Canoe Polo Tournament

This past Saturday (July 23rd) was jam packed with events. I had the opportunity to visit the Canoe Polo Tournament. This tournament was situated in Bell Park at the Sudbury Canoe Club.

When I was making my way into the event grounds I could hear the loud cheers, music and kayaks in the water. It sounded like everyone was having fun. Shortly after I arrived, I discovered a canoe polo match taking place. For those who don’t know what canoe polo is, I will give you a little run down. Canoe polo consists of two teams of kayakers, one ball and two floating nets. The players must kayak around the water and try to get the ball in the other teams net.


These polo matches were very intense and the crowd was well involved, cheering every step of the way. I had a blast watching them attempt to kayak while trying to throw the ball in the opposite net. If you ever get the opportunity to watch these games, take it! It is definitely something you should see!

Pat

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Francophone Games 2011

This weekend I spent some time at the Francophone Games which took place at Bell Park and Laurentian University. It was very nice to see the Francophone community coming together and participate in such a great event.

I started at Bell Park with the Great Urban Canoe Adventure. It was really nice to see the participants all lined up and ready to go. The main race was at 9 am with a canoe trip across 5 lakes, starting from the beautiful Ramsey lake beach. Other participants in various categories were ready to race and enjoy the thrill of such a great adventure.

Later on during the day, I visited Laurentian University where more games were set up. There was basketball, live music, art demonstrations, food, and much more activities for all age groups. I had a blast, as I listened to some of the music. I wanted to play some basketball but my skills are not the greatest.

Over all it was a good day with a lot of positive energy in the air. The weather was perfect!

Here is a list of the medal count for the Francophone Games.



Pat

Blueberry Festival

Greater Sudbury is known for its wild blueberries. What other way to celebrate this unique feature then holding a week- long Blueberry Festival?

I attended the 'Blueberry Bash' at Market Square and what a bash it was. Hundreds of people filled the Market Square grounds to participate in the festivities. The most popular part of the Blueberry Bash was the blueberry pancakes. I jumped in line to get my hands on some of those fabulous pancakes. They were absolutely delicious. They served the pancakes with this amazing blueberry syrup. A couple of us tried to get the recipe but we were told it was a secret.

The front stage at Market Square was filled with performers. They started the morning off with Sudbury Zumba Dance. The crowd was right into it, participating in this fitness craze. As the day went on more performers took the stage.

They had free wagon rides, face painting and a clown on sight for the children. The day was absolutely perfect and it looked like everyone had a great time.

Shanna

Excellent Ways to Beat The Heat

It's no secret that things are heating up around Greater Sudbury. The weather is continuing to get hotter and hotter. First we complain it's too cold then we complain it's too hot (at least I know I do). Well it's time to put the complaining to an end and have some summer fun!
What better way to 'beat the heat' then enjoy these "cool" places around Greater Sudbury.
Jump in and cool off in one of our fresh water lakes. There are so many different ones to choose from. Click here to view a full list of beaches around Greater Sudbury.
Science North and Dynamic Earth are great places to visit to escape the heat. Great attractions in a cool environment- you can't go wrong with either of them!
Nothing beats a cold treat on that hot day. Cool off with some ice cream from Bitter Bills Ice Cream Parlour. Open in three locations around Greater Sudbury (New Sudbury, Downtown Sudbury and Val Caron).
Shanna

Gem & Mineral Show

Who doesn't like to be surrounded by a bunch of beautiful gems and minerals? This event is absolutely spectatular. I always look forward to this event each year. As a child, my mom used to take my sister and I every summer and she would always let us purchase one item. My first ring was purchased at the Gem & Mineral Show and I still have it to this day.

There are so many unique gem and minerals that you would probably never see anywhere else. You look at some of them and wonder how the earth can make something so beautiful. The colours and shapes are so different it's hard to believe they are real. I had the opportunity to speak to one of the vendors and he went into great detail about one of the crystals he mines and the different features it has. It was facinating to hear about.

The Gem & Mineral Show has a section for children with different activities all pertaining to gem and minerals. You can see smiles on their faces as they participated in these different activities. They have a silent auction, door prize and BBQ outside. This event is fun for the whole family. We hope to see you next year at the 30th Annual Gem & Mineral Show on July 20,21 and 22.

Shanna