Minister supports largest Lake Huron Fishing Derby

An Ontario cabinet Minister had kind words for groups that encourage youngsters to get outdoors and be active. Her comments came at the Sponsors/Media day celebration for the 2018 Chantry Chinook Classic Salmon Derby.

Ontario Education Minister, Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson congratulated the Lake Huron Fishing Club for its years of stocking fish that youngsters get outdoors to catch. This club sponsors the annual Chantry Derby considered the largest fishing derby on Lake Huron. She told the sponsors day audience in Tiverton “your fish stocking gets people of all ages outdoors, and that’s great especially when we encourage kids to get involved in fishing, one of the most popular sports in Canada”. Thompson said “you and other clubs are doing a wonderful job making memories for kids who take part in your derbies”.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry studies have shown that each fish stocked by conservation clubs in our region, is worth 30-dollars to the community where it is stocked. In our region the Lake Huron Club, The Ontario Steelheaders, The Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen, The Barrow Bay Anglers, The Georgian Triangle Anglers and the Sydenham Sportsmen have all been stocking fish for the sports fishery for at least 30 years. Imagine the value to the community of all those millions of fish stocked.

Thompson congratulated the Chantry Derby Committee and its hundreds of volunteers, for working hard to make sure this derby, now in year 35, is a complete success.

(L-R) Phil Haun President of the Lake Huron Fishing Club, Lisa Thompson Ontario Education Minister and Jim Martell President of the Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association 

This year’s Chantry Chinook Classic Salmon Derby runs July 28 to August 12. It takes in a large part of northern Lake Huron and a section of Georgian Bay. Weigh stations are located as follows:

This two week derby attracts 15-hundred competitors from across Ontario and several Great Lakes states.

2017 DerbySalmon Winner Dan Pepin 21,32 lb.

Total value of cash and product prizes to be won is 60-thousand dollars.  It takes 250-sponsors to make this big event such a success.

At the sponsors day event Derby Chair Brian Lang cut the big and delicious 35^th anniversary birthday cake for distribution to guests.

Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association (BPSA) President Jim Martell brought greetings from his 250 member Wiarton club. Martell thanked the Lake Huron club for its ten years of providing BPSA with trout eggs from the Saugeen River for the Wiarton club’s stocking program.

Lake Huron Fishing Club President Phil Haun congratulated the hundreds of volunteers that are essential to make his clubs derby work. He said “without you our volunteers, we couldn’t pull this off”.

Haun added “please contact our club members if you want to help, we can always use more volunteers to make this derby a success”.

The prize for the largest salmon is 15-thousand dollars. The angler catching the largest trout wins 7-thousand.

There is a long list of other prizes so check for more information about the CHANTRY CHINOOK CLASSIC SALMON DERBY at www.chantrychinook.comThe Chantry Derby Hotline number is 519-353-8818. The Chantry Derby awards take place on Sunday August 12 at 1pm at the Whitney Crawford Community Centre 6 McKay Street Tiverton.

Profits from the CHANTRY CHINOOK CLASSIC SALMON DERBY support the two hatcheries operated by the Lake Huron Fishing Club and the many other conservation efforts launched each year by the Lake Huron Club. Due to rough weather there were no opportunities this year for sponsors to test the Lake Huron waters for their “big one”.