What did the G8 mean to Muskoka?

G8 signage was built

What a great article by the NYTimes.com - I think it pretty much sums up what folks are saying up here. Little benefit for most of the little folk, e.g., tourism, hourly-waged employees. Much in benefits for Tony Clement, the mayor of HV, Deerhurst and Fowler (who put in the frackin' fences)!
What delights many of us, is the obvious motivation for Mr. Clement. He has to have the backing of PM Harper.

While boasting about the town’s improvements, Mr. Doughty (HV Mayor) says he and other municipal politicians in the region used Mr. Clement to get all they could out of the federal government.

And Tony Clement has great motivation to play the game.

Mr. Clement was dumped into the Parry Sound-Muskoka riding from Toronto by the Conservative Party as a candidate in 2006 (he does have a cottage here)  and squeaked in with only 28 votes, although he was re-elected in 2008. He seems to be benefitting from touting his riding. He's at every big deal, with photo-ops to show.

Clement did ensure that all of Muskoka has great signage.

Wouldn't want those G8 leaders, and their entourage, escorted as they were - front and back by OPP motorcycles, riding in their big black limos. But with the dearth of skilled labour in Muskoka, someone's home or renos were not being built while all this was going on. (Didn't they think the OPP can read maps?

Many managed to make a buck off of our tax dollars: extra chefs brought in for the albeit brief duration, extra big buff boys in black, those building the signs. Some lost money, with businesses closed, or reduced, people scared off by the fooferaw.

Up a new $4.8 million road a building now sits a satellite campus for the University of Waterloo. The Waterloo Summit Centre is a great place for a small conference.

Not going to be used, as was planned, for the G20. Oops. But U of W is my daughter's alma mater. Great programs, her M.Sc. (she works as a hydrogeologist) has stood her well, as well did their co-op program. Whatthehell.

Yes, our tax dollars paying for someone's education in order for them to get good jobs in environmental and ecological sustainability at this institution, which may benefit Muskoka in the long run. But don't you think they should pay for their own education? I did. Worked summers. Long ones.

The “fake lake”was an appalling idea by someone. Gotta love those eager-beaver politicos, brainstorming how to laud big Tony. Lake Ontario, the real, big one, only being feet away from the media.

For regular residents, and tourists one of my commenters wrote:
Sure is intimidating with all the police cruisers and helicopters around, but today I saw up in Sundridge a fighter jet approaching a small float plane making him change his flight plan....I guess he was too close to the restricted air space....Wow the noise from that Jet!!!!! Super Sonic!!!!! My husband said there is an officer with high power weapons every 10 ft. in the resort...you don't fool around with those boys.....and they are Big!Men!!!!

A Canadian Town Is Stood Up by the Group of 8 - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com

The government in the small town of Huntsville, Ontario, is being criticized for spending millions to prepare for an economic summit that was relocated to Toronto.