Outdoors

Kick off the summer with canoes and a barbecue

Red canoe on the shore of a lake surrounded by trees. Photo by Dan Thornberg/Shutterstock

It’s here, folks. The fun season, I mean. Your summer officially started last night, at precisely 7:09 p.m. EDT, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. So take a deep breath and don’t blink, because you don’t want to miss it, they go by so quickly.

There are a couple of national events this weekend to help kick off the season, one to do with water and one with fire. Saturday is the fifth annual National Canoe Day. If you’re in the Peterborough area, the Canadian Canoe Museum has special activities planned this weekend. Also, next Tuesday, June 26, the museum is offering free admission all day. (And speaking of free, if you are a member of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, you are eligible for a free one-year membership at the museum, thanks to a new partnership between the museum and FOCA.)

June 23 is also National BBQ Day (not that anyone needs a special day to want to have a barbecue). To celebrate this event, go buy some local produce to cook up on the grill. The point is to support the food producers in your area, which is a great thing for cottagers to do all the time, plus the food is fresher and buying locally is better for the environment. Also, if you register your barbecue party, you could win a Napoleon grill or other prizes.

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