With all of the controversy surrounding business associations in Gravenhurst and the bickering back and forth that has taken place all summer, it is with a sigh of relief that Lance Sherk, the town’s economic development officer, has stepped in to bring some harmony to the state of business in Gravenhurst.

The proposal for a single business association, which can equally represent all merchants and business owners in Gravenhurst, while still allowing the Chamber of Commerce, the Wharf Business Association and the Business Improvement Association to remain intact is definitely what Gravenhurst needs.

The downtown merchants seem not only to be in a snit with the wharf business owners for taking away business, and the town for giving money to the other groups for special events, but can’t even keep the peace within their own organization and work together to improve the downtown.

The advent of the wharf has thrown a bit of a wrench into things when it comes to business in Gravenhurst, but now more than ever, the downtown merchants need to keep it together if they are going to realize any success in distinguishing the downtown from the rest of Gravenhurst as a place to shop.

Sherk has taken on a mammoth task to pull together this group, but it is essential and a step in the right direction if Gravenhurst, in its entirety, is going to be a successful place to conduct business.

The mandate of this new organization needs to be made clear, and all business owners in Gravenhurst need to work together and put aside their differences to make it a success. Doing so just makes good business sense.

KF