Congrats 2012 Blue Flag Awardees!

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So it's official - sixteen beaches and three marinas across Ontario have been awarded the Blue Flag, and more in British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia are getting ready to join the Blue Flag community and be considered for the award for as early as 2012.

We’re totally impressed by the record nineteen flags that went up today to reward the great work of the Blue Flag communities and operators that won them, and we're also very proud of our candidates. These candidate beaches and marinas accepted Blue Flag Canada's challenge to be recognized as the cleanest, most sustainable recreational shorelines in the world and they continue to do amazing work to meet Blue Flag's stringent criteria.

On that note, being a Blue Flag beach or marina is no small feat for an operator. The criteria are comprehensive and the site must meet all of them, from the best swim water quality, to the right level of safety provisions and services, to offering environmental education programs and ecosystem friendly maintenance practices.

All this so us swimmers and boaters can be confident that a Blue Flag site will have great water and our enjoyment of it will actually promote a healthy environment, rather than degrade its natural beauty.

So, congratulations again to our Blue Flag award winners in Bluewater, Central Elgin, Kincardine, Lambton Shores, Toronto, Town of the Blue Mountains, Town of the South Bruce Peninsula and Wasaga Beach. We are proud of them and the work we have done together, but we also give a special shout-out to our candidate communities as they make progress on meeting the criteria and raising the flag on their shores. Their drive and commitment to clean water and a healthy environment will go a long way protecting our beautiful shorelines for the enjoyment of future generations.

Do you have a favourite beach or marina in Canada that's not on our Blue Flag map that you think has what it takes to join the Blue Flag community? Let us know!