Blue Flag status at Bell Park Main Beach; June 25, 2015
Blue Flag status at Bell Park Main Beach; June 25, 2015

By Angela Gemmill

An international symbol of clean, sustainable water is now flying at Bell Park.

The Main Beach was awarded the highly-respected Blue Flag status from Environmental Defence, during a flag-raising ceremony today.

Program Coordinator, Kristie Ulicny says beaches and marinas are judged on water quality, environmental education and management, and safety and services.

Environmental Defence inspects the beach beforehand and then checks twice a summer to ensure the strict standards are being met.

Beaches have to observe all the criteria to keep their flags.

One of the water quality standards is that beaches have to meet their provincial water quality standards 80% percent of the time to keep the Blue Flag.

Ulicny says the Blue Flag is well known with 4,000 beaches and marinas around the globe flying them, including 26 in Canada.

Bell Park Main Beach in Sudbury the only one in Northern Ontario.

The next closest is in Parry Sound.

(Picture: Greater Sudbury Deputy Mayor Al Sizer & Environmental Defence Program Coordinator Kristie Ulicny raise the Blue Flag at Bell Park Main Beach; June 25, 2015)