Finding ways to benefit from Grand Bend’s tourists and making small communities stronger

Heather Wright/The Independent

Lambton Shores can’t depend solely on its tourist trade for growth.

That was part of the discussion as The Independent sat down with candidates running in Lambton Shores.

Economic development was the first subject the group touched on. Sarah Nicholson, who is running in Ward 1, says Grand Bend “need something to stabilize us through the winter.
“We do bring in a lot of tax dollars because we’re so based off of tourism,”she said, adding those businesses need customers in the winter, too, to do well.

Chris Vanderydt also from Ward 1, agrees Grand Bend needs to diversify. “We’re an ageing population in Grand Bend, but we’re also known as a party town. I kind of like to change it more to family town, attract families to move in, stay and grow their family there, maybe start a business and have more local businesses there than these giant corporations.”

It’s not just Grand Bend where more business is needed. Jim Girling in Ward 7 says small communities need more development. “Thedford needs shopping, needs services, needs light manufacturing, all of those things. They need a transit system because a lot of them don’t have cars. A lot of them don’t have the ability to even drive anymore,” he said.

David McLean of Ward 4 says all the communities of Lambton Shores need to work together make sure everyone is benefiting from the visitors coming to the area. He says Forest is a “gateway” to Grand Bend but doesn’t get a lot of the beach town’s visitors particularly downtown. “I would like them to see doing whatever they can to help pull some of the traffic that’s eventually going to go on its way up to Grand Bend to bring downtown here in Forest just a little bit longer,” he said.

Suzanne Shea, from Ward 5, said different types of businesses are needed for the full-time residents who live and work here. Shea says like many, she’s grown out of heading to Grand Bend for fun. “Now I just want to go somewhere uptown, close to home, and be in bed by 11 o’clock.”

Shea also is looking forward to the new Forest Industrial Park getting new tenants to help diversify the tax base.

Jim Hansen, also running in Ward 5, says a new economic development study commissioned by the municipality shows the new Lambton Shores tourism organization, Discover Lambton Shores, could help with the needs of other communities. The Municipal Accommodation Tax collected in the community are pooled together.
Half, Hansen says, goes to tourism development and “half could probably be dovetailed into the economic development.” He’s also advocating that the zoning along Highway 21 allow commercial business.

The Independent invited all the candidates seeking election in Lambton Shores to participate; Deputy Mayoral candidate Marilyn Smith, Ward 1 candidate Randy McClinchey, Ward 4 candidate David (DJ) Pugh, and Ward 7 candidate Randy Shaw did not attend. Listen to the full discussion, here: