Stephen Vance, Editor
Meaford has a long history in agriculture, so growing things comes as second nature to many in these parts. That growing spirit is clearly contagious as has been seen with recent efforts by members of our community to grow a local music scene and by extension establish some nightlife in this previously quiet little town.
One of the common criticisms I’ve heard about Meaford since moving here 11 years ago is that there’s little to do once the downtown shops lock their doors at the end of the day, and there’s no doubt that has been true.
Anyone who has ever driven through the downtown core at night will know that on many nights you could literally roll a bowling ball down the middle of Sykes Street without much fear of striking anything but a curb (note: I’m not suggesting people try this, it’s simply a turn of phrase). Yet, other municipalities not so far away have had a thriving nightlife and music scenes for eons.
The lack of a nightlife and a music scene has been changing in recent months, thanks to the efforts of some local music lovers who have worked tirelessly to establish Meaford’s downtown core as the place to be for those who would like to catch some live music and a beverage or two without having to drive out of town.
These days, instead of being able to roll a bowling ball down Sykes Street, on many nights the challenge is to find a parking spot. From The Leeky Canoe to Captain’s Corner, and from Market Square to the Rotary Harbour Pavilion, the air in Meaford has been filled with the sounds of music, and that’s a good thing.
Add to the fresh energy of Meaford’s blossoming downtown music scene long-standing festivals like Electric Eclectics, the Meaford Stomp, and the upcoming Sweetwater Music Festival, and Meaford is fast becoming the place to be for music lovers.
And while those who love the sounds of live music are no doubt thrilled with Meaford’s blossoming music scene, our local businesses must be equally as thrilled. Local establishments hosting these bands have been packed on nights that include performances, and I saw many people who were attending Electric Eclectics (held on Scotch Mountain) last weekend (their fluorescent wrist bands gave them away) out and about in our downtown area shopping at our stores, or grabbing a burger and fries at the harbour.
In a small town like Meaford, anything that can inject some energy into the local economy can’t be a bad thing. Given that the reality of these modern times means that we are unlikely to see manufacturing jobs find their way to these parts, and we aren’t a large enough community to support many large retailers, we need to stimulate our local economy in any way that we can, and while growing a music scene and establishing nightlife in Meaford might not help to fix many roads on its own, it is a part of a puzzle that is slowly being put together that could see Meaford thrive down the road.
After all, if Meaford can establish some nightlife, our restaurants should be stronger, which could mean new restaurants are established, and from there, perhaps this town has a better case to be made to the hotel industry to invest in Meaford.
We’ve been in a holding pattern in this town – a sort of chicken and egg scenario – why would the tourism sector invest in a hotel or resort in this municipality when there was so little for people to do after the traditional dinner hour? At the same time, why would tourists take the time to come here, if there aren’t many places to stay should they find they enjoy our little town? But if you can build some sort of a local scene – whether that scene is music, theatre, sports, culinary, or fine arts (or a nice mix of all those and more) then you give tourists a reason to stop rather than simply drive through town on the way to other places. And if you give them a reason to stop, some of them will want to stay for a while which could very well spur investment into a hotel or resort down the road.
Obviously growing a music scene in this small town isn’t going to solve all of our problems, but it might very well help launch this community into other possibilities that could result in some real economic development, which could offer residents more to do (and more job opportunities) and visitors a reason to stop other than to fuel up the car and use a public restroom.
Keep the music playing, it could be our ticket to a brighter future.
