GBYC History - The Grand Bend Yacht Club

September 2009 Issue
Soundings
Club website
GBYC History
Grand Bend’s outlet to
Lake Huron dried up due
to sediment. Having
access to the Lake meant
the difference between
Grand Bend surviving as
a village or dying.
Contents
GBYC History
Pictures
Bulletin Board
Upcoming Events:
Greetings
Page 1
Page 4
Page 5
Page 5
Page 7
The Village despite
attempting to diversify
is heavily dependent on
tourism and the tale of Old Ausable Channel is fascinating. The
Channel made the Bend in the name and
physically in the river.
I ’ m t h a n k f u l f o r p a s t h i s t o r i a n ’s
documentation of the Club’s beginnings.
Many of the London Power & Sail
Squadron courses start in Sept.
Click to see if they are offering
something you’d like to take.
picture of river, before docks.
In the club’s files is a copy of the
second meeting dated May 31, 1959.
Elected was Commodore Dr H.N.
Cowen, Exeter.Chartered members who numbered 15 active,
one associate and two honorary
members that year were assessed
$5.00 initiation. Associates were
assessed $2.50 for joining with no
initiation levied.
(continued to page 2)
Next Issue: Contributions
Deadline Oct 25, 2008
click to send by e-mail
Page 1
Early Mooring pics
Records dated July 1960 indicate that a Constitution and a set of By-Laws were in place, and
the active membership increased to 27, associates numbered five, two prospective members
were listed while retaining two honorary members. The executive agreed to retain an auditor
paying a fee of $5 for that service. Commodore Cowen was elected for a second term. Also
making up the four-member board were: Vice Commodore: G Fiford, Hensall, Dr John Toogood,
Secretary-Treasurer, London, and Ralph Bailey, Sailing Master, Exeter--terms of office were
three years. According to an article
written by Ross Haugh dated March 26,
1963, in Ship to Shore, a clubhouse had
been purchased from the Grand Bend
Chamber of Commerce and assembled
on the south side of the river in the fall
of 1960.
Membership in1963 had risen to $15/
year in addition to the $10/ initiation
fee. The club leased about 450’of shore
moorings from the Village of Grand Bend
and in turn rented spaces to members.
Not documented, but available in the Club’s digital files, were the dates of legal incorporation:
November 22, 1976, with the Club being approved as an Ontario non-profit company, legally
entitled to use the name Grand Bend Yacht Club. The Ontario Ministry of Companies assigned
the club, corporation # 338952. Editor’s comments: “I’m assuming the reason for hiring the
legal firm of Little, et al, London, at that time, was to clear the way for future financial contracts
by executive members wanting to negotiate river rights from the Village and build a necessary
seawall?”
The erection of the present-day clubhouse didn’t take place until April of 1994. Loop Brothers
Fishery building on River Road was demolished—they had leased the land from the Village of
Grand Bend.
Page 2
Pictured left: Demolition of Loop Fisheries’ Building:
Commodore Don Pearson, interviewed in the Parkhill Gazette,
on page 6 was quoted as saying that the Club would get 11
new slips and the village 12 additional dockage spaces. Loop
Fisheries would be given yacht club space in the sailors’ offseason to tie up a fishing boat. The fishery had confined its
storage to ancient fishing nets.
The project began with quarried stone
for Ausable River shoreline protection
and dockage work on the 145’ of new
frontage. Construction was to begin
in May with occupancy by mid to late
August.
Portrayed right, The July 13, 1994
photograph of the clubhouse revealed
how handsome it would be when
completed.
Present Clubhouse:
While looking for accurate, historical material,
I stumbled across several years of minutes
that I’ll incorporate into bringing the history of
the Club into digital format. If members have
recollections or stories they’d like included,
please forward by e-mail to the Editor on or
before October 25, in time for the October
issue.
Page 3
Pictures
submitted by Bill Ive)
snakes living amongst the rocks
Editors comments; Belief that last year there were
complaints about vermin getting into garbage-snakes are rat and mouse predators. There are
snake traps- but not sure about their efficacy; never
needed to use one! Please dispose of garbage in
GBYC provided containers and perhaps snakes will
slither away to get bigger meals!
Andrew, Sunset on the railing.
Grand Bend 30 Racing Pics,
submitted by Bill Newton
Page 4
Bulletin Board
Club burgees $25.00
GBYC
GBYC
Members are welcome to advertise items for
sale--please send picture of article (s)/crew
wanted/crew offered
Upcoming Events:
Social Event
LABOUR DAY WEEKEND
SATURDAY, SEPT 5, 6:00 PM
ADULTS $17
CHILDREN OVER EIGHT $10
GARBAGE PAIL
Racing:
Personal Craft Operator Card (PCOC)
Deadline Tuesday, September 15. For the convenience of members, a challenge PCOC test will
be held in the clubhouse Sunday, September 13 starting at 2:00 PM with no testing
commencing after 4:00 PM. Cost to take the test between $40 and
$50. Confirmation of cost from the London Sail & Power Squadron to
be received before the testing.
Recommended Study Guide pictured left. However, if you don’t have
a Transport Canada approved study guide, you might be able to get
one on line Ignore message “page not found,” click BoaterExam.com
to get their study Guide ($19.95 + tax)
Page 5
Haul Out
Bob Schwalm reserved the
2009 crane for October 17th.
Lifting masts will start at 08:00
am and boat lifting as soon as
there are eight in a row ready
to go.
Page 6
Greetings