Cavendish Beach hosts Parks Day sandcastle competition

A highlight of this year's Parks Day celebration at Cavendish Beach is the annual sandcastle competition.

First time competition held at Cavendish Beach

Terrence McEachern · CBC News · Posted: Jul 16, 2016 10:39 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 16, 2016

There was plenty of creativity on display at Great Island Sandcastle Competition on Saturday at Cavendish Beach. (Sarah MacMillan/CBC)

A lighthouse and the Rogers Centre are not what we would normally associate with a castle.

But those structures fit with Saturday's Symbols of Canada theme for the annual Great Island Sandcastle Competition at Cavendish Beach. This is the first time the Parks Day event was held at Cavendish Beach in the P.E.I. National Park.

The Rogers Centre sandcastle, complete with shells for the bases and a Go Jays sign on the dome, claimed first prize. (Submitted by Dominic MacMillan)

By mid-afternoon, 21 teams were registered for the competition. Participants could register as individuals, groups or families.

Judging for the sandcastle competition began at 2 p.m. The castle in the shape of Toronto's Rogers Centre — home of the Blue Jays — was declared the winner.

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Local artist and sand sculptor Maurice Bernard had some helpful tips for the participants, such as keeping the sand wet, using gentle side to side motions and not tapping down too hard on the sand.