Fairgoers have baby-friendly spaces for families
With fall fair season on the horizon, people can check out more than just the midway rides and agricultural exhibits when they visit the Lindsay Ex and Bobcaygeon Fair.
Baby-friendly areas where families can rest with their young children, or feed and change their babies, will be available at both events. While the Lindsay Ex has offered such a space the past few years, organizations of the Bobcaygeon Fair are embracing the concept for the first time in 2018.
“We’re thrilled that the Bobcaygeon Fair sees the value in offering such a space for its visitors, and we’re looking forward to greeting families at this year’s fair, just as we will – and have been doing – at the Lindsay Exhibition for some time,” says Laura Young, a member of the CKL Breastfeeding Coalition and a public health nurse with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
The baby-friendly areas will be offered during the entire run of the Lindsay Ex (Sept. 19-23) and the following week (Sept. 27, 28 and 29) during the Bobcaygeon Fair.
According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, women have the right to breastfeed in public spaces. Breastfeeding is the normal way to feed an infant, providing many benefits for mother and baby.
“While breastfeeding is welcome any place and anytime, some women prefer a private and quiet space, especially if they have just had a baby or have other young children with them,” adds Marisa Curran, a CKL Breastfeeding Coalition member who is also a public health nurse with the HKPR District Health Unit.
“Having family-friendly environments at the Lindsay Ex and Bobcaygeon Fair supports breastfeeding, speaks well to our community values, and makes it easier for young families to get out and enjoy fall fairs.”
The CKL Breastfeeding Coalition promotes positive attitudes towards breastfeeding and supports initiatives aimed at making Kawartha Lakes a breastfeeding-friendly community.
For more information about the coalition, or to learn more about breastfeeding support services and resources, call the local Health Unit at 1-866-888-4577, ext. 2267, or visit www.hkpr.on.ca.
