the busiest small business owner should take a day away during the summer to appreciate the weather and our fortune in living here. Even a day at the Pinery, which we do often in the winter, is a nice respite from the business of staying busy.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

I am delighted to see that – so soon after the beach enhancement project – Lambton Shores has received $2.6 million in economic stimulus funding to rework Grand Bend’s Main Street. The work will involve burying above ground hydro wires, and replacing curbs. Work begins in September and ends next May.
As you may be able to guess, most interesting to me was the note that the sidewalks will be replaced to improve access to stores for people using wheelchairs. Lambton Shores has been actively pursuing this for a long time, but – as reported in this paper last summer – the main street has a long way to go before it is wheelchair accessible. There are large steps into entryways, bumps in the sidewalk, and the curbs are often impossible to navigate.
This project is a long time coming, and hopefully it will be done right the first time. I expect some stores will remain inaccessible, but hopefully they are the minority. The next step is to fix the insides of the stores, where access is limited by inside steps, and by clothing racks and other impediments to access. The municipality can’t do much about those; hopefully the storeowners read our survey last year to see where they need to help.
By the way, to be reminded of the results, see our 2008 Wheelchair Report.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

I want to send my gratitude to everyone who came to my art exhibition opening over the weekend. It was not only a pleasure to see old faces, but also to see the silent supporters who had never previously said hello. I had people visiting from as far away as England and Denmark (thanks for coming Darren). I am especially grateful to the few, including the Brits, who supported me by buying my work; you know who you are, and I hope others follow your example. It proves to me that the work I’m doing is valued, so thank you very much.
Thank you also to Anjhela for performing, and to Tony and Lorraine for hosting. As always, my mom is my biggest fan, so thank you especially. The show continues until the 26th, so be sure to stop by Bliss Studio in Port Franks when you get a chance.
Thanks also to you, the people who are reading this paper right now. If you have this in your hands, it means that you believe in what I’m doing, and for that I’m grateful. If you’re not a subscriber, I hope you will consider signing up as it is the best way to give me the flexibility to cover events and find stories that no one else is covering. This area is full of interesting stories, and I do my best to report on as many as possible.
It’s a short summer, and we’re already into it. Enjoy the good weather when it comes, and stay safe.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

It’s no secret that the newspaper business is in free fall as businesses tighten their advertising budgets. Local papers, like the Grand Bend Strip, are supposed to be immune to such a tightening, but that’s changing. I have to admit that I didn’t see the change coming.
It’s my worst kept secret that my profit margins are so slim that they’re often non-existent. And that was before the economy tanked. I faced this reality earlier this month when I headed into early May prepared to put a newspaper together. News came that several key clients decided not to return to the fold for the summer, and it became apparent that I would no longer be immune to the changes that are happening in this industry. Faced with taking a fairly large loss, I was forced to cancel the May 13 edition of the Strip. It was a hard decision to make.
Even harder is the decision I’ve had to make since then, and that is the one to end free distribution of the Strip. It’s simply no longer sustainable, especially for an independent publisher like me. So, despite a letter that went out to subscribers outside the free coverage area of Grand Bend, Exeter, Dashwood, and Crediton, the paper will no longer be available free anywhere after the June 17 edition. Starting with the July 8 edition and going forward, the paper will only be available by subscription or paid at local shops.
Going forward, I want to thank you, the reader, for helping the Strip achieve the success it has to date, and hope you’ll continue to support it. I am especially grateful for the 600 loyal subscribers who mailed in their cheques, often with kind notes. It’s important for someone like me to receive such affirmation, especially considering I have done this for two years without pay.
Not that there haven’t been other rewards. Last year, I earned first place in Canada for reporting, second in Ontario for photography, and third for photo page design. This year, mostly for my reportage, I earned two first-place awards in Ontario, a second in Canada and one in Ontario, and four thirds in Canada. It’s among the best turnouts for any paper in Ontario (and possibly Canada) this year. A full list of the honours can be found on page two and at GrandBendStrip.com.
So, if you think what we are doing with this newspaper is worthwhile, please support it financially. First, I hope you will subscribe, and second, support the businesses that have advertised in the past and those that continue to advertise in the Strip. I also hope you’ll consider taking one of my photography classes, and attending my art show and sale at Bliss Studio this summer. Reprints of photos from the newspaper are always available for sale, so if you like a photo, please consider taking one home.
I’ve said this in the past, but I’ll say it again: Thank you. I can’t do this without you.

Excerpts from comments by CCNA and OCNA award judges:

CCNA judge Michelle Stewart (2nd place in Canada for feature series):
Casey Lessard’s series on wheelchair accessibility had touching personal stories of people confined to wheelchairs and their everyday struggles with limited access. Lessard accompanied his subjects in their everyday activities and spent time getting to know this issue through their eyes. This writer wasn’t satisfied to just report on an issue, he took time to live it and do his part to remedy it.

OCNA judge Ted Murphy (1st place Sports & Recreation story for No Lifeguards…)
Lessard did a masterful job on two fronts: he highlighted a dangerous situation (three drownings in three years) in addition to paying tribute to the most recent victim, a 14-year-old girl. It was a clear cut winner.

OCNA judge Kelly Clemmer (1st place Best Editorial for No Lifeguards…)
This editorial… was striking. It was worth the additional effort. It begs the question, how much is a life worth?

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

If you haven’t seen the amazing internet sensation, Susan Boyle, get yourself to YouTube right now and search for her performance on Britain’s Got Talent. Go ahead. I’ll still be here when you get back.
Anjhela and I were among the very first people outside of Britain to see the video (Anjhela remembers there were only 30 views when we watched it last Saturday night, and as the Strip goes to press, there are now a million times that amount). The Scottish woman’s performance of “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables is stunning, even after listening to it 100 times (seriously). It’s no surprise that Ms. Boyle, a single 47-year old woman from southern Scotland, is a global phenomenon.
What should be surprising, but depressingly is not, is how much attention has been paid to her appearance and the fact that she said she has “never been kissed”, which was a self-deprecating comment taken seriously by every media outlet. One went so far as to interview Drew Barrymore, the star of the film, Never Been Kissed, who Boyle should kiss first, like either woman cares about the answer.
Susan Boyle was judged by her looks – called frumpy, dowdy, ugly, plain, simple, and all variety of negative terms by other media – from the moment she took the stage with her freshly curled hair and a gown she bought for her nephew’s wedding. But to her, this is how she wanted to appear in front of the judges, her nation, and now the world. She may not qualify as the top choice for next year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, but neither would 99.99999 per cent of us. Seriously, who are we to judge her looks?
Besides, does that matter? She didn’t go on Britain’s Got Talent to be a model; she went there to sing, and her talent has sent shockwaves through the world wide web. She is an amazing singer, and she has a joyful sense of humour. She is debunking perceptions of how celebrities and regular people should appear in public (she’s disarmingly normal in interviews), and turning the global (especially North American) standard of beauty on its head. She’s not actually that unattractive (physically or especially intrinsically), and would be as welcome at a dinner party as any celebrity I’ve ever met.
More disturbingly is the answer to the following question: would Boyle’s appearance be so heavily criticized had she been a man? Perhaps one wearing a suit from a supermarket with worse teeth? If you look back, the winner of the inaugural Britain’s Got Talent, Paul Potts, fared much better when he meekly presented himself in front of the judges. The fact that he was respected before and after he opened his mouth (although his teeth were heavily debated and eventually fixed) reflects our bias against women who aren’t visually perfect compared to men who present themselves similarly.
The judges and audience never expected an average looking single woman in her late-40s to have any talent or value. It’s shameful, and not only do we need to realize that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (as has been said far too many times this week), but we should also consider that the cover is fine just the way it is.
Love you, Susan.