Serving Lake Erie’s North Shore Friday June 12, 2015
INSIDE Nutrient & Erosion Reduction Workshop A free “learning breakfast” workshop hosted by the Catfish Creek ConSTORY PAGE 2 servation Authority.
Blue Flag Raised Again in Port Stanley
Port Burwell Report I2015 will go down as a traumatic year in the Municipality of Bayham STORY PAGE 2
Elgin County Awards Funding to Local Festivals Elgin County has granted a total of $5,000 to local events . STORY PAGE 3
Above Photo LtoR: Central Elgin Councillors Harold Winkworth Ward 4, Fiona Roberts Ward 5, Dennis Crevits Ward 2, Mayor David Marr and Deputy Mayor Sally Martyn.
Andrew Hibbert
Port Stanley Report We are very lucky in Port Stanley to have a group of dedicated people who, on a volunteer basis, create beautiful gardens STORY PAGE 4
Kids & Cops Fishing Sponsored by the Aylmer Optimist Club, this catfish derby will take place from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm on Sunday, June 14 at Port Bruce. STORY PAGE 4
What is Advertising? We often have people sending us information about an event they are organizing that they hope we will put into The Lake Erie Beacon.. STORY PAGE 5
LOOK AHEAD Community Events
Despite the threat of rain on Friday June 5, 2015 the morning turned out to be bright, sunny and warm, perfect weather for raising the Blue Flag again over Port Stanley’s Main Beach. This is the sixth year in a row that the Municipality of Central Elgin has been awarded the recognition of a Blue Flag.
Your ad in the Lake Erie Beacon will reach 7000 Homes, Apartments, Farms & Businesses From Port Burwell to Port Stanley and Port Glasgow. We also Email over 700 PDF’s of the Beacon & are on Facebook & issuu.com Call Linda at 519.782.4563
Some criteria are imperative whereas others are guideline criteria.
The Blue Flag is an internationally recognized and respected eco-label awarded to beaches that achieve high standards in water quality, environmental education, environmental management and safety and services. The award of the Blue Flag is presently based on 27 specific criteria • Water Quality for beaches and 16 specific criteria for • Environmental Education and Information marinas. Though the specific requirements are different for the two types of • Environmental Management sites, they cover the same four aspects:
Page 6 Pages 4 & 8
• Safety and Services
What Does The Blue Flag Mean?
All Blue Flags are only awarded for one season at a time. By renewing the award each season the Campaign ensures that the beaches and marinas are constantly living up to the criteria. If some of the imperative criteria are not fulfilled during the season or the conditions change, the Blue Flag will be withdrawn. With the awarding of the Blue Flag again for the 2015 beach season, this Continued On Page 7
The true colour of water
Classifieds & Service Directory Page 7 Business Roladex
Left: Mayor David Marr raising the flag.
Sea Grant Staff
Lake Erie in one of its blue moods.
The next time you are asked to draw a picture of water, don’t be so quick to grab the blue or even green marker ...
northern Minnesota, is part of the water's "true colour." It comes from tannic acid. This natural compound found in plants is useful in tanning hides and making dry wines. Tannins leach from decaying plant material into water as seasons pass, "staining" water to look like tea or root beer. In the context of Lake Superior, the St. Louis River is especially known for its tannin content. As the St. Louis River flows out to Lake Superior, sunlight breaks down the tannins, causing the water to become clearer and clearer until the teacoloured water becomes crystalline blue.
The "Apparent colour" of water is different from "true colour" in the language of water. "Apparent colour," the colour we see on any given day, comes from a combination of dissolved minerals and compounds, plus particles, both living and nonliving, that are suspended in the water. Green algae can give water a distinct apparent bluegreen colour. Some bodies of water in the mountains shine like turquoise because of "glacial flour," finely ground bits of rock liberated from melting glaciers. The "true" colour of water is the colour perceived after it has been filtered or centrifuged to remove suspended
solids, leaving only the dissolved substances such as iron, manganese, and copper, which can produce striking blue-green colours. The brown tint to otherwise clear water, especially in
Oh yes ... and don't forget the sky ... the colour of the sky can reflect off the water's surface and make a lake like Superior look dramatically different from Continued On Page 7