Grand Bend, Ontario community newspaper and entertainment events guide. Also serves Zurich, Dashwood, Port Franks, Exeter, Parkhill. Casey Lessard photos.
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Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Merry Christmas to one and all. This is one of my favourite times of the year. Most people are happy and cheerful at this time as they enjoy the company and goodness of their family and friends. At this time, I would like to share some Christmas trivia with [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. It all began about the middle of November. The weather was perfect for the harvesting of corn and beans, and the planting of winter wheat. Also, it was ideal for the installation of Christmas decorations. Dark evenings became brighter and brighter. First, one resident put up a couple [...]
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; [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley Here in Canada, we seem to think we are immune to a housing bubble, so it was interesting to see the Globe and Mail – usually a real estate cheerleader – at least question the logic of why we continue to experience a booming housing sector amid the greatest economic [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard My wonderful sister Joan treated Tom and I to Remembrance Day dinner at the Grand Bend Legion November 7. We had a great time and the meal was, as usual, superb. Thanks, Joan. On Wednesday November 11th, Tom and I were out again to celebrate Remembrance Day. This is [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. I was privileged to attend the Grand Bend Legion’s Remembrance Day dinner on Saturday November 7. My first order of business was to purchase a nice cold beer at the bar. Next was to find where Rita was sitting. My sister-in-law Joan, who volunteers at all of the [...]
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 [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley I have said this before, but future generations will write about our time as a turning point in history. One major event that is attracting too little attention is the decline of the American dollar. To understand the importance of this we must first understand the dollar’s privileged status as [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. (Continued from last issue) The saga of the sewers continued throughout the town with no end in sight. Rumours abounded that the sewers would be finished by December, and the road paved the following year. These optimists must have been talking about another town. Once the sewers were [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard I hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday. We were lucky to celebrate this holiday twice: once with our sons Bill and Casey, their ladies, our two grandsons, my sister Joan and my brothers Richard and Bill. Then on Monday, we went to London and celebrated with Tom, Connie, Christopher [...]
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 [...]
Submitted by Brad Harness Leader, Reform Ontario First it was the scandal at eHealth Ontario over misspent public dollars, misallocated expenses monies, and inflated contracts. This resulted in resignations and firings. Next up was the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG). More wrongdoing by the leadership with contracts and expense accounts, and that was after [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Did you know that happy people are healthier than people who are always ticked off or negative? Maybe that’s why I’m so healthy. The happiest – and healthiest – time of my young life was when I was in school, so it must be true. Some of my teachers [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. Not long after Crediton’s bridge repair was finished and traffic resumed (but not back to the amount we had before the bridge was condemned), tenders were requested from all companies vying for contracts involved in the sewer project. Finally, the shovels hit the ground. No financial aid was [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley In his weekly radio and Internet address this past weekend, U.S. President Barack Obama lashed out against critics making “phony claims” about his health care reform bill. He urged “an honest debate, not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortions”. To be sure, the debate on health reform south [...]
To the Editor, Here’s a bit of verse I wrote about ten years or so ago, With the upcoming enhancement and change in the appearance of Main St., I thought it might be appropriate. Ageless Grand Bend Every weekend, rain or shine, People flock in cars so fine, Lining up with engines running, Hoping [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard On Tuesday, August 18, Tom and I attended the annual chicken barbecue for the Crediton Zion Church. This event is always well attended, and a lot of fun with plenty of food and good fellowship. It’s so nice living in a small town, knowing so many people and hearing [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. It all began many many moons ago. This is the saga of the bridge, sewers and roads. “We need a new bridge,” they said. “And your septic systems are shot, and have to be replaced by sewers.” Detour signs began going up, which meant there would be no [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley On July 23, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney announced that the recession was coming to an end. On July 29, President Obama said things have gotten better: the United States had prevented a depression and this was the beginning of the end of the recession. On August 3, a [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard “Hello, Complaints Department. Rita speaking. How may I help you?” This is my new line, and I feel justified in saying this because anytime there’s a complaint, it is inevitably addressed to me. Some people have an ear for music; I have an ear for complaints. I can live [...]
Tales from the 2009 Lessard reunion Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. My Sunday morning began at 2:45 a.m. when I woke to a bright light shining through my main floor bedroom window. I first thought that someone had forgotten to turn off the ballpark lights, which are directly across the street from my [...]
Alternative View By Lance Crossley (The last in a four-part monetary system series) It is astonishing to see how little the idea of monetary reform is up for political debate. Nevertheless, there is a small but growing chorus of voices offering an alternative vision to our money system. Here are a few of the more [...]
Advice from Mom By Rita Lessard Last week, our son Glenn brought his daughters Olivia and Abby for a two day visit. Since Tom has been having trouble with his leg, he stayed home while we went to Grand Bend for a great time on the new and improved beachfront. Tuesday night we went to the [...]
Keeping the Peace By Tom Lessard, C.D. My family moved from Windsor to Waterloo in 1944 because my dad was starting a new job. Since my siblings always told me that I was adopted and that I was a German, it didn’t sit too well with me living a German community during World War II. [...]