Living in a small town is unlike the city. If someone cuts you off pulling out of the grocery store, you don’t give them the finger. Odds are you’ll meet again in the post office. Awkward. Testy.

We all chose to be here. We have to get along. At least, we should try.

This brings us to the delicate and forever subject of the Royal George. As we all know, the Shaw wants to relace the ancient historic pile with an industrial box consuming almost half an entire block with a faux-replica theatre façade facing the main drag and a six-storey rump in the back.

Proponents of the festival think this is a glorious and triumphant thing. Others see it as the wanton destruction of history and irreversible damage to the very streetscape powering the local economy.

Because the Shaw is the plum of NOTL’s elite class, our politicians genuflect to it. Tear down four notable buildings and break every heritage zone rule? Sure thing, sire. Here’s your permit.

Here’s the getting-along part.

A recent column dove into the Shaw’s financial statements (“The Turner Report: The little troop that became Shaw Inc.,” March 26), since it seems odd a charity suddenly erupts with a $100-million building spree (the new George, plus the “artists’ village” where the old folks residence used to be).

We pointed out the theatre operations last year ran a massive $20-million loss, rescued by the largesse of taxpayers and donors. We also noted the existence of a $40-million liquid investment nest egg the Shaw maintains while paying its 600 employees with dollops of public money.

Yes, the Shaw is great for NOTL. Lucky to have it. But ripping up the main street while taking such a financial gamble in dodgy economic times seems rash. So, a little scrutiny is not a bad thing.

After all, the festival depends on public support to survive yet, as a charity — even an empire-building one with $45 million in existing real estate — it pays no tax to the town, the province or the nation.

Last week in these pages, resident Peter Barwell ripped me a new one (“Letter: Misquotes and half-truths in Turner’s take on Shaw“).

My words were rude, he said, and has helped this newspaper become a public menace. “The paper is, in my opinion, responsible for the very poor state of mental health of people living in town,” he said.

That doesn’t include him, of course.

Why does Mr. Barwell think I have doubts about the Royal George mega-build? It’s personal, he says. Because I live in the Old Town.

“There are many other construction projects currently proceeding that seem to have escaped Garth Turner’s attention. Maybe this is because he is living too far from them.”

(My house is two blocks away. The one with the extremely hairy, needy dog in the courtyard.)

Does Mr. Barwell have personal reasons for his views? I had a look.

The prominent Chautauqua resident and his wife, Marion, operated successful B&Bs in town, on Queen Street and Niagara Boulevard, catering to Shaw patrons. Mr. Barwell served on the Shaw Guild’s executive committee for six years.

He became president of it in 2011, overseeing 300 festival volunteers. He’s been in attendance for 80 per cent of the events hosted by the now-defunct Shaw Festival Film Series, he claimed in a media interview.

Supporting the festival is also a Barwell family thing.

Daughter Pippa was in charge of information and communication at the Shaw Guild. She currently works for the festival as sales technology co-ordinator, building on her 10-year involvement with the organization. She’s a talented artist and has sold her creations at the Shaw Festival’s gift shop.

Other daughter Claudia worked for several years in the Shaw’s box office. Her positive experience there is credited with influencing her parent’s decision to emigrate from Europe to NOTL two decades ago.

Yes, our town is richer, deeper, better to have the Barwells in it.

More honesty would make us perfect.

Garth Turner is a NOTL resident, journalist, author, wealth manager and former federal MP and minister. garth@garth.ca