Thoughts of turning dreams into reality

I am sure many people will agree with me that it is relaxing to take in the beauty of trees and water and wide-open space. When driving along Atherley Road, or when enjoying a cup of coffee or eating breakfast at the Bayside restaurant which has windows facing the lake, I enjoy seeing the wide stretch of open water of Lake Simcoe. How long will we be able to see this? I cannot help but see images of obstructive construction on the land presently for sale. Fear creeps up on me that the approximately 500 feet of shoreline and the view beyond will be lost forever, that the boat launch opportunity will be lost, and that Orillia will lose this special, for the city, sight.

It would be so nice if we could find a way to envelop this strip of land into the Tudhope Park property. I wonder whether someone might have thought of some enticing possibilities for making this strip beside Collins Drive parking lot accessible for the occasional person who might like to stop, step out of the car and walk toward the water of the wide- stretching lake and enjoy the scenery. The person may praise the city for their foresight in preserving the piece of land for the use and pleasure of future generations. I saw possibilities. Thousands of Casino Rama (customers) and many others pass along this busy street, and this part of our city does not have a single landmark by which they will remember Orillia. We could erect a singular, small, inviting-looking, eye-catching lighthouse-like structure, without obstructing the view. Something that stays in the memory. That's the thought that came to me one day when driving down Atherley Road. I remembered seeing wayside chapels in the past. In my mind, I envisioned this community building a small-scale meditation centre. Many people see meditation as a form of recreation. Would it not be nice to see parks and recreation Orillia team up with other organizations or groups and take the initiative to develop a special-purpose recreation-meditation space? Maybe somebody would like to donate the building as a memorial. Day dreams are nice at all times, but doing something about what one was dreaming is something else.

Courtessy of Mike Tulp