Local Angler Wants Boaters to ‘Get it On”
Local Angler Wants Boaters to ‘Get it On”
THUNDER BAY – This week, professional angler, Gord Ellis, urged boaters to “Get it On!” in a new campaign aimed at encouraging people to wear a personal flotation device (PFD), also known as a life jacket. Ellis is the logical choice to promote PFDs because of his outspoken commitment to wearing his PFD while boating.
“Today’s modern PFDs are easy to wear, comfortable and don’t get in the way of fishing or boating,” says Ellis. ”Wearing a PFD is just a little insurance that you will have many fishing seasons to come, even if you do happen to fall out of the boat.
The “Get it On!” message is primarily aimed at males aged 30 – 65. Research shows this group is more frequently on the water and also less likely to wear a PFD. While the message ‘”Get it On!” uses humour to appeal to the audience, it is meant for boaters to take the importance of wearing PFDs seriously and to encourage them to wear a PFD while on the water instead of stowing them away.
The Canadian Red Cross estimates that up to 200 Canadians will drown this year as a result of boating related incidents. Public Health Nurse, Judi Marton, states that drowning occurs rapidly and soundlessly. Because drownings occur so quickly, averaging 20 seconds in small children and less than a minute in adults, there is usually no time to put on a PFD after falling into the water. “We’ve had seven drownings here in the Northwest over the past two years,” says Marton. “There is little time to react when disaster strikes.”
The campaign is the result of a successful community partnership between the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Ministry of Natural Resources, SAVE Committee, CBC Radio 88.3 and Canadian Tire. Besides posters and billboards, the campaign will feature a radio contest hosted by the Great Northwest on CBC Radio with prizes donated by Canadian Tire. A life-size cardboard cut-out featuring Gord Ellis sporting an inflatable PFD and holding a trophy-size fish will also be rotated through local fishing accessory outlets.
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Links provided courtesy of www.OntarioNewsNorth.com – Northwestern Ontario’s regional COMMUNITY paper!
