Blue Flag Celebrates 25 Years!

Jun
08
2012
This year, the international Blue Flag program is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

When you see a Blue Flag flying, you know a beach is safe to swim in—because it has been certified by an independent jury of experts against strict criteria for water quality, environmental management, safety and services and environmental education.

 
Blue Flag is popular, too. When the program started in 1987 there were 452 beaches and marinas – fast forward to today and you can see how it has grown. There are 3,489 Blue Flags flying in 46 countries!
 
Canada joined Blue Flag in 2005, with the first Blue Flags awarded to four beaches in Toronto. There are now flags flying at 17 beaches and four marinas throughout the country. This year we are excited to welcome three new provinces to the Blue Flag community: Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Quebec. With Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia as a candidate beach, we are looking forward to flying the Blue Flag from coast to coast next summer!
 
Number of Blue Flag Beaches and Marinas Worldwide: 1987 - 2012 
 

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Feb
02
2013

Grand Beach MB, Blue Flag Beach


Amanda says:

So last summer you named Grand Beach as a Blue Flag Beach. I had made a comment about how the water contains blue-green algae which causes eutrophication and that the beach should not be named as a Blue Flag Beach. Your response was that they are trying to fix Lake Winnipeg and basically all is well with the beach. Well it has now been named the most threatened lake in the world. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/02/02/mb-lake-winnipeg...

Take a look.

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