Walking Meaford

The first couple of days I was actually in Meaford, Megan had to go to work. So I was able to wonder around the town, take photos, and browse through some of the stores.
I'm an avid user of Google Earth (& maps) and have studied every feature of Meaford that I could over the past months. I was able to know my way around prior to arriving but I also had a chuckle to myself when buildings weren't as I'd "assumed" from the satellite images. Buildings I thought were multistory might now be discovered as being a single story etc. Having said that, it was pretty accurate overall.
An icon in Meaford has to be the recently renovated Meaford Hall or Opera House as another name for it. The renovations cost in the vicinity of $7M. I'm yet to look inside but I have see some beautiful photos of it's interior. The main hall might seat 250 people in proper fixed theatre seating. There are a number of other varying sized rooms for other types of functions and dining. A laneway is all that separates the Meaford Hall from the Old Heritage Listed Fire Hall building. (Fire Hall is the same as what is called a Fire Station in Australia). It is no longer in use as a fire hall.Most Australians are probably like me and initially wonder why the shops don't have awnings like in Australia. I'm yet to have it confirmed, but I suspect it is because the weight of snow buildup being too much for an awning? Obviously people are rather exposed during rain! :( I guess another mini icon of Meaford might be the Big Apple. A tourist information booth strategically placed in front of the car park and next door to the BIG ICON. Meaford is Apple Country and most of the agriculture in the region is Apple, Beef and Hay.
The Big Head River empties into Georgian Bay at Meaford. It is a relatively fast flowing river (unlike Lost River that flows through or farm - a creek or brook by any real term.)The waterfront around the mouth of the river has been developed and a nice harbour formed from rock walls.Fishing is popular all year round but only from the walls or the foreshore during winter months. I've read a lot of references to the Big Head River at Meaford in fishing blogs from the USA. All boats are removed from the water during the "frozen" months. There are lines of leisure boats and expensive pleasure cruisers on land all around the harbour shores.Meaford Municipality has around 11,000 population with around 6,000 in the town itself. Area of Municipality is 588 sqkm. i.e. Pop Density 18.6 people per sqkm. Comparing that to the Upper Lachlan Shire (of which Crookwell is the largest town at around 2,ooo pop), the population is 7,300 and the land area is 7,100 sqkm giving a pop density of One (1) person per sqkm.There is a distinctly different style in houses between Australia and Canada. Or anywhere for that matter. Meaford and the Georgian Bay region have a mix of old and new. The older homes are very distinctive and many have been standing for well over a century. As would be expected, the more modern homes are on the outer edges of town unless there has been a pocket of land not previously used for housing.These first few days in Meaford have been spent soaking up the ambiance of the place.