Another year, another successful ice fishing event! Thank you to everyone that came out to the Lesser Slave Watershed Council’s (LSWC) 6th Annual Kids Can Catch Ice Fishing event in Joussard on February 18th! In case you missed it, here is a quick wrap-up of the day of fun and festivities!
Our day began with the smell of pancakes and sausages, a free breakfast hosted by the Big Lakes County FCSS! As people filled their bellies and visited with familiar faces, stations were set up all around the hall to entertain folks of all ages! We were grateful to have support from our friends at the Lesser Slave Forest Education Society that brought their fur kit, ice fishing game and a sensory activity which had people feel items and try to guess what they were! We had another fur kit from our board member and outdoor conservation enthusiast Keith Denoncourt! The LSWC set up a station which had people connecting the dots between the fish species in the lake and the different regulations for catching them! We also had a station for coloring and drawing your own watershed! For those that needed hints, we had our Watershed Wise magnet board set up too! And to top it all off, there was a photo booth with fishing props and giant stuffed fish!
The weather was on our side and we had over 130 people come out to celebrate Family Day weekend, which is also Free Fishing Weekend in Alberta! Folks could borrow fishing equipment from the LSWC and try ice fishing while experts helped new anglers with tips and tricks of the trade! Before we went out on the ice, Tammy Kaleta gave a presentation on proper fish handling and showed the group how to fish! Bravo to Tammy for sharing her years of expertise with the next generation of anglers!
Out on the ice, kids had the chance to win a night’s stay in a Pinto Ice Shack for catching the biggest walleye! After tight competition, Peighton Nygaard caught the biggest walleye of the day at 57cm!
To round out the day, anglers returned their equipment and settled back in the hall for door prize draws and a chili supper from the LSWC, followed by fireworks from the Joussard Community Assocation!
Special thank you to all the volunteers, especially Ian Willier and the Big Lakes County Volunteer Fire Fighters, that came out to help support the event! Without their support and the support of local organizations, events like these would not be possible! Thank you to our sponsors: the Alberta Conservation Association, Big Lakes County FCSS, the Joussard Community Association, Lesser Slave Forest Education Society, Pinto Ice Shacks, Bim’s Car Wash, deSIGNS by Tam, Boondocks, Glamour and Gear, Peavey Mart High Prairie, Shady Acres Winery, Revolution GMC and Revolution Ford in High Prairie, Kal Tire in High Prairie, and Freson Bros. High Prairie!
We hope to see everyone again next year!
By: Kate Lovsin