Wearing Lifejackets is Part of the Tradition
John Bowlby and Rick Terry, Muskoka Lakes Association
receiving award from Barbara Byers, CSBCFor its poster promoting the 2012 Antique Boat Show in the region, the Muskoka Lakes Association (Ontario) takes home the Canadian Safe Boating Council’s 2012 CASBA for advertising Personal Flotation Device (PFD) wear.
Every two years for the past four decades, the Muskoka Lakes Association has hosted a spectacular event for local residents and tourists alike, showcasing lovingly maintained and restored antique boats. While the Association identifies a unique theme for each show, its underlying purpose is always to celebrate the golden era of Muskoka boat building and to commemorate its rich historical connection with the region. For each show, the Association prints a unique collectible poster, promoting the year’s theme; many of these have come to adorn the walls of local cottages over the years.
It will come as no surprise to many boating enthusiasts that a day on the water has gained such popularity in recent years that our waterways are coming to resemble crowded highways. Given their beauty and accessibility, the Muskoka Lakes have not escaped this evolution. It was this emerging fact that prompted the Association (whose mandate is also to promote boating safety) to incorporate safety into this year’s theme; combining the timelessness of children enjoying an afternoon outing in the boat, the Association wanted to reinforce the need to boat safely. The two young girls depicted in the collectible poster (sisters Alison and Nicole Grant) are wearing their lifejackets while enjoying the speed and spray from the stern seat of the Bob Bet, a sleek 26 foot 1936 Greavette Commander. For 75 years this boat has thrilled children and adults alike. It’s a tradition.
Hundreds of copies of the poster were sold to show attendees, and the scene it depicted was adopted by the local media to promote the event, thus ensuring an enduring and indelible message of that boating fun and boating safety go hand in hand.
