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LATEST NEWS - Summer 2007

SUMMER 2007

Summer is here. It definitely is my favourite time of year. The hotter the better I say. This past winter wasn't that extreme, but for me, 30 degrees C and hotter is best.

So what's on tap for this summer. Let's see; National Beach Volleyball Championships? Nope. Live music. Nope. Well, maybe a bit at Beachfest I guess. And we do have Jazz in the Parking Lot returning. Canadian Wakeboard Nationals? Yes!  Corvette Weekend? Yes! Ok. We have a bit to work with.

Certainly not the event packed schedule we had in the past a few years back. The last two rounds of Municipal Council has really put a damper on Special events. For reasons only known to themselves they have decided not to fund the events that made Wasaga Beach such a great place to come to in the summer.

Not courting the return of the National Beach Volleyball Championships has to be their greatest bungle. Wasaga Beach is the best locale for this tournament and not only was it a great fit, visitors and residents both came out in big numbers to view this world class sporting event. I've live here for 15 years full time and have been spending a good portion of my summers here sine the 60s and this sporting event was one of the best events to call Wasaga Beach it's home.

Hmmmm. Well, what else? Events? What's happening? I tried to find out by going to the Town's redesigned website but I got fed up with the slow acting and poorly designed events calendar. I'll tell you what; when something interesting is on the horizon, I'll let you know. The best part of Wasaga Beach is the beach anyhow. Not the events. The beautiful beach, the people, the food (did I say the food. I might just get fried for that) and the weather. I'm ready. See you at the beach!


Beach Volleyball Championships. Gone!

JAZZ IN THE PARKING LOT

Ba booooommmm! That's the sound of our penny pinching town council dropping the ball on the hugely successful Jazz in the Park concert series.

The Jazz concert series has had a great run for several years featuring lightweight Jazz bands on Nancy Island. The bands ranged from average to absolutely abominable. The venue however was fantastic.

Every Tuesday night throughout the summer, hundreds of people would make their way to Nancy Island to hear some music. Flanked by the Nottawasaga River on both sides, green grass and swaying willow trees, the island location offered ample parking and was easy to get to for residents and visitors; a perfect place for an outdoor concert. The concert series has now had a year under it's belt at the new location and the general feeling is insalubrious.

Town Council's decision to move the location of the thriving concert series across town to a gazebo adjacent the recreation centre is bewildering. In order to save some cash, the geniuses on council have decided to fix something  that wasn't broke.

 Apparently the staging was too expensive and dealing with the obdurate and arbitrary Nancy Island operatives put in place by the provincial bureaucracy was a little too much for our boys and girls on Council.

This adjustment has to be the most imbecilic, fatuous decision that council has made during their reign. What Council has failed to recognize is that initiating any sort of music event and actually having it be a success is an extremely problematic task. It would seem they are determined to eradicate the hard work of the community development office thus erasing years of promotion and development of the Jazz in the Park concert series.

Why am I not surprised?

CLEAN AIR OR POLLUTED
TAKE A PICK

One of the hottest topics in the last municipal election here in Wasaga Beach was the open fire burning by-law. There has been a huge problem with air pollution here in the Beach fuelled by the unchecked and out of control bon-fires in hundreds of back-yards during the summer. Add to that the 5 or 6 Trailer Park / Campgrounds which exist within the boundaries of Town and you have a recipe for very unhealthy air.

Many candidates professed to be very concerned about the environment and promised that if they were elected the health of the people and the environment would be a top priority. First on their list was to revamp the open fire burning by-law as to tighten up the rules concerning what would be allowed and what times it would be allowed and where it would be allowed.

Surprisingly, the by-law was tightened up a bit but not enough to satisfy those who are truly concerned about the environment. Some councilors had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century in regards to a new way of thinking when it comes to protecting the health of our residents and our environment. Councilor Connie Gray fought almost every change to be implemented showing a total disregard to clean air and the health of our children and senior citizens who are most affected by air pollution.

The are however provisions for a nuisance clause which will curtail bonfires that are infringing on a person's right to breath clean air. There is also a clause restricting the time that bonfires are allowed. ! a.m. is the cutoff time for fires in the evening/morning.

Most important is that on days that Environment Canada have issued a Air Quality Warning, fires will be prohibited. This clause was a no brainer but not a sure thing. Some of the Councilors curiously think that clean air means a hit in the pocket books for local business'. Such archaic thinking is the stumbling block to clean air and good health.

20 years from now people will look back and laugh at the ignorance of the Town leaders that allowed such pestiferous behaviour to exist.


BEACH DRIVE TO BE OVERHAULED
AND RE-DEVELOPED

The transformation has begun. It was time for a change and it seems a deep pocketed developer has come to the rescue. Or so we hope. Hopefully a "rescue" is how it will be viewed when all is said and done.

A major portion of Beach Drive (The Main Drag, Beach Area 2, The Main Beach Area) whatever you want to call it, is slated for re-development.

It started with the dismantling of the Waterslide and the demolition of a good portion of the old Miramar Motel ( one of the last accommodations directly on the Beach). Well, if they had just waited for a stiff breeze the Miramar might have fallen over anyway.

A Brampton businessman purchased the Miramar several years back and smartly refrained from trying to "fix it up" as it was obvious that tearing it down and starting over was the right thing to do. Well lucky for him, the deep pockets developer dude has taken it off his hands for a tidy profit I'm sure.

So, as it has been reported; almost the entire strip will be re-developed, including I'm sure, with the demolition of the long standing Dardanella. The old Dance Hall will surely be on the demolition/chopping block. Only Beach Bananas and it's structure will survive the re-development plans.

So, what should we expect. Well rumour has it that a major Beachfront Hotel is in the plans. Possibly Conference and Meeting facilities, and shops and restaurants of course. I just want a Starbucks. Is that too much to ask. Coffee's not just for breakfast anymore.

All this re-development will take some time of course. You won't see much of anything this summer. The same t-shirt/bikini stores will still line the Beach.

The Town has been courting this development for some time and it will be a welcome change. Wasaga Beach needed to enter the 21st century. The Beach is fantastic; let's have a fantastic beachfront. Time for a little up-scale thinking.

RE-DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Well, maybe I got ahead of myself and got a little re-development giddy. Some long-time residents and business owners are a little apprehensive about the outcome of this project. A month or so has gone by without a hammer being swung. The "opening soon" signs line the Beachfront but nothing is being done. No sign of the re-development actually taking place. This project better proceed successfully or Town Council will look like they have been bamboozled once again. (Stonebridge dust bowl?). This time I actually want Town Council to come out of this smelling like a rose.

WASAGA BEACH MUSICIAN
TACKLES SOLO CD RELEASE

It is safe to say that Wasaga Beach is not a haven for world renown musicians with CD releases from Canada to Japan and more than a dozen countries in between. However it is home to Toronto born bass phenom, Rick Lazaroff.

Rick Lazaroff made his name as one third of Toronto's deluxe Hard Rock trio, "Santers". With "Santers", Mr. Lazaroff toured throughout the world and released many recordings to the delight of fans of this genre. Not surprisingly though, Rick has recorded and performed in many styles, including a CD with Turkish Jazz guitarist, Orhan Demir. The common thread throughout his career has been a support role, playing material penned by others.

Part 2 is here. Groovistico Ballistico is here. Mr. Lazaroff's solo CD is not in the Hard Rock or Jazz genre. It is a move towards a serious and experimental genre that could possibly be described as improvised music with elements of Jazz, Rock, Industrial, World and Ambient. The CD is available on his Webpage.

Recently Rick has been performing with the Darlene Watters Jazz Quartet. Strangely enough the Quartet is not performing at the Jazz in the Park concert series here in Wasaga Beach.

Why would a world renown player of his calibre not be included in a Jazz concert Series, here in his adopted hometown. Well, when concert promoters don't know the difference between the Count and the Bird, they shouldn't be booking Jazz concerts.

JUST A SHORT DRIVE AWAY

WE'RE NOT FAR AT ALL!

Wasaga Beach is conveniently located 1 1/2 hours from Toronto. Tourists from all over the world travel to the shores of Nottawasaga Bay, to stroll along 14 kilometres of white sand beach, swim in clean warm waters and enjoy the panoramic mountain views across the Bay.

Wasaga Beach has a good variety of accommodations and restaurant choices. Throughout the summer there is a different event almost every weekend, lots of choices for evening entertainment and an endless variety of summer sporting activities.

With all said the star of the show is definitely The Beach. The water is shallow enough to stroll out for what seems forever. The waves on a windy day are a blast. And the sunsets are magnifico! There is no better place to go in the summer than Wasaga Beach. Over two million people every summer will agree.

Thanks for visiting wasaga.net. Drop back often as this site will evolve. Into what were not sure. For now it will provide some handy info for those planning a visit to Wasaga Beach.


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