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.

With the beautiful weather we’ve been having in this region (except the last few days!) lately, many of you may have been taking advantage of the incredible water-related resources we have in Collingwood on Georgian Bay. Whether that is swimming (brrr!!!), kayaking, SUPing or boating, we definitely have a gift in the gorgeous waters surrounding our town.

But, did you know that you need to have a licence to operate a powered watercraft? Even sea-doos and small boats with a motor need an operator with a valid Personal Craft Operator Card. It also does not matter what age you are, you require this card to operate any motorized watercraft.

You might be thinking this is a bit of a pain in the butt, but because of the severity of boat accidents and the number of boating fatalities each year, this card is a necessity in many Canadian provinces.

Getting your Boating card is actually really not that difficult. There are some great online certifications that take no time at all. You’ll get your licence as soon as you pass the test! If you don’t have a licence with you while operating a personal watercraft, the fine is $250, which probably isn’t worth it, especially because it could also subject you to more fines if other rules of the boat aren’t being followed.

Boater Exam offers online courses with animations and visual questions for you to learn the rules of the water. You’ll then take an online exam. Once you pass, you can print a temporary card and wait for your card to come in the mail.

Boatsmart Exam is another online course with exam that offers basically the same services and you’ll get free unlimited tries. They also say that 96% of people pass on the first try.

BoatingLicense.ca offers a 3-hour online course, with a 75-minute exam. Spending five hours to learn how to boat, safety techniques and more is definitely worth it, considering the card is good for a lifetime.

You can also look around the internet for coupons for whichever course you choose to take. Oftentimes there are coupons for $5 off the course, which is also helpful.

Boating in our Great Lakes is a privilege that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Do it responsibly by not drinking while in control of a motorized boat and by getting all the proper documentation you need to operate the boat. Enjoy our beautiful Georgian Bay!

Spring has sprung and what beautiful weather we’ve been having! Many of you have been getting out into your gardens and getting your plants and flowers tended to and looking great!

I want to introduce you to a really great program in our community that is right up the alley of all of you gardeners out there. It is called the Collingwood Seed Library and it is located at the Collingwood Public Library.

This free community seed project lets you sow a seed and save a seed. Essentially, you’ll head into the library where you can help yourself to a packet of seeds for garden. The seed packets are completely free, but there is a fun little catch. At the end of the season, you’ll save some of the seed from your garden and donate it back to the seed library for the following year.

The purpose of saving seeds for the following years is to build up a stock of seed that is well-suited to the Collingwood area. Using local seeds helps build strong gardens and saves you money from purchasing seeds (that may not have been sown locally).

The Collingwood Seed Library was started with generous financial donations from members of the Collingwood community. Starting with heirloom seed varieties, the seed library began on its mission. If you don’t know what heirloom seeds are, they breed exactly as they were meant to, just like their parents, whereas commercially-grown seeds are technically hybrid seeds.

You don’t have to donate only heirloom seeds and you can donate any type of extra seed that you have.

Examples of seeds that grow well in our community include:

• Bush Bean
• Pole Bean
• Cucumber
• Lettuce
• Melon
• Peas
• Pumpkin
• Radish
• Tomato
• Herbs

If gardening is in your blood, you should also check out the Collingwood Horticulture Society. At their next meeting in June, they’ll answer the question “How does your garden grow?” with master gardeners answering anything you need to know. There is also a summer flower and vegetable show in August.

Not many other communities can boast a seed library, although there is a great one in Toronto as well.