ENDURING MYSTERIES OF GRAVENHURST: A GOOD READ

TARA COLLUM | Contributing columnist

A lot has changed in Gravenhurst since February 2020, but much remains the same.

Coming back to town two weeks after my second vaccination, I was annoyed to see that the bus situation hasn’t improved. For those unfamiliar, the Ontario Northland drops passengers off in front of the Gravenhurst Bait and Tackle shop on Philip Street. The staff at the shop are always very friendly, and it’s gracious of them to host the stop. Rumour has it no one else wanted to be the stop.

But it’s not the most convenient solution. There is no parking and the bait and tackle shop hours often don’t correspond with the bus schedule. There is also no place to sit. Unless the giant decorative rocks out front are meant to be seating?

Before this change-over the bus stop was at the old train station, where in recent years tickets were sold at the variety and computer repair across the street.

I avoid a lot of this confusion by buying my ticket online, which would be even easier if Northland would develop an app.

But I’m lucky the province runs the route at all, with similar bus lines cancelled in other parts of Canada. The Ontario Northlander passenger train is, if you believe the government, set for a re-launch around 2025 after halting service in 2012.

Gravenhurst is one of the stops for the train, so hopefully that will iron out the difficulty with the bus stop. Fingers crossed.

I was sad to see the Home Hardware Garden centre gone, but finally visited the new location and Tara’s Fashions, Footwear and Yarn. Both businesses are beautifully renovated and nicely change up and rejuvenate downtown.

But why does Gravenhurst need three marijuana dispensaries. I didn’t go inside any, but all the cannabis retailers looked nice and high end. Maybe there are even more to come?

An overabundance of pot shops is everywhere. In my neighbourhood in Toronto there are at least a half a dozen, including one right on my street. The other day they had a D.J. and were giving out free ice cream.

There is one business Gravenhurst is missing. And not a Circle K.  Does anyone know why Bracebridge gets all the Circle K’s and Gravenhurst didn’t get any?

Beside that enduring mystery, Gravenhurst doesn’t have a bookstore.

There always used to be two, Desu Books, and the Gravenhurst Bookstore. The closure of the latter was rather mysterious. The business didn’t announce the reason for the closure in 2013, or why another buyer couldn’t be found. And no one has attempted a bookstore since.

If two could, I think, always thrive before, surely one could now?

It can’t be an issue of bookstores not being profitable. Or of people preferring e-readers or not reading. There are always readers. That no one reads anymore is “cap” as the kids say.

There are countless bookstores in Toronto. Roncesvalles Avenue alone has three bookstores. There are independent indies like Type and Book City that have multiple locations. The Toronto Public Library also has 100 branches.

The Gravenhurst Public Library, especially at its new location, is excellent. And there is an inter-library loan system. But as a kid even with two bookstores — and with cards at the Gravenhurst and Bracebridge Public Libraries — I struggled to find all the books I wanted to read.

It’s possible to find books in Muskoka, but with a huge assist from Orillia. And that is more difficult now that the Coles in the Orillia Square Mall has closed. There is, however, a remaining Coles in the Huntsville Place Mall.

For those in need of a quality second-hand bookstore look no farther than the two floors at Bracebridge’s Owl Pen. An avid reader can find a good reason to drag a non-reader in to look around the family-run small business that also sells vinyl record albums. It is just an interesting place to look around with its displays of antiques and views of downtown Bracebridge and the Clock Tower.

If you don’t have a way out of town, there are ways to find books in Gravenhurst. Like Shoppers Drug Mart. The selection here is really good. Not all Shoppers have a good book section, and this is one of the best for quality literature — and Oprah’s book club picks.

A similar book selection can be found at YIGs. Again, not all grocery stores have books and the selection at YIGs is great, from hardcovers to paperbacks and movie-tie-ins.

Dollarama is hit and miss, but its book section sometimes has stuff. It’s not easy to find, because it’s always in a different spot and is extremely hit-and-miss.

And sometimes the Giant Tiger book bin has some interesting finds.

The Gravenhurst Library has a book rack and they have a tent at the Gravenhurst Farmer’s Market that is donation/PWYC. I’ve scored amazing books there, including a brand-new copy of Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.

The Salvation Army also has books. And that’s about it?

I can’t be the only one who has missed Gravenhurst not having a bookstore for the past almost 10 years. Could someone open one? Please?