Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Does Wasaga Beach Have a Depressed Economy?















Are the residents negative? Do the people of the beach whine and complain about the lack of jobs and industry and tourism? Are the council members young and hip enough to realize that 'we' have a goldmine here and nobody seems to realize it? Who is in control of our town's economic destiny? Who will step up to the plate to create fresh new festivals and rockin' events and lure big businesses that will make Wasaga Beach a 'destination' 12 months of the year? How about a world famous bakery or t-shirt company or dinner theatre or....well...you name it...be creative? Someone could run a first-class cooking school or start a fantastic art gallery. Hey! How about a downhill extreme hockey run? (that was Perk's idea) We need spectacular places here. Clean 'beachy' places. Well-designed and branded places. Do you ever think the beach looks rundown, tired, old and littered? (I do) The same old, same old will not carry this community into the future and surely will not allow it to compete against other towns or cities in Georgian Bay. We have a global opportunity here. What are 'we' going to do about it? Here are some of the world's weirdest festivals (and they STILL bring in the crowds and money to the villages!). Have your say about this topic: Leave a comment below! Let's talk.......

3 comments:

Andrew Mckay said...

Great post Patti.
As a relative newcomer I think Wasaga Beach has a charm and an innocence that is at the heart of its appeal and not something we want to loose.
Annual events I think would be the way to go; rather like the Elvis festival in Collingwood.
Wasaga Beach cannot compete with Intra West for "corporate" business but we do have the Beach and a less "stuffy" lifestyle so more hip, quirky, family orientated and relaxed would be in keeping.
A well run Dome would be a start to re launch the area.
For residents we are in dire need of some more and varied restaurants.
Beach 1 could be open all year if the restaurants were there.In summer and winter the views across the lake are stunning and the warmer months could produce a Mediterranean style evening out with al fresco eating and drinking.
My inital vote would be for a curry night 1 or 2 times a week in an existing restaurant; maybe Beverly on Main???

Andrew

Andrew Mckay said...

Hi Patti,

You might be interested in the comments from the Mayor about a Marriott project:

http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1544320

I must admit I am somewhat wary about such announcements after all the Levy opplah a couple of years ago and the development of Beach 1.

Andrew

Andrew Mckay | WasagaBeachTalking.com said...

Hi Patti,

Just found this site.

A more "modern" way of promoting Beach 1:

http://www.wasagabeachfront.com/

Andrew