Fishing enthusiasts gather on Nepewassi Lake to raise funds
There was a big turnout this year on the waters of Nepewassi Lake as fishermen and fisherwomen gathered for the 27th annual Estaire Volunteer Fire Department Family Pike Derby.
It's the first time the derby's been held since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and it's one of the biggest fundraisers the fire department relies on all year.
"We are an unorganized township and we get our funding for the fire department by doing these fundraisers," said Chief Tina Basso.
The men and women who serve are volunteers. They're unpaid and it's the money they make here that goes into protecting the community.
More than 160 people came out to try it, hook, line and sinker. It's clearly an event with many of the community members that's been missed.
"Awe it feels great, we have a camp out her eon the lake and it feels great to be able to raise money for the fire department again," said fisherman Jim Kmit.
"Fishing is a lot of un, the small ones are biting but they are a fun time out here today," said another named Ted.
It's causes like this that has the whole community out doing what it can, they want to do their part.
Members of the Nepewassi Lake Association make lunch to help them reach their goal.
"And this spring, if anyone was listening to the news and the forest fires, we had a huge forest fire out here and it went on and this fire department was volunteering their time for more than a week, to put that fire out so it's so important that we're here to support them," said president Cathy Fournier.
"I feel there's an amazing amount of excitement, it's great to see all of the people again. It's great to have the human interaction. I've missed it so much," said Chief Basso.
The derby is being run as a catch and release so participants won't know who won until the end of the day.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.