‘The spirit of Sand Bay’: Community hosts weekend of fun

August 3, 2021

Register Now & Get Access to 4 Free Stories Per Month

Fort-Coulonge interim DG resigns

Sheen Archives hosts first St. Patrick’s tea

Otter Lake Winter Carnival parties on despite rain

David Francey wows fans at Little Red Wagon

Samonix partners with Swedish company for fish farming tech

Calumet man conquers Mount Kilimanjaro

Wyman Women’s Institute Cook Book: Johnny Cake

Clarendon teen takes hockey gold at Jeux du Québec

Giant Tiger donates $4,500 to Bouffe Pontiac

The Equity

Julien St-Jean and Jorge Maria

Sand Bay July 31, 2021

The Sand Bay Association’s annual fun day had enough fun to last the whole weekend, with events spread out across both Saturday and Sunday.

The weekend’s events included a flotilla of community boats, sand castle building, a community parade, tie-dye on the beach, an Amazing Race style scavenger hunt, a live music beach party and fireworks to wrap up the weekend. There were also games and lunch sold by Billy T’s on the beach.

“It’s a great community and we like to keep it that way,” said Barb Shoobert, who helped organize the parade. Shoobert has attended the fun day since she was a little girl and said that the goal of the weekend has always been to “put a smile on people’s faces.”

She added that many community members helped organize the weekend’s activities. “Everybody pitches in to do their best and keep the spirit of Sand Bay alive,” said Shoobert.

The Saturday flotilla’s theme was pirates, with boaters forming a fleet of make-shift pirate ships from their various boats, kayaks and other watercraft. Many of the pirate decorations were then reused in the next day’s parade, moving the weekend’s pirate armada out of the sea and onto the roads.

But it wasn’t just pirates, Santa also made an appearance in the parade outfitted with his summer attire. Many of the parade floats threw out candy as they toured the community.

Outfitted in his summer attire, Santa joined in for Sand Bay’s parade.

Due to last year’s pandemic restrictions, the fun day’s Amazing Race was held virtually. This year, however, the race was held in person. This was done because of loosened restrictions as well as difficulties last year with internet and cell service.

Ten teams traversed the six km radius of Sand Bay looking for answers to clues then racing back to a central rally point for nothing more than the glory of victory.

Last year’s winners Maureen Levesque and Karolina Baker were given the opportunity to hold the event due to their previous success.

The Tokyo Drifters roll into the rally point for more clues during the scavenger hunt.

By race end, rain came pelting down, but that didn’t dampen enthusiasm as most racers were smiling from ear to ear.

“When I was little, it was better than Christmas,” said Alexa Deeble about the weekend. Deeble attended the parade with her nieces Ena Cohen and Olivia Deeble.

“It’s 100 fun,” said four-year-old Ena after the parade. “It’s the best weekend in the whole wide world.”

Photos from the weekend

Teason Stewart and Josephine Beaudoin sit on the back of their golf cart-pirate ship before the parade.

Karolina Baker and Maureen Levesque, organizers of Sand Bay’s Amazing Race scavenger hunt.

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!