For many cottagers, the arrival of summer is the time to finally enjoy the fruits of back-breaking labour in getting their home away from home habitable for family and friends. For me, a cottage renter, it means the time has come to add new memories of idle afternoons on Harold’s deck and cool evenings paddling along the shores of Georgian Bay near my favourite summer redoubt at Tobermory.
But my thoughts at this time also turn to the natives of the picture-postcard village who are still reeling from a pair of tragedies that took place within a week of each other. Many of you have heard about the tragic sinking of a boat off Flowerpot Island in which two 12-year-old students perished, and our hearts go out to the families of Henricki Foerster of Paisley, Ont., and Wade Simmons of Tiverton.
Fewer have heard about the compressor explosion at a dive resort nearby in which the operator was killed and another was seriously injured. With inquests and investigations to take place in the weeks and months to come, the focus will be on trying to find ways to prevent such accidents from happening again, and the evolution of this wisdom benefits us all.
Maritime disaster is no stranger to the villagers of Tobermory - for over a century, ships of every size and description have run aground or sunk in the sometimes treacherous waters off the tip of the Bruce Peninsula. Scuba diving accidents in the chilly, murky waters above the ship wreckyard of Fathom Five Park are, sadly, not uncommon either.
So while summer in Ontario’s lakeside playgrounds is a time for relaxation, spare a moment or two for reflection about safety. Make sure your kids are wearing lifejackets before they board personal watercraft. Keep both eyes on your toddlers when they’re near pools or bodies of water. Be mindful of weather forecasts and water condition advisories. And if you drink, don’t drive, dive or boat.
May all your memories of summer getaways be happy ones.
Glenn Garnett/Editor, CottageLink Magazine
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For over a decade now, we’ve been joining Bill & Donna and Bruce & Joan for a week’s worth of diving, canoeing and sightseeing in Tobermory. Our cottage, on the shores of Georgian Bay and located near the end of the world-famous Bruce Trail, has afforded us countless opportunities for up-close and personal contact with nature - pleasant episodes like handfeeding chipmunks and watching a raccoon family at play, and not-so-pleasant stuff like seeing water snakes dart into the drink as we’re preparing to dive or swim. With Canada’s first underwater park, a dry-land national park, oodles of camping sites and a village full of interesting boutiques, there’s something for everyone at the Tip O’ The Bruce. See story 1.
While you’re working on your tan (in small doses, we hope), you may want to consider putting the sun to work for you. Solar power is growing in popularity in leaps and bounds, and a lot of that growth is thanks to cottagers. We check out entry level, portable systems in story 2.
When the sun goes down, it’s time for stargazing. Far from the light pollution of Canada’s urban centres, cottagers are often afforded a more spectacular light show. But you don’t need a high-powered telescope to enjoy the cosmos - as CottageLink president Craig White tells us, that pair of binoculars you’ve been using to check out your neighbours across the lake can be used to visit our neighbours in the solar system. See story 3.
If there are alien lifeforms floating around up there, let’s hope they’re more environmentally friendy than the strange invaders we’ve got lurking in the Great Lakes system. Learn more about some of these uninvited guests in story 4.
We’ll be taking a look at cottaging on the continent and explore the countryside of the south of France. On a slightly less cultural but more ecologically important note, we’ll also check out chemical toilets. And we'll meet legendary Muskoka real estate agent Anita Latner who will talk about one of the hottest cottage areas in North America, home to several Hollywood stars.
