Station Beach gets Blue Flag for third year in a row
By Liz Dadson

Feature

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Helping to unfurl the Blue Flag at Station Beach are Chris Hartwick (L), Cory White, Trudy Nelson, Brenda Lance, Nicholas Rolfe of Environmental Defence, and mayor Larry Kraemer

For the third year in a row, Station Beach in Kincardine has received the international Blue Flag award.

This means the lakeshore location has met rigorous standards for water quality, safety and environmental management, said Nicholas Rolfe, Blue Flag co-ordinator with Environmental Defence.

Joined by officials from the Municipality of Kincardine and the Friends of the Boardwalk, Rolfe helped raise the Blue Flag at the beach Tuesday afternoon (June 23).

Rolfe said the beach must be re-certified each year to ensure it still meets the standards. "You should be proud of what you’ve done here," he said.

Aquatics director Brenda Lance said the major work done this year was removing "cottonaster" along the boardwalk because it is an invasive species that is not native to this area.

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23/06/2009 11:58 PM

She said the Blue Flag has actually flown for four years because Kincardine was a "candidate" beach as a pilot project the first year. "It’s great to be recognized for meeting international criteria, such as safety, amenities, and good water quality," she said. "Water quality is the most difficult to control."

Mayor Larry Kraemer said he is thrilled that the municipality is again flying a Blue Flag at Station Beach. "To be internationally recognized is a huge tourism draw," he said. "This beach is the focal point in the community during the summer."

See the new gift items in the renovated Kincardine Store