Lakeshore Advance, 2013-08-07, Page 6Wednesda , Auust 7, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 5
community
Or
Bluewater Biz
Mark Cassidy
Welcome Colony Marine Boat-
ers! Bayfield is rolling out the wel-
come mat this weekend. Our spe-
cial guests arrive 'Thursday for a
four-day visit so let's make them
feel right at home. The occasion
is Rendezvous '13. Twenty-five
luxury powerboats all clients of
Colony Marine based in St. (;lair
Shores Michigan will be in town
until Sunday. Colony Marine was
voted Best of the Best Boat Deal-
ers for 2013 so they are throwing
a party in Bayfield. Bayfield is of
course a natural location for this
fun event. Just a short cruise
across the lake, our harbour has
the most slips of all the ports on
the Canadian side of Lake 1luron.
Not to mention the most beauti-
ful sunsets. And our long history
of welcoming American boaters
and cottagers is legendary. To
show our appreciation many
Main Street shops are offering
Colony Marine discounts and
specials throughout the weekend.
'Ihe Bayfield Antique and Collect-
ibles Show & Sale are getting into
the act with a reduced ticket price
for our friends from Michigan. Da
Vinci's is hosting a 4 -course
authentic Spanish paella dinner
on Saturday. Outside Projects is
providing bikes to get around
town. We truly hope Colony
Marine boaters will enjoy their
stay.
Web -based Merchant Map Comes to Lambton
Grand Bend & Area
Chamber of Commerce
and Forest BIA team up to
promote local area
businesses
A new web -based, mobile -friendly, interac-
tive merchant map launched July 18, 2013 on
Grandflend'Iourism.com in promotion of local
area attractions, restaurants, accommodations,
shops and services to help year-round resi-
dents, cottagers and visitors find local mer-
chants. The same neap will launch on the Shop-
Forest.ca website soon!
The interactive smart phone friendly map
currently includes all Chamber and Forest BIA
members, as well as attractions, churches, are-
nas, community centres, libraries and event
locations. 'this is just a beginning, with the ulti-
mate goal to map all area points -of -interest in
Lambton Shores. Non -Chamber and non -131A
businesses can get themselves mapped for a
small one-time administration fee of $50.
Paul Shaker from the Centre for Community
Study & Urban Research contacted Chamber
Manager Susan Mills August 2012 to explore
the opportunities of applying Geo -Street map-
ping technology to Lambton Shores. "I thought
this was a great idea, says Mills. "'Ihe Welcome
Centre deals with thousands of visitor ques-
tions about where to find a particular business
or attraction. Although we had attempted to
address this situation by adding custom Google
maps to our website, our ability to customize
those snaps was very limited."
Interested in finding mutually beneficial
ways of working together for the improvement
of the Lambton Shores business community,
the Chamber and Forest E3IA sent a joint busi-
ness listing to Shaker for programming. At the
core of Geo -Street Mapping are Google maps,
with the value -add created through the addi-
tion of "category layers" that can be turned off
or 011 by the user to locate a particular type of
business or specific business. The system ena-
bles smart phone "you are here" pin -pointing
and directions.
ABOII'1"1'I Iii (RAND 13ENI) & AREA CI IAM -
BER 01: COMMERCE:
Since 1957, Grand Bend & Area Chamber of
Commerce has served the local business com-
munity through its networking, advocacy, pro-
motion and information services. As well, the
Chamber is the sole provider of area tourism
services, promoting area amenities, attractions
and businesses to tourists and residents alike.
letters to the editor
Drowning deaths are preventable, say Ontario's doctors
To the Editor,
1 ligh temperatures, persistent hunmid-
Ity and the "dog days of summer" mean
more people are heading to the water to
stay cool. It's National Drowning Preven-
tion Week and Ontario's doctors want to
remind those spending time in or near
the water that lifejackets and parental
supervision should be top of mind.
Every summer too many Ontarians
drown in tragic and often preventable
accidents on our lakes and waterways.
What is more alarming is that drowning
is the second leading cause of accidental
death for children under the age of four.
Ontario's doctors have six simple steps
people can take to help protect children
and themselves from drowning.
Specifically:
• Children playing near the water
should be supervised by an adult at all
times;
• Children under five, and older chil-
dren who are not strong swimmers,
should wear a lifejacket when around
water;
As part of AquaFest, Lambton Shores Nature 'Frans (ISNT) conducts three
weekend hikes in two of our 'Gems of Nature'— come and join us (bring water
& bug spray)
Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 10:00 AM & 3:30 PM
Amble River Cut Conservation Area (easy & difficutt option)
(meet in the parking lot at 9984 Norttwllle Cr. - just off Hwy #21)
Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 1:00 PM
Lambton County Heritage Forest (super easy, easy & difficult option)
(meet In the Port Franks Community Centre parking lot at 9997 Port Franks Rd)
Klaus Keunecke, LSNT Chair
'Connecting People to Nature'
• Everyone should wear a lifejacket in a boat,
canoe or other watercraft;
• Pool owners, especially those with young chil-
dren or grandchildren, should install a four-sided
pool fence, which prevents access to the pool from
the home;
• Parents should be trained in CPR and rescue
breathing, especially if they live near the water or
have a pool; and
• Swimming lesson should be mandatory.
Schools and community pools should offer les-
sons for free and all parents should ensure that
their kids take learn to swine.
Jumping in the lake or the pool is a great way to
cool off, get a little exercise and have some fun.
Kids love the water too, ensure they're supervised
and wearing lifejackets at all times. Even strong
swimmers need to wear lifejackets on a watercraft.
Summertime is meant to be enjoyed - just be sure
you do it safely.
Scott Wooder, MO
President
Ontario Medical Association
mine
Iakeshoreadvance.com
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