Discover the water at Nautical Fest 2017
With the weather finally feeling somewhat like summer, there is no better timing for the Nautical Fest. Going on to its sixth edition, the fest will delight Townshippers with a variety of water-based activities for anyone to enjoy.
Taking the idea all the way from France, Xavier Colas, coordinator of the fest and communications and public relations director for the Quebec Maritime Association (QMA), expressed the QMA’S wish to make nautical activities more visible and accessible to everyone.
“We brought the fest to Quebec in order to dispel some of the misconceptions some people have regarding nautical activities,” said Colas. “People seem to believe that water sports are just for the rich, but that’s not necessarily true.” He gave examples of affordable watersports such as river surfing, which is gaining popularity in Quebec. “We want people to discover these sports which are
The City of Sherbrooke is advising the public that the special collection of bulky and wood residue will be held next week in the boroughs of Lennoxville and Fleurimont. The collection of cardboard waste will also be held in Fleurimont, Lennoxville and Montbellevue.
July 1 movers caught between an old and a new place left piles of bulky items outside a week early, giving an opportunity for salvage experts to retrieve items that could be sold, reused or recycled.
· Separate waste into two distinct clusters: for bulky and- wood residue.
· Deposit at the curb, after 7 p.m. on the day before pick-up, and no later than 8 a.m. on the usual day of collection.
accessible. It won’t cost you a boat to have fun.”
Spanning all throughout Quebec on July 8 and 9, the fest solicits the participation of marinas, boating schools, clubs and ports to provide free or lowpriced nautical fun for everyone.
“We try to have the events be free as much as possible,” said Colas. “I’d say around 75 per cent of the activities are.”
The coordinator added that nautical companies are more often than not happy to participate in the festival, as the QMA’S event provides them with ample public visibility.
“People get to see all the different activities they can do. They find out that it’s not so exclusive after all. We just want to get the Quebecois population interested in water sports,” commented Colas. “Boating schools will often give out specials during the fest. Everyone is happy to participate, especially when there is a good cause involved.”
According to Colas, the QMA has partnered with British Columbia-based charity Boat for Hope (known as Pirates de l’espoir in French) for a second time this year.
“We want everyone to be out on the water and that includes low-income families and children with mental or physical disabilities,” he said. “We give them free accessibility to the water, we want to integrate everyone, including their families as well.”
The Nautical Fest along with Boat for Hope arrange a wide range of fun for these kids, including face painting, boat rides, magic shows, pirate costumes and treasure hunts. Colas claimed that last year was a hit.
“It was real success. We had around 500 children. This year we’re expecting at least 200 more, and people are still signing up.”
He confessed that the 150th celebration of Canada, along with the 375th of Montreal were somewhat interfering with the fest.
“Typically we have about 100 to 115 events, this year we have a bit less, with around 80. In 2017 many marinas are too busy. It’s been a record year for tourism, so there aren’t many availabilities. It’s not that they don’t want to participate, they simply don’t have the time.”
Regardless, Colas assured that he has no doubt that the fest will be a hit once again.
Townshippers will be able to head over to one of three sites to participate in the Nautical Fest. In Cowansville, there will be free kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals, as well as an introductory class on paddleboard yoga, free swimming and all day beach access. Over in Mansonville, the O’kataventure station will be offering 2 for 1 specials on three-hour kayak rentals. For more diverse family friendly activities, head down to Sherbrooke’s Lucien-blanchard Park, where there will be beach volley ball, 10 per cent off boat rentals, nautical sports, fishing and much more.
For further information, www.fetedunautisme.ca. visit