July 27, 2021

On July 15^th, during summer high season, the city of Barrie, Ontario was hit by a tornado that reached wind speeds of 210 kph and left a damage path five kilometers long and 100 metres wide. 11 people were hospitalized and 140 homes were damaged. Barrie is on the shores of the very popular and busy Lake Simcoe, which is part of the Trent Severn Waterway. 

The lake is ringed by cottages and there are many marinas in the immediate area as well.

According to the Globe & Mail newspaper, this was the most devastating tornado the southern Ontario city of 200,000 people had seen in 35 years. A tornado warning was broadcast to local television, radio and cell phones at 2:38 PM just as the tornado was touching down according to Environment Canada’s Ken Macdonald. Ideally forecasters can get their warnings out 15 minutes before an event, but the July 15^th tornado evolved more quickly than that.

The Globe & Mail story also noted that Canada gets more tornadoes than every country except the United States according to Environment Canada.

This is a real-life reminder that all boaters should pay close attention to the weather. A good idea would be to suggest ways that our customers, especially the newer boaters, can monitor the weather and plan to avoid potential problems. In this edition of Boating Industry Canada News Week Digest, check out the story called “Weather to Boat” it’s a free app available at no cost to boaters through the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC), with support from its members, partners, Environment and Climate Change Canada and funded through the Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund (SAR NIF), Public Safety. Check out the story below.

Also, this edition of News Week Digest features a round-up of the marine electronics new products from the past six months. Check these out for your business and your own personal boating interests.

Andy Adams – Editor