Something fishy was going on Family Day, thanks to the Timmins Fur Council.
The organization presented its ninth annual family fishing derby on Porcupine Lake. Equipment was provided, along with hot chocolate and barbecued hot dogs. Everything was free, thanks to the efforts of the Fur Council and its sponsors.
“It was a suggestion of one of our members. It’s about creating opportunities for kids and families to come out and do the things we did when we were growing up,” said Jodie Russell, past president of the Timmins Fur Council. “We didn’t have iPads. We didn’t have computers. We spent a lot of time outside.
“He thought it was really important to highlight these opportunities for families who are right in town. We provide all the rods. We drill all the holes. We provide the minnows, hot chocolate and hot dogs for all the kids so they can come out for an hour and enjoy themselves.
“They keep telling us in Northern Ontario we’re really isolated and there’s a lot of things we don’t have. But what we do have is an abundance of wildlife and nature. It’s a beautiful day today and hopefully, we’ll get a lot of families out to enjoy it.”
The event provides families with an opportunity to enjoy recreation in the outdoors.
“We’re hoping that kids come and try it with their family,” Russell said. “Families can see it is really not that hard to do. We’re making memories for kids. I know in previous years, it was the first time ice fishing for many and the first fish they ever caught. It’s a great opportunity for them.”
The event is popular. The earlier families register, the better.
“We are overbooked today,” he said. “Normally we have four slots of 30 kids, so 120 kids go through in the day. But we are overbooked, so I think if everyone shows up, we’ll be around 140 or 150.
“We actually had to turn away registrations. We had to turn away people Wednesday and Thursday because we just didn’t have any more slots.”
Russell credits volunteers with the fur council and local businesses for making the derby a success.
“We’re very fortunate, we have great sponsors who support us really well,” he said. “It allows us to provide this as an absolutely free event for the kids and their families. We have great volunteers, who give up their Family Day to make memories for kids. Without our sponsors and our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to make this happen.”
