This past year, 2024, was unlike any other that I can remember. First, we expanded our in-school hatchery program to include 12 area schools. We started with just four, but thanks to funding from the Georgian Bay Forever group, led by Ashley Morrison, who worked closely with Sean Rennie, our in-school hatchery liaison, and Nick Alfano, our hatchery chairman, we were off to a great start, and the year initially looked like many others.
The expansion of the in-school hatchery program seemed to increase interest among many of our younger members. At this time, most of our executives were juggling multiple roles. Tragically, our second-youngest member, Harvie Pittman, passed suddenly on February 16th. Harvie held the positions of Treasurer and Membership Chair and was responsible for much of the cooking at our events. His passing left a hole that was deeply felt by all who knew him. His great smile and unwavering commitment will forever be missed.
Elections in March brought a pleasant surprise, with all positions being filled by a group of younger members eager to bring about change. These changes were necessary to grow our membership and address the challenges of maintaining the status quo.
In July, we hosted a Zone H meeting, with many volunteers helping out at the Optimist Kids Fishing Day while wearing our new volunteer T-shirts. Summer also brought visible changes to our clubhouse, thanks to hard work and dedication. We installed new siding, replaced the patio door leading onto the deck (which was also repaired), and gave the furnace a little TLC. Additionally, we held not one, but two fish fries—one in September and one in November—and participated in the Santa Claus Parade, where our float earned second place among many other volunteer groups. We capped off the year with a Christmas party at Swiss Chalet.
A special thank you goes to all our members and our incredible executive who stepped up when needed.
2024 presented many challenges, all of which were met head-on. 2025 will no doubt bring its own set of challenges, but I’m confident that we will emerge stronger, becoming an even more valued presence in the communities that surround us.
To our Executive—Kyle, Chanse, James M., John, Scott, Nick, Jamie, Stefanie, Wayne, Keith, and Roger—thank you.
Rick Baldry
President
Buildings and Grounds Report
As 2024 comes to a close, I can confidently say it has been a very eventful year. We had many volunteers step up and lend a helping hand on projects that were greatly needed. I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication.
The clubhouse is looking sharp, thanks to all the hours put in by our volunteers. Rentals are already enjoying the upgraded facilities and have provided positive feedback, as has the NVCA.
This year’s projects included:
- The sale of the old two-tiered porta potties and the purchase of a new freshwater handwash/flushable toilet unit, along with the installation of a concrete pad for the porta potty.
- The installation of a new sliding door at the back of the clubhouse, leading onto the deck.
- Residing and structural re-support of the clubhouse’s exterior walls to prevent rodent and bee infestations, ensuring the building will last for many years to come.
- The sale of the Kubota tractor and the purchase of a new Pulon zero-turn lawnmower, which will reduce maintenance time and make mowing easier for volunteers.
- The installation of three (soon to be more) tank covers in the hatchery to prevent animals from getting into the tanks and eating the fish.
Once again, thank you to all the volunteers who dedicated their time and effort to these projects. I’m looking forward to what we can achieve together in 2025!
Buildings and Grounds Chair
Kyle Crawford
This year, we released 40,000 rainbow trout into Mill Creek at Red Wing in June and stocked 4,000 brown trout into Collingwood Harbour in November. Unfortunately, due to adverse weather conditions last February, we were unable to harvest any rainbow trout eggs this spring. However, we received 12,000 brook trout eggs six weeks ago and 30,000 brown trout eggs just last week.
Lastly, our stock of brown trout from 2023 is growing rapidly, and we anticipate another successful release in 2025.
Hatchery Chair, Nick Alfano
It has been incredible to witness the time and care our GTAA volunteers have dedicated to events and conservation efforts over the past year. We’ve seen great success with our trout and salmon derbies, and we’re excited to continue growing these events in the coming year. This will help us fund even more of our conservation and community outreach initiatives in the years ahead.
Thank you to all of our members and we would like to wish you the happiest of new years.
