A pair of local scuba diving enthusiasts have taken their passion for the oceans right here to the city of North Bay.
Alisha Perron and her husband decided a few weeks ago to erect a giant Humpback whale called “Blue,” made of snow on the front lawn of their home on Pinewood Crescent here in North Bay.
“Even though the closest ocean to North Bay is more than 900 kilometers away, Blue is making a splash in our city because he needs your help,” stated Perron in her blog.
See: Local divers take on the world’s deepest pool
Perron hopes her blue giant will help raise awareness about the damage plastics are doing to the oceans.
“Plastic is toxic and takes hundreds of years to biodegrade into tiny even more toxic pieces of microplastics,” said Perron.
“It is arguably one of the most detrimental waste products that is ending up in our oceans and ultimately into the animals that live in it.”
Perron also has a whale of an idea and that is to make North Bay the first city in the world to ban the use of plastic straws.
“There are lots of green movements out there that are encouraging people to ‘stop sucking’ on the straw, but to my knowledge, there are no cities that have gone completely straw free,” she told BayToday.ca.
Perron believes it would be really cool if North Bay could lead by example and be that city.
“Not using plastic straws won’t save the oceans or the world on its own, but as we’ve seen with public smoking, when people start being mindful of their habits and making small changes, that can lead to wider societal changes.”
Aside from straws, she hopes her giant blue whale will create discussion as to how North Bay can become more efficient when it comes to recycling.
“Blue dreams of a healthier and cleaner ocean, where he doesn’t need to worry about his underwater friends dying as a result of plastic,” she said.
“To do this he needs everyone to pitch in. Living way up in northern Ontario, it’s easy to be disconnected from ocean-related problems, but the sea of change starts with you.”
For more on Alisha and her underwater adventures check out her blog at https://divebuddies4life.com
