Bruce Macleod
Special to the Tribune/Advisor
The Horsefly River Salmon Festival was a resounding success.
Although some vendors stayed away because of fear of bad weather, the people surely didn’t. Hank the bannock guy ran out of supplies by noon on Saturday but came better prepared for Sunday. His reward was a non-ending lineup until closing.
Turnout was estimated to be between 700 to 800 adults and children.
The roundtable is grateful for the parents and grandparents who take the time to bring their offspring out for some history and education. Education is the focus of the whole project, and we certainly appreciate anyone who honours the salmon.
There were information tables from the Invasive Species Council, the Environmental Department from Mount Polley Mines with information about their trout hatchery success. Because of the lack of vendors, the whole Yahnke family of mom Glenna, and children Hanna, Josh, Rosetta and Cheyenne, pitched in wherever they could help.
Gyotaku was extremely popular as usual with about 100 prints made. Thank you Michael. Corinne Stromsen organized face painting and did kids art as well.
READ MORE: Strong fish return spawns interest in Horsefly Salmon Festival
We were fortunate to have Sugar Cane Elder Ernie Archie do a pipe ceremony to welcome the salmon. Thanks to Chanti Holtl and Jake Gillespie for organizing this event.
Chanti Holtl also built a labyrinth at the field by the small bridge. At the end of the day there were 50 different stones piled in the centre of the journey. Amazing!
Music for both days was provided by Walter Hlookoff, Katie Nicol, Doug White, and Sue Goglin.
Selina Farkas, Caitlin Khong, and Hailey Norman volunteered their time to help with some of the children’s activities on site. Helen Englund volunteered to patrol the garbage bins and empty them throughout the day. Frank Wijma, Ernie Gruhs and Judy Hillaby set the tents up on Friday night and Ernie Gruhs, Andy Norquay, Rebecca Patenaude, and Yanos Stephenson help with the taking down.
There was a fire kept going for the two days by Hanna Yahnke, Yanos Stephenson and Michael Wijma. On Friday Brian Englund and Ian Coates set up an underwater camera just past the end of the wooden walkway which got rave reviews.
Robin McCull performed dissections, Andy Kneival explained invertebrates to eager listeners, and representing the Streamkeepers was Jane Fitschen explaining the live fish exhibits.
READ MORE: Horsefly River celebrates sockeye salmon run with Festival Sept. 15-16
As you can see it takes many people volunteering their free time to make this festival a success. For sure the good turnout makes it all worthwhile.
In my article on the salmon walk improvements, I commented on why the channel wasn’t open this year, and of course the answer is obvious. There are already thousands of sockeye in the river, however in a rare burst of common sense, it is possible that DFO will fund keeping the channel open the following three years. With the new grade in the channel the silt should not build up, but go right on down the river, and if not, there is a cleaning system for the lower channel.
All in all, this presents an optimistic future for the Horsefly River sockeye population.
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