First and foremost I would like to wish all of our members & their families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and for those that will not be celebrating I wish you & your families an amazing holiday season with friends & family.
This year just flew by.
The commitment to the ongoing need for workers in our hatchery has fluctuated up and down throughout the year & right now our need is up if you can help out Al Gibson, it will be most appreciated because 3 of the steady workers (Karl Le Baun, Keri Dent, & Howdy Tom Laird) have come down with ongoing medical problems and as you can see this has put an extra load on the other workers, These fish are like children they have to be fed daily we do need your help.
There were improvements & repairs made in the hatchery this year, Jamie Barry fixed a number of leaking pipes, we also bought new incubator trays that are now in use with brook trout eggs, there has been some improvements made to our building & we also have a new entrance gate. There was a great turn out of members for the stocking of our brown trout last month, our new fish transport trailer worked liked a charm.
On a lighter note.
A great time was had by all that attended our annual Christmas party last month, 35 people had a hoot and were over feed as usual.
Next year 2020 will bring a landmark to our Club. 35yrs. ago we started a fishing club, our 1st hatchery was under a tent on a spring flowing into the Black Ash Creek, we still get our water from that same spring that now feeds our present hatchery.
Your club has been involved with many conservation projects & we have spent well over $200,000 on stream rehab projects ranging from bank stabilization, river obstruction removal of log jams & beaver dams.
We now have 2 in school hatchery programs on the go with 2 more in the works, one for Cameron St public school & one for Admiral public school, the Optimist Club of Collingwood will be funding the cost of the equipment needed at a cost of almost $4000, our commitment will be our brook trout eggs and advice when needed. The Optimist Club believes in the work that we do & for children this is an amazing tool in their education and it gives them an ownership, respect and a good reason to partake in conservation in the communities we live in.
This will be the 40th Georgian Triangle Spring Trout derby lets all get involved. A little can mean a lot ( So make 2020 the year you get involved you won’t ever regret it).
The Annual General meeting will be the 3rd Wed. in March 18th at the Collingwood rod & gun club, Elections will take place after a pot luck dinner, all positions are ready for new faces & ideas, many of us are just a little older and stuck in our ways, it is time that our less senior members to lead for the next 35yrs don’t worry about taking a directors position those that have it now will help you.
Rick Baldry
President for now.