The Bayfield Centre for the Arts has launched its Bayfield Sails Project at Clan Gregor Square in Bayfield.
President Leslee Squirrell said the six miniature iron sail boats on display in the Square were created by a local blacksmith.
“The sails are made of lexan and painted by artists and these boats will be installed on six permanent locations of municipal land here in Bayfield creating a tourist attraction and a walking destination," said Squirrell.
Squirrell said the hope is that every two or three years they'll be able to find the funding to have the sails repainted to create a fresh attraction.
The pads that the boats will sit on have already been installed on the municipal properties and the boats will be put in place Monday morning. The six locations will be advertised on their website, there will be posters on the Main Street, and there will be a social media campaign as well to let people know where those locations are.
Squirrell added once people approach any of the boats, they'll see a large QR code.
“When you scan it with your phone, it will take you to an information page that explains a component of the marine history that is part of Bayfield and a bio on each artist,” she said.
Squirrell said the idea came from something the town of Orillia did about 12 years ago.
The centre briefly considered putting the boats on the pier, but decided that the combination of wind and ice on the Lake Huron shoreline made that impractical. So, they chose six more isolated locations around the village. The boats will stay on their pad year round, but the sails will be removed during the winter.
