Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

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GRAVENHURST — Bob Barnes ought to have run for council.

But the 84-year-old retired professional mechanical engineer is too busy trying to save his new adopted hometown of Gravenhurst.

In addition to volunteering as an usher at the Opera House to keep the old girl alive, he was instrumental in trying to save the former Train Station, which now appears to regrettably be rising up before his eye a half block north on Centennial Drive.

He and his wife have also helped Rotary financially with their seating at the Barge and Health Hub.

He also got the Bracebridge Lions Club to run Gravenhurst’s arena snack bar last winter and is working on doing it again this year. “I got it open last year. Yeah I got Lions to talk to the town, and we worked out something that was agreeable for everybody. It was open last year and everybody loved it. And they’re negotiating again this year with the town on financial terms and whatever, to get it open again for this hockey season.”

But now Bob’s latest cause célèbre is saving his downtown from itself.

And with a little AI help he’s taken it upon himself to … imagine all the people — on a pedestrian mall on Muskoka Road.

And he’s shared it exclusively with MuskokaTODAY.com.

It’s another of his great ideas and while a lot of people have maybe thought about it, nobody’s done much about it until him.

But Bob’s a real man of action who has thought this through.

So why take this all upon yourself to do this good deed?

“Oh, Mark, I’ve had the good fortune in my working life to travel around the world and see cities and towns. And all of them have a walking street.

“You know, that’s where everybody goes. They stroll up and down, they go to the sidewalk cafes. An it’s beautifully landscaped.

“The rest of the town has traffic and buses and whatever. And people don’t tend to like that.

“But they love a walking street. But we don’t have that kind of mindset, really, in North America yet.

“But around the world that’s what they have— and it really enhances the city.”

So “Let’s imagine this …” he writes in his presentation:

Do you recognize this street?

“Yes this is Gravenhurst’s main street today on a typical day. Even in summer just ending.

There is not much going on because there are no people — because there are few reasons presently to visit Gravenhurst’s main street.

Now let’s imagine this!

Let’s give you a reason to visit our main street.

A vibrant main street we want Gravenhurst to have.

If you’ve ever visited at town or city with a pedestrian walking street you know that pedestrian-only walking streets attract pedestrian traffic, because we know it has interesting shops, cafes and restaurants where people like to pleasantly stroll and like to mingle.

So, before we say “that’s not possible because how do we make it happen? Look at it.

Question: What about the flow of vehicle traffic?

We have two parallel adjacent bypass streets – First Street and John Street – one northbound and one southbound?

Question: What about parking for cars for store shoppers?

We presently have side street parking and nearby free parking lots.

Question: What about delivery access for main street stores?

The pedestrian streets accommodate delivery vehicles with only access right to the store fronts.

Question: What about winter snow clearing on the pedestrian street?

The presently used sidewalk plows can manoeuvre to clear the snow to allow snow removal – rather than the problematic present practise of plowing snow to the curbside.

Question: What about the cost of construction to provide the walking pavement and landscaping?

Funding should be able to be provided through a Fednor grant or other Ontario infrastructure assistance as previously suggested.

Maybe a temporary five-year infrastructure property surtax based on a sliding scale property assessment tax rate with funding to be applied only to this project.”

Barnes issues a challenge to a new council and candidates to take this ball and run with it.

“Let’s have a vision for Gravenhurst that will make Gravenhurst a great place to live and visit.

“Ask your Gravenhurst election candidates what their vision and actions will be for Gravenhurst.

And let’s be sure our new council and mayor have a bold vision that goes beyond the unsuccessful efforts of the past.”

Are citizen of the year nominations open, yet?

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