Keeping in touch

We thought that we were doing a good job of keeping everybody informed. Then we learned that some people were not aware of the many different methods that existed to keep in touch with what is happening at Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park. So we are going to make a concerted effort to be better communicators about our communications! We have added several new electronic contact options. Plus we have installed a bulletin board in the clubhouse that features a paper version of the news and events for those who don't use the internet.

So keep in touch using:

• Email: Subscribe on the front page of the Bare Oaks website at www.BareOaks.ca and get blog updates by email. Or click here to subscribe right now.
• Website: Read the blog right on the website at blog.BareOaks.ca.
• Twitter: Get notifications of new posts (with a link) at twitter.com/BareOaksPark
• Facebook: Become a fan of our facebook page and read the blog on the page or get notices of new posts on our wall. facebook.com/BareOaksPark
• Blog RSS/Atom feed: If you know how to subscribe to an RSS or Atom feed you can get updates in your favourite feed reader. blog.BareOaks.ca/feeds/posts/default
• In person at the park: You can read printouts of the blog posts and the calendar on the bulletin board at the member’s entrance near the store/office. But remember that it may take the paper format a few days to catch up with the electronic version.

Note that the events posted on the calendar are not announced in the blog newsletter. There are just too many of them. To keep up with those, view the calendar at www.bareoaks.ca/Bare-Oaks/Events.html or subscribe to the Bare Oaks Google Calendar.

We use Google Calendar to publish Bare Oaks’ Event Schedule. This gives you a great deal of advantages. You can subscribe to our calendar and it will then be included in your own calendar. Events will be automatically updated. You can also add specific events to your calendar or subscribe to event reminders. For more information, go to http://www.google.com/intl/en/googlecalendar/overview.html

If you have an ICS/iCalendar enabled calendar program (e.g. Microsoft Outlook 2003, Mozilla Calendar or Apple iCal) you can subscribe to the calendar and have Bare Oaks events automatically added. The calendar address is:

http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/422s6e12r8dfkjbqa50drkbmks%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

More information on the iCalendar format can be found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICalendar

...or you can read the printed version of the calendar on the bulletin board inside the clubhouse near the store/office.

Grower’s Cider nude ads

In early June, we received a call from Westside Studios, Canada's largest Advertising and Design Photography facility. They were inquiring about using the park to shoot some photography featuring nudity for a campaign they were putting together. Having spent 15 years in advertising, I was very familiar with both Westside Studios and the process. I jumped at the opportunity. It was a chance to make a bit of money in location fees and it would also be fun. I didn’t know who the client was nor did I know what kind of photos they would be taking. But I wasn’t worried because I knew that any work done by Westside studio would be for a major and very public campaign. Besides, the ad most certainly wouldn’t name Bare Oaks as the location anyways. They were coming to us because, when you want to shoot people naked outdoors, your options are limited. We agreed tentatively on June 12th. The final decision would be made the day before depending on the weather.

As the cast and crew arrived very early in the morning, each one very nervously entered our main office. The producer came to the front desk and explained that two of the models cancelled out at the last minute. (cold feet?) He asked if we knew anyone at the park who would be interested in stepping in. He then added that it was a paying job. Well, I’m nude all day anyway and it certainly doesn’t bother me to be in an ad campaign so I jumped right in. Stony, who happened to be hanging around was also quick to volunteer.

While being nude in an ad is no big deal, being a model is certainly a lot of work. It took most of the day to setup 3 scenes and shoot enough material for the 3 pictures they wanted. The non-naturist models were a bit apprehensive at first but soon got right into it and stopped getting dressed between sessions. I guess having Stony and I nude all the time probably helped them. Plus the other members who kept walking by and watching also set the tone. None of the crew stripped off but that was probably due to the peer pressure of being there with their co-workers. The models had the excuse to be nude since that was their job. But an excuse was not needed that day given the warm sunny weather.

The photographer, Matt Barnes, did take all his clothes off for the group shot at the end. And one of the models loved Bare Oaks so much that she has since spent several days at the park with her friend.

The campaign is for Grower’s Cider. The original ads were on billboards and transit shelters in British Columbia and Alberta at the beginning of the summer. The ads feature images of naturists enjoying Growers in various outdoor settings with headlines like, “Being All Natural is Quite Refreshing. And Chilly.” Andy Shortt, the founder of HQvB, the agency behind the campaign says that Growers is a natural and unassuming brand, and “who’s more unpretentious than people who don’t wear clothes?”

See the ads here: http://www.huxleyquayle.com/2009/09/growers-cider/

That set of ads was so popular that it inspired a new promotion. I was contacted in August for permission to use my likeness in the extended campaign. I didn’t mind and it also meant more money!

They created a website where you can upload any picture of your choosing and have the site "nudify" the pictures which are then posted to the site's gallery. Three pictures will win $500. By “nudifying” they mean that you insert the picture of one of us (the original models in the ads) into your own picture. “You can take any bland, boring holiday or family photo and you put a nudist into it, it makes it kind of funny,” said Shortt. Naturists have so far been added to events like family camping trips and wedding pictures.

Take a look yourself: http://www.growersaunaturale.com/

Credits:

Advertising Agency: HQvB, Toronto, Canada

Creative Directors: Andy Shortt, Mark Tawse-Smith, Chris Hall

Copywriter: Mark Tawse-Smith

Photography: Westside Studios, Toronto

Photographer: Matt Barnes

Production Company: Lollipop, Toronto

Creative Director/designer: Michael Gramlow

Executive Producer: Amanda Loughran

Web Developer: Amanda Lutz

Flash Developer: Jim Bachalo

Nude Volleyball in January

Indoor Naturist New Year's

Volleyball Tournament

London, Ontario

Saturday Jan 2nd

RSVP: volleyball@BareOaks.ca

Location

Spikes Indoor Beach Volleyball

120 Weston Street

http://www.spikes.on.ca

Click here to see a map.

Details

Signup and registration: 9am

Game play: 10am-6pm

All play is NUDE, unless your parent requested otherwise!

Cost: about $15 per person with a $30 family rate depending how many show

(we are just covering cost of rental & prizes)

Spikes now has 4 beach volleyball courts.

Levels

A 4 on 4

B 4 on 4

Novice Plus 6 on 6

Novice 6 on 6

Click here to subscribe to the Volleyball Newsletter

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Hotel Recommendations by Chris:

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Closest

Country Inn & Suites by Carlson

774 Base Line Rd East

(519) 430-1150

www.countryinns.com/londonon

Nicest

Best Western Lamplighter Inn and Conference Centre

591 Wellington Rd

(519) 681-7151

www.lamplighterinn.ca

Cheapest

Super 7 Motel Inc

697 Wellington Rd

(519) 681-7272

www.super7motel.ca

View Larger Map

Hot Pool Update

The pool temperature is not climbing as fast as we expected. The water temperature has climbed overnight from 10ºC (50ºF) to 16ºC (61ºF) in about 10 hours. As such, it will not likely reach a decent temperature until late in the day. So we're keeping it going through tomorrow (Sunday). So if you are brave and hardy, please feel free to have a dip today. If not, you are welcome anytime tomorrow!

Ultimately, this is a useful test. As mentioned in the previous post, the propane heater is all new. We're getting very useful data on performance that we can use next year. We're also making sure that it works up to specifications.

Photo by: pntphoto

Trailer Show this weekend

This weekend is the Toronto Fall RV Show and Sale at the Toronto Congress Centre. If you have been thinking of getting a new trailer, this is a great opportunity to touch and feel all the different types. In addition, there are great deals to be had for those people who are willing to make a deal at the show.

At the show you can tour many different models and types. From tent trailers to park model trailers. To understand the difference, visit the Go RVing website by clicking here.

One of the brands that Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park sells, Northlander Industries, will be at the show. Ask for Kyle or Morgan from Cedar Beach if you visit. Special promotional pricing is available at the show only.

www.TorontoFallRVshow.ca

• Friday Oct. 16: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (discount price after 5 p.m.)
• Saturday Oct. 17: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sunday Oct. 18: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Click here for directions.

Hot Pool Party

As part of the upgrades for the new hot tub, we have installed a propane heater. It is faster and more effective at heating the hot tub than an electrical heater. It will also be able to do double-duty as a pool heater. We still plan on making good use of the environmentally-friendly solar heating system. But, from time to time, the pool drops in temperature quite a bit during cold spells. (like this past summer!) The solar system can take days to bring the temperature of the pool back up. So when we see good weather coming, we can now switch the hot tub's propane heater with a few valves to warm up the pool several degrees. Then, we will let the solar heating system do the rest.

So now that it is connected, we're announcing what we plan on making a yearly tradition:

The End-of-the-Season HOT POOL Party
Saturday, October 24th
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Last chance to swim in the pool before it closes for the season. We will be using the new propane heater to bring the pool up to a balmy temperature so, regardless of the outside weather, it will be nice in the pool!

After that, we will be closing the pool for the season.

Seasonal Water Shutdown
Please note that the seasonal water will be shut off on Monday October 19th. (which affects mostly the campsites in Becket Circle) But we will keep the water running in the Beckett Circle washrooms and indoor showers for a while longer.

Hot Tub Update
We're getting very close to having the new hot tub operational. We're now waiting for delivery of a sand filter (that was not originally part of the plan we were given) and the 5 horsepower pump that will power the jets. The first pump specified turned out to be the wrong one. It needed 3-phase electricity and we only have a single phase available in the park. Once that arrives, it should only be a few days worth of work to finish all the connection and then a few more days of testing. Once that is done, we will need approval from the health department before we can open it up. It will be several more weeks before the new windows are installed but we will start using the tub even if the windows are not in.

Members' Meeting

When: Sunday Nov 1, 2009
11 am – 1 pm

It's time again for the annual member's meeting. All members are invited to come and get an update on what's happening at Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park and ask questions. Food and drink will be served.

Photo by liam de burca

Keeping Bare Oaks' ponds, lakes and rivers clean

As naturists we seek to live in harmony with nature. As part of that commitment, we are doing our best to create as natural an environment as possible.

There has been some discussion about the health of our ponds and lake. You can rest assured that they are in great condition. What you are seeing is the result of a great deal of work and expense to bring the water bodies into ecological balance. That way, all of the plants, animals, insects and amphibians work together to keep the water clean. The proof is that when we send water samples to a lab to test the water quality of Gymnos Pond and Lake Beamor, they both come back well below the limits. In the last test, both samples were at less than 10% of the bacteria level that closes beaches in Ontario. (some level of bacteria is normal) That level is so low that the test results don't report an exact number. They just say that it is less than 10.

The most important changes can be seen in Lake Beamor. We use only natural techniques to keep the lake clean. Aerators, natural bacteria and native plants are some of the methods we employ. We have taken steps to create a naturalized shoreline. (Except for the beach area so that we can all enjoy a freshwater swim.) An ecologically balanced body of water is beautiful to look at, delightful to swim in, and fun to fish.

There are two key parts:

1. Aquatic plants that grow in the shallow portions of the lake add aesthetic character and provide valuable ecological functions. Aquatic plants stabilize banks, oxygenate the water, absorb nutrients, (which prevents algae growth) provide shelter and spawning habitat for fish and amphibians, and are a food source for wildlife.
2. A riparian buffer is also important. This is the strip of shrubs and grasses that line the edge of the pond. It intercepts sediments, pathogens, pesticides, fertilizers and other contaminants that could reduce water quality and harm fish habitat in streams, creeks and rivers. It also prevents erosion of the bank and improves habitat for fish by shading and cooling the water.

Preventing shoreline erosion and filtering run off is very important because sediment in the runoff from the land will:

• slowly fill the pond over time
• cloud the water
• reduce water quality
• serve as a source of nutrients that promotes algae growth
• harm the fish that live in the water

So everyone can enjoy the rich and diverse nature of Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park in confidence. We can all feel good that we are living by the basic tenets of naturism. Of course, our very presence is having an impact on the environment. But our efforts will help minimize any detrimental effects and hopefully prevent any permanent repercussions.

Final Numbers - World Record Skinny-Dip

On July 11th, 2009 at 3 p.m. 95 members and visitors at Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park contributed to the 13,648 people who simultaneously skinny-dipped in 140 locations across North America for a Guinness World Record. See the video of the event at Bare Oaks: http://www.youtube.com/BareOaks

The closure of Glen Echo

I was very sad to hear that Glen Echo Nudist Park, Ontario's oldest continuously operating naturist club, was closing. In a letter dated August 21st, Mary and Edward Todorowsky (the founders and owners of Glen Echo) announced that the park would be closed effective October 1st. Apparently, the property has been sold to an individual as a private residence.

Several people have asked me whether I'm happy about this. After all, it is well known that I tried to purchase Glen Echo several years ago and it ended in a disagreement between the owners and I. Some also theorize that Glen Echo is competition for Bare Oaks given that they are a mere 30 kilometers away.

The fact is that I am sad that 54 years of naturist history is coming to such an abrupt end. I'm also sad for the hundreds of people who grew up at Glen Echo or who raised their children and grand children there. Many members are being forced to abandon elaborate cabins that have been constructed and expanded over the decades.

It has certainly generated a lot of press. See:

• Toronto Star August 28
• Metro News August 28
• Toronto Sun August 29
• CTV News September 2

From a business standpoint, the loss of a naturist park in the Toronto area is a bad thing. We are not in competition with each other. There are at least 400,000 people in the Greater Toronto Area, according to a survey by the Federation of Canadian Naturists, who are interested in naturism. If I add up all the clubs in the Toronto area, I only get to less than 5,000 members. Even if I assume that another 5,000 people are visitors and not members, that still leaves 390,000 people unaccounted for. If we assume a huge margin of error (which is unlikely given the methodology) I am still left wondering where the other 90,000 people are.

In my opinion, they are not visiting naturist clubs because of a lack of awareness. When I talk about Bare Oaks to my neighbours I frequently get a surprised reaction that "there are places like that in Ontario." All naturist clubs need to work together to get the word out. If we managed to get another 10,000 people participating in naturism, we would all be completely overwhelmed! That's why we need more clubs than less.

It's true that Glen Echo's membership had been dropping steadily in the last decade. But that's not because there aren't people interested in naturism. The steady growth of young families (who have never tried naturism before) joining Bare Oaks proves that. Glen Echo could have continued to be very successful. But to do that, they needed to improve their offering. People are no longer willing to camp in a tent without water and electricity. That was fine in the 1970's but today they want 30 amps for their dishwasher and microwave. People also work more hours and have less leisure time so when to join a club, they expect full service and modern amenities. Gone are the days where naturist club members would all pitch in to clean, mow the lawn and cut down the trees on weekends. Now, members expect to be served but they are willing to pay for it.

So all this has motivated me to start working with the remaining three clubs in the Toronto area. The Ponderosa was sold several years ago and has spent a lot of money improving the amenities. The Four Seasons was also sold recently to new owners. They have budgeted a lot of money towards improvements. Many changes have already been made despite the fact that the deal has not completely closed yet. All three park owners have met and are in agreement that we are not in competition and that we all have much to gain by doing joint promotions.

Besides, each club is truly unique. While we all share the naturist/nudist label, the application and interpretation of the philosophy varies greatly in each club. Some clubs offer a more urban experience while others are more nature-oriented. Some are passionately naturist while others are more clothing-optional. (click here to read why Bare Oaks is not clothing-optional) We don't even all agree on whether to use the term "nudist" or "naturist". (Listen to the Naturist Living Show titled Naturist or Nudist for a discussion on that topic.) So between the 3 of us, someone will offer the type of naturist experience that each person is looking for.