One of the many great things to do in Collingwood is the Collingwood Museum. Residents and visitors alike visit this completely free museum (by donation!) regularly. With special events, educational programs, archives, research facilities and a gift shop, the Collingwood Museum has it all! Volunteer-run, this museum gives a great opportunity for those in Collingwood to give back to their community.

This museum showcases Collingwood’s marine heritage for the last 150 years. The exhibits change throughout the year and there is a ship sidelaunch every 15 minutes. There are also some great activities for children. Take, for example, the kids programs this summer. All programs are only $12 and only $10 for museum members. The three-hour programs require registration and feature so much fun. Some of the best programs this July at the Collingwood Museum include:

• Sensational Sister Cities – features Collingwood’s sister cities, along with crafts and other fun activities related to those cities
• Kickstart my Art – everything from clay to fashion to birdhouses
• Blast from the Past – celebrating Collingwood’s amazing heritage with lessons on blacksmithing, ship crafts and railway history
• Water Week – learn about canoeing, fishing, sailing, rowing and swimming during this themed week that celebrates Collingwood’s nautical past and present

Becoming a member of the museum definitely has its advantages, like 20% off in the gift shop, 20% off photographic services, free access to the archives and research facilities, invitations to special events and special rates on museum trips.

Rated as the #2 thing to do in Collingwood on TripAdvisor after the Georgian Trail, it is definitely somewhere that young and old like to visit. The majority of the reviews give it an excellent or very good rating. Reviewers say it is a “small but interesting” museum with friendly staff. Visitors learn quite a bit about Collingwood and its history, as well as the history of the surrounding areas.

Open daily from 9am to 5pm, this might be a fun thing to do when the rain starts this fall!

It has been one scorcher of a summer in Collingwood so it is lucky we live on such a large and gorgeous lake. But, our hot and dry weather has prompted the Collingwood Fire Department to issue a fire ban, which means you can’t burn anything here or in the surrounding areas, for risk of fire.

Many communities in Ontario have fire bans in place right now, as dry conditions have led to an extreme risk of fires in forests and the homes that surround them.

When a fire ban is present in your community it means:

• No burning of brush
• No campfires
• No open flames (i.e., chimneas)
• No fireworks

As well, those who smoke should be extra careful to dispose of their lit cigarettes in a way that won’t be a potential fire cause.

While many are aware that they can’t have fires during a fire ban, many aren’t aware that fireworks also pose a significant risk.

While this may sound like a huge bummer, risking the burning down of our beautiful trees and other topography isn’t worth a night around the campfire.

As well, the Town of Collingwood could issue you a fine of up to $1,200 under the town bylaw if you do have a fire during a fire ban. On top of that, if someone needs to call the Collingwood Fire Service because of a fire during a fire ban, they could also charge you for their services.

In other words, be smart and don’t have an open air burning during the fire ban.

Officials don’t know when the fire ban will be lifted, but it will have to be after some significant rainfall, which, as the forecast looks, won’t happen anytime soon.

Enjoy the hot days by taking a swim in the lake, get out on a boat or stay inside in the air conditioning!

Want fresh and nutritious produce at a great price? Want to help those less fortunate in your community, to ensure they also have fruits and vegetables in their diet? The Georgian Good Food Box Program can help you do both.

This non-for-profit organization is essentially a buying club that purchases fresh produce and distributes it in the Southern Georgian Bay area, including Collingwood. They buy it wholesale and pass on those savings to you. All members are volunteers, which is also another great opportunity for Collingwood residents to give back to their community. If you can lift up to 20 pounds, you can volunteer with the Good Food Box Program.

Orders are placed on the second Wednesday of each month and packed and ready for pick up every third Wednesday of the month. There are a number of spots to place orders in Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Stayner and Creemore. The pick-up for Collingwood is at the Legion at 499 Ontario Street from 11:30 to 2pm every third Wednesday. You can place your order at the Collingwood Community Resource Center or Breaking Down Barriers. If you choose, you can place an order online using PayPal.

Just so you can realize what a great deal you are getting, a large box only costs $15, while a medium one is $10. If you do order online, there is a $1 processing fee.

Because the costs are so low, you might want to consider donating what you would have spent at the grocery store to ensure others are provided with fresh fruit and vegetables. Georgian Good Food Box donates free boxes to fixed-income families.

While the Georgian Good Food Box Program is not new, it is worth mentioning such a great resource we have in the Collingwood community. Not only does it help ensure families are getting good quality and fresh produce at affordable prices, it provides opportunities to make our community better.

If you follow them on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll get reminders to put in your order right in your newsfeed. They’ve also got some great recipes on how to use up all that yummy produce.

July is here and the weather is hot! People may be retreating to their backyard pools, down to Wasaga Beach or hiding in their basements. When the weather goes above 25 degrees, many people turn their air conditioning on to keep their homes cool. But, air conditioning can be very costly on the hydro bill and is also not the greatest for the environment. There are some tricks to keeping your home cool, while saving money and the environment by keeping the air conditioning to a minimum.

Turn it off when you leave

There are two schools of thought on this – many believe that by leaving the air conditioning running when you aren’t home, you’ll keep a stable temperature and the air conditioner won’t have to work as hard to cool the home. Others believe that even if the air conditioner has to do extra work when you get home, it is still going to run less than if you had left it on all day. Which theory is correct? It is actually much more efficient to turn your air conditioning off when you leave the home. Air conditioners run better when they can run longer, rather than turn off and on throughout the day to cool the air by just one degree. You’ll save money and help your air conditioner have a longer life too.

Install ceiling fans

While this might seem like a basic idea, it really works. If you are really only in a few rooms most of the day, install the fans in those rooms (like bedroom, living room and kitchen). While the temperature of the air will stay the same, you will feel cooler from the moving air. But, the trick is that fans work most optimally at temperatures below 100 degrees F. You really also only want to use the fan when you are in the room, because they can actually heat up the room! It will also do no good to waste that energy (and money) when you aren’t getting the benefit. Ceiling fans are a great complement to air conditioning as well, so you don’t have to keep the thermostat temperature as low.

Create crosswinds

If it is hot outside but there is a breeze, get that breeze blowing through your house. Open all of the windows, but ensure that you have windows that are opened opposite each other. It might take some experimentation, but you can find the best crosswind (just ensure doors are propped open or they may blow shut).

Close the window dressings

Rather than bringing cool air in, by closing all blinds and curtains you’ll keep the hot sun out. By keeping the heat out, your house will remain cooler and hopefully you won’t have to turn on the A/C. If your blinds or curtains are sheer or translucent, this won’t work as well, as the room will get some light and heat.

Keep cool people!

Summer is here and while that means BBQs, beach time and blooms all around, it also means thieves are out prowling your neighbourhood. Summer is the time of year where thefts from automobiles, garages and yards go up. This makes sense considering the weather is nice and people tend to leave out things like bicycles, yard equipment and more in the nice weather. As well, statistics show that thieves are more likely to be out and about when it is nice. It is proven that thefts go down on rainy and stormy days too. Just this weekend, a number of vehicles in Collingwood were entered and wallets, cash and a computer were stolen!

How can you protect yourself?

The answer is very simple – lock your doors. Many police organizations encourage residents to lock it or lose it. The reason for this is also simple – most thieves who steal from easy-access areas like unlocked vehicles or open garages aren’t looking to spend time breaking in. They want to open a door, take your stuff and run off. Breaking into a vehicle takes time and makes the risk of getting caught much higher. Breaking a window or having to pick a lock just to get a wallet or phone from someone’s vehicle isn’t worth it for these types of thieves.

You’ll also want to ensure that you don’t leave your garage doors open while you are out, inside or away from the front of your house. More advanced thieves sometimes prowl neighbourhoods looking for these opportunities to steal tools or automotive equipment from your garage. Thieves on foot might also take this opportunity to steal your bike, radio or other valuables.

What if I forget?

Many people use the excuse that they didn’t lock their vehicle because they forgot. It is very easy to do, especially if you are carrying in groceries, screaming toddlers or had a frazzled day at work and just want to get to that glass of wine. But, if you are parking at a mall, at work or another venue, do you ever forget to lock your vehicle? In the same way that you remember to lock your vehicle away from your home, you can remember to lock it when you get home. Make it a habit to lock your car every time you leave it and you’ll be happy with the results. You’ll also want to ensure your windows are done up to the top, so it isn’t easy for the  thief to get their hands in and unlock the vehicle themselves.

As well, don’t ever leave anything of value in your vehicle. That way, if you do forget to lock it, the thieves will have wasted their time rummaging through your vehicle. Thieves have stolen valuable items like passports, wallets filled with cash and credit cards, expensive GPS units and more from people who didn’t lock up and left it for the taking. When you lock your doors at night before bed, consider if your car is secure as well.

Summer in Collingwood is always fantastic, no matter which way you look at it. But even more fantastic are Sidelaunch Days. Sidelaunch Days is Collingwood’s annual harbour festival and it is held every August. This year Sidelaunch Days happens on August 6^th and 7^th.

There are some truly amazing events happening during Sidelaunch Days. These include:

• Stand up paddling races and demos
• Sailing regatta
• Imagination playground
• Endurable I dockside tours
• War canoe and kayak trials
• Kites over Collingwood
• Kids kite and kraft centre
• War canoe tug of war
• Live and original encore concert
• Promenade market
• Parade of lights boat parade
• Harbour boat tours
• Bard by the Bay theatrical production
• Waterside yoga session

You’ll want to check out all of their events on their website, because the entire event is going to have fun for the whole family.

While there are too many events to get into the specifics of each one, the biggest event happening each year at Sidelaunch Days is the SUP races and demos. SUP has exploded in the last few years as it is a great workout and so much fun. The races are sure to entertain and there will be four different races occurring in the harbour, so all skills levels can enter and try out. If you’ve never tried SUP, there will demos throughout the weekend to show you what you need to know.

The Collingwood Sailing School Sidelaunch Regatta is also a not-to-be-missed event, which happens at 2pm on August 7^th and you can watch from the shore. You can hear live commentary from the Amphitheatre.

Occuring from 12pm to 4pm each day, the Imagination Playground and Drinking Water Exploration station is sure to delight the kids where the live demonstrations don’t. If that doesn’t pique the kid’s interests, maybe the kids kite and kraft centre will. Located at the waterfront promenade, they can decorate a complimentary kit and get their faces painted.

Located at various spots in Collingwood’s harbour, Sidelaunch Days’ events occur at Millenium Park, the Side Lunch Dockside Bar, the Sidelaunch Basin and more. There is also a shuttle so you don’t need to park at the water.

If you want to be a vendor, that is very simple as well. Simply download the vendor application form to get your chance to be a part of this great event.

Sidelauch Days is a great event for both residents and visitors to the Collingwood area.