Wasaga Beach 1 June

Patti Friday, Photojourno, reporting from inside 'The Art Dept.' at the international 'Embassy of Ideas'. Wasaga Beach, Ontario CANADA - The longest freshwater beach in the world! 14 km of scenic beauty.

Skull Island Wasaga Beach Summer 2012

http://www.skullisland.ca/

Beach Bag of Coal or Sparkling Diamonds?

So I've been thinking. Our beach needs to be treated like a valued, cherished, velvet bag of sparkling diamonds. For goodness sake, it is the longest freshwater beach in the world. It is disrespected, dumpy, forgotten and trashy. In fact, if you travel outside of Wasaga Beach and ask others their opinion of our town, they will tell you it's scuzzy. Is this how we want our hometown to be viewed? Do you believe our town has the potential to be a global gem? I do. I have spoken about this before. I have heard the whispers and complaints of residents. Everyone loves it here, but it needs radical beautification and an economic wave.

I have shared some ideas here.

I published a book showcasing my love for Wasaga Beach. You may preview and purchase

it HERE.

Also here.

Ah! I was very vocal here.

Here are some ideas: (I suspect most of these would be poo-poo'd upon by the powers that be.)

1. Food Truck Festival

2. Pirate Weekend and Parade

3. Mermaid Weekend and Parade

4. Family Picnic Weekend (Beach Blanket)

5. Busker Evenings Every Thursday and Sunday night on the Beaches!

6. Live Free Theatre on the beach

7. Lifeguard Championships

8. Beach Boys Festival

9. Beach Fashion Show on The Beach

10. Food Truck Spots every day

11. Afforable, clean and classy lodging in winter in the beach with free shuttles to mountain

12. Public Art

13. Fountains, Statues

14. Gardens!

15. An art gallery

16. Town Wide Garage Sale 4x June, July, August and Sept. (NO PERMITS - they are ridiculous)

What ideas would you suggest?

Let's hear your positive ideas!

From an old post I penned:

1. Beach Beautification Committee - to make sure the beach is designed with specific period architecture to attract residents, businesses and visitors alike. (pick a style: West Palm Beach, Key West, Malibu, Coney Island, The Beaches in Toronto.) In keeping with this style, all decisions must first be approved by this town committee to ensure Wasaga Beach grows in a 'beautifully' branded way. Invite designers and forward thinkers from all over the world to participate.
2. Bicycle Paths - every where, every where, every where. We must become 'The Bicycle Capital of Canada'. Here are 28 Reasons to Bike.
3. Mandatory Rain barrels & Tree planting - reasons here. (you might freak out when you watch it.)
4. A sign. A wonderful, quaint, nostalgic, beach sign on either end to welcome guests. If you think it will stop tall loads, then make it high enough or make it have a swing mechanism.
5. A old-fashioned cinema with a cafe on the side. Years ago in Peterborough, I would frequent a hip little place that had 2 meal seatings per night and afternoon. You could watch the movie first and then eat or vice versa. It was the coolest meeting place in the city and it had such a sense of community and entertainment. You are going to love this. Andhey....A Beach Film Festival in October too! (we need to extend our tourism season)
6. A music hall with state-of-the-art acoustics for musical and theatrical performances. Sorry, but the RecPlex just doesn't cut it. (The old theatre in Lindsay, Ontario....now that's a music hall)
7. Legalize golf carts. Seniors love their golf carts. Allow them to go on separate paths beside the bicycle path.
8. An Arts & Culture centre. Gallery, Beach Gift Shop, Museum, halls, displays etc.
9. A really, really, really well-marketed and branded 'daily' farmers market. (slow food) And, a fabulous Night Market for Friday and Saturday nights. And, a Christmas Market like the one in Prague.
10. 'Beach Blue Pumpkin Festival' in the Fall. All residents spray paint their pumpkins beach blue and sprinkle silver sparkles all over it. You can actually grow blue pumpkins...did you know that! Let's make it a new by-law. Only blue pumpkins in the beach in the fall and at Hallowe'en. (festival like Meaford's Scarecrows)
11. Mermaid Parade and Mermaid Ball. Here is Coney Island's Parade. FAQ. Check out the Mermaid Ball website.
12. A Santa Claus parade that will bring in thousands....more bands please!!!

Arbour Day Tree Sale

WBRP - details here. Tree sale details above. Click to enlarge.

Remember this equation:

3 Trees/Family/Year/ for 10 Years = 500,000 Trees

Beach Theatre, Blue Pumpkins and More

By Patti Friday

Yes, we need a high school. Yes, we need to clean up every square inch of our beach, but there are a few things - a dozen - I think 'this' beach town needs immediately.

1. Beach Beautification Committee - to make sure the beach is designed with specific period architecture to attract residents, businesses and visitors alike. (pick a style: West Palm Beach, Key West, Malibu, Coney Island, The Beaches in Toronto.) In keeping with this style, all decisions must first be approved by this town committee to ensure Wasaga Beach grows in a 'beautifully' branded way. Invite designers and forward thinkers from all over the world to participate.

2. Bicycle Paths - every where, every where, every where. We must become 'The Bicycle Capital of Canada'. Here are 28 Reasons to Bike.

3. Mandatory Rain barrels & Tree planting - reasons here. (you might freak out when you watch it.)

4. A sign. A wonderful, quaint, nostalgic, beach sign on either end to welcome guests. If you think it will stop tall loads, then make it high enough or make it have a swing mechanism.

5. A old-fashioned cinema with a cafe on the side. Years ago in Peterborough, I would frequent a hip little place that had 2 meal seatings per night and afternoon. You could watch the movie first and then eat or vice versa. It was the coolest meeting place in the city and it had such a sense of community and entertainment. You are going to love this. Andhey....A Beach Film Festival in October too! (we need to extend our tourism season)

6. A music hall with state-of-the-art acoustics for musical and theatrical performances. Sorry, but the RecPlex just doesn't cut it. (The old theatre in Lindsay, Ontario....now that's a music hall)

7. Legalize golf carts. Seniors love their golf carts. Allow them to go on separate paths beside the bicycle path.

8. An Arts & Culture centre. Gallery, Beach Gift Shop, Museum, halls, displays etc.

9. A really, really, really well-marketed and branded 'daily' farmers market. (slow food) And, a fabulous Night Market for Friday and Saturday nights. And, a Christmas Market like the one in Prague.

10. 'Beach Blue Pumpkin Festival' in the Fall. All residents spray paint their pumpkins beach blue and sprinkle silver sparkles all over it. You can actually grow blue pumpkins...did you know that! Let's make it a new by-law. Only blue pumpkins in the beach in the fall and at Hallowe'en. (festival like Meaford's Scarecrows)

11. Mermaid Parade and Mermaid Ball. Here is Coney Island's Parade. FAQ. Check out the Mermaid Ball website.

12. A Santa Claus parade that will bring in thousands....more bands please!!!

3 Trees/Family/Year/10 Years = 500,000

We can do that! Together we can.

Photo Credit: T.Leon

WBRP - GOAL - Plant 1/2 Million Trees

A Cleaner, Greener, More Beautiful Wasaga Beach

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Beach Post (and local resident), Patti Friday started the Wasaga Beach Restoration Project (WBRP) in 2009 in the belief that clean, green neighborhoods are fundamental to the quality of life, and that every neighborhood in Wasaga Beach deserves an oasis of natural beauty. Seeing many parks and open spaces in need of cleanup, beautification and restoration, Patti created WBRP to be the "conservancy of this magical place."

“I’m proud that Frederick Law Olmsted, the Father of Landscape Architecture and Creator of New York’s Central Park, is part of my family tree. I feel a great responsibility and desire to make a difference here in my own home town. ” – Patti Friday

Patti has a dream to plant 1/2 million trees in Wasaga Beach over the next decade. Through the Wasaga Beach Restoration Project's Plant a Tree program, you can make this dream a reality and help create a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful Beach.

Plant a Tree in The Beach

Beachers from across the entire town are taking to the streets, parks, schoolyards and public spaces to plant trees. After an exceptionally snow-laden winter, residents are now eager to pick up their pruning shears and shovels and get to work greening Wasaga Beach. Additionally, students and children of all ages would love to learn how to plant trees - they already have an active interest in the maintenance and care of the trees in their playgrounds and schoolyards through enriching environmental programs & studies.

This Spring Wasaga Beach Restoration Project (WBRP) 2009 kicks off on Earth Day, April 22nd, and it has never been easier to help Wasaga Beach reach its goal of planting 1000 new trees. Participate in a community tree-planting event (or organize an event); purchase and plant your own tree and learn how to care for trees in your neighborhood. And, don’t forget to register a newly planted tree (send us a photo of your new tree with all the details and we will publish it here!) or let us know if you spot the perfect location for a new tree. To learn about these opportunities and more, visit here.

Let's plant 1000 Trees!

Sponsored by The Beach Post

Photo Credit: Alexander Slater