trout unlimited canada protecting canada's water - …own facts”. so it is in that spirit...

Volume 20, No. 1 Winter 2014

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The local ecosystem has been protected

through the installation of ‘Double Barreled

Beaver Bafflers.’ A beaver baffler consists of a

pipe placed under a beaver dam that allows wa-

ter to flow through the dam. The beaver dam re-

mains intact but water continues to flow. Where

beaver dams once drowned precious hardwood

forests two double-barreled beaver bafflers now

sit to maintain constant creek flow. A testament

to our ecological victory.

Over the winter months, an extensive proj-

ect involving the creation of a cattle restriction

zone and a convenient off stream drinking area

was completed. This project cost $6,500 and

took over 240 hours to complete. Upon realiz-ing the value of this project, the grateful land-owner wrote an inspiring letter to the Grand River Conservation Authority.

During the course of the project we were rewarded with some wonderful surprises. A hidden gem was discovered in the dead of win-ter: Emerson Creek, a little known tributary brook. Almost impossible to reach, this creek is shrouded by a thick forest and undergrowth. Several spring sources feed Emerson Creek’s small gravel base. The combination of overhead shade and spring water from Emerson Creek provides Mill Creek with a stable source of clean, cold water.

Trout Unlimited Canada’s National Newsletter 1

MILL CREEK: A Creek Full of SurprisesBy Bill Christmas, President, Ted Knott Chapter

Many Currents readers may re-

call the first article detailing

the exceptional conservation

and restoration opportunity first dis-

covered on a badly damaged Mill Creek

some ten years ago. The initial article

traced the progress of a stream restora-

tion. Today there is an uplifting story

to tell of the progress made toward the

ultimate goal of recreating an ecosystem

capable of supporting a native self-sus-

taining brook trout population. As the

restoration project progressed, much has

been done and learned.

FUNDRAISING SUCCESSES IN CALGARY AND TORONTO

TUC CONSERVATION UPDATES

2013 NATIONAL FLY FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS HELPING TO RESTORE THE BOW’S MALLARD POINT

Currents: Volume 20, No. 1 • Winter 20142

T rout Unlimited Canada’s vision is that

Canada’s natural heritage of healthy

and productive cold water lakes and

rivers will be conserved and restored as parts

of healthy watersheds supporting sustainable

communities. If that vision is realized, fish

will exist in abundance in all the places they

should be.

TUC’s focus is first on water (quality and

quantity), then on habitat, then on fish popu-

lations.

TUC likes to provide information about

the things that will help achieve this vision.

Our Yellow Fish Road™ program educates

school children. Our new Aquatic Renewal

program educates adults about stream restora-

tion. From time to time we also like to dive

into the massive amount of material that is

available these days about environmental is-

sues and make a recommendation to our sup-

porters about something they might look at to

become informed. We believe that the more

informed people are, the more rational the im-

portant discussions will be. If we have a good

command of the facts, we are less likely to be

bamboozled by those who might seek to

sway our opinions for their own gain. In

the words of the late US Senator Daniel

Patrick Moynihan, “Everyone is entitled

to their own opinions, but not to their

own facts”.

So it is in that spirit that I would like to

strongly recommend a book to all Trout

Unlimited Canada members. The book is

called Down the Drain – How We

are Failing to Protect Our Water

Resources. The authors are Ralph

Pentland and Chris Wood.

Pentland is a Canadian policy

analyst and Acting Chair of the

Canadian Water Issues Coun-

cil at the University of Toronto.

Wood is a respected journalist

who often writes about envi-

ronmental issues. (But inci-

dentally he is not the same

Chris Wood who is CEO of

Trout Unlimited USA).

The book begins with

a description of the familiar

picture of Earth looking back

from the moon. The authors

say “That is all we have. This

one planet is our Eden, our

space capsule, and if we fail

to maintain it, it will be

our species coffin. iPod’s

and 3-D television do not

exempt our big-brained,

thumb-wielding race of

primates from the laws of

biology.”

What’s Going On?by Jeff Surtees

TUC NEWS FROM NATIONAL

TUC CEO Jeff Surtees. TUC photo.

of leaving most of the heavy lifting to the

provinces to the different approaches taken in

the United States and in Europe. They look at

what has been done and not been done by our

provincial and federal governments. Finally,

they provide a distillation of the consensus

amongst Canada’s water leaders regarding

what needs to be done.

If any of that sounds boring, then it is my

summary that is at fault. The book is a gem

and I highly recommend it.

Down the Drain is published by

Greystone Books, www.greystone-

books.com, and is available at

major book retailers or online in

hardcover or as an eBook.

This book is well written, informa-

tive and best of all, easy to read. It’s not a text

book but it is packed with information that is

important to anyone who cares about water

issues in Canada. The authors look carefully

at the assumption that Canada’s water is well

protected. They examine the goals and prin-

ciples that have been laid out by Canadian

leaders over the last twenty-five years and

whether there has been follow-through on all

of the promises and assurances we have been

given. They compare the Canadian approach


(continued from page 1)

Last year, Trout Unlimited Canada summer

students assessed Mill Creek’s insect popula-

tion, water quality, substrate and oxygen levels.

Based upon the student’s completed assess-

ment report, it is expected that the Ontario

Ministry of Natural Resources will approve

the introduction of brook trout fingerlings into

Mill Creek.

Another surprise was the positive impact of

a vortex rock weir installation near the outflow

of a massive artesian well, what many locals

refer to as a “blue spring.” A vortex weir con-

sists of strategically placed rocks designed to

concentrate and direct stream flow. The blue

spring introduces high levels of phosphorus,

leading to an annual algae bloom that flowed

downstream, degrading water quality in the

process. Within 24 hours of its installation, the

vortex rock weir eliminated the algae.

There is still much to be done. Sediment

needs to be flushed out of the system, but much

of the heavy slugging is complete. All that is left

is the fine-tuning to turn this lovely stream into

the ultimate ecosystem.

one involved with immense sense of satisfac-

tion, knowing they have made a difference for

their community. Only time will tell, but at this

point Mill Creek looks amazing.

Based upon additional

advice, water quality can

be further improved by

narrowing Mill Creek

through the installation of

Christmas tree deflectors,

adding large rocks and

planting shade trees to

further reduce algae for-

mation. Pea gravel has al-

ready been added to the

outflow water cascade

of the blue spring. Plans

are also underway to live

stake local osier fascines

to improve creek me-

ander and scour the re-

maining sediment from

what appears to be ideal

brook trout spawning habitat.

When the restoration efforts on Mill Creek

were first reported in 2010, over 938 volunteer

hours had been logged. Total volunteer hours

now stands at 2,167! This investment has made

us better at what we do while instilling every-

MILL CREEK: A Creek Full of Surprises

Volunteers using “grandma’s clothesline” to move gravel down-slope to Mill Creek. Right: building up spawning beds —— one bucket at a time. Author’s photos.



Alberta Fall Project Summary

F all is a busy time for the TUC biolo-

gists in Alberta!

Our fall field crew helps TUC com-

plete a variety of projects including multiple

redd surveys at Policeman Creek, Bill Griffiths

Creek, and the Mallard Point side channel

within the Bow River; a snorkel survey at Bill

Griffiths Creek to asses brown trout distribution

and use of habitat structures; an electrofishing

survey at Helen Creek in Banff National Park to

assess cutthroat trout distribution and

population stability and electrofishing

at Hidden Lake to remove non-native

brook trout allowing for eventual cut-

throat trout translocation.

Plus, the annual Fish Rescue resulted in the

capture of 35,571 fish from five canals over

nine days of field work and with the help of

355 volunteers!

2013 National Fly Fishing Championships

I n late September 2013, Calgary, AB

played host to the 11th Canadian National

Fly Fishing Championships and Conser-

vation Symposium. This was the first time

this event took place in Calgary and Trout

Unlimited Canada played a unique role, rec-

ognizing a few key opportunities: raising the

profile of our organization, being involved in

the fly fishing community that supports us,

OUR MISSION: To conserve, protect and restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their coldwater resources for current and future generations.

OUR GOALS:• to conserve and protect Canada’s freshwater

fish and their ecosystems and restore their coldwater resources to a healthy and produc-tive state;

• to develop and apply effective, science-based and measurable coldwater conservation solu-tions in the field;

• to inform the public about coldwater conserva-tion issues and educate communities about their watersheds;

• to build and sustain a healthy organization.

Help us help the trout! Visit tucanada.org

hosting a symposium

to draw attention to lo-

cal conservation issues,

and raising funds for the

Mallard Point project.

A host committee,

made up of a dedicated

and diverse group of in-

dividuals from the Cal-

Bow River in Cal-

gary. The goals of

this project, slated

to break ground

in 2014, included

enhancing spawn-

ing and rearing

habitat for fish,

improving ripar-

ian health, and

augmenting flows

to encourage nat-

ural self-scouring of

the channel over time.

A Conservation Symposium has been part of

every National Fly Fishing Championships since

Fly Fishing Canada’s inception. These sympo-

siums are always a highlight of the Champion-

ships and Trout Unlimited Canada, along with

gary fly fishing community came together, and

formed a Trout Unlimited Canada Chapter. The

Chapter decided to direct all of the net proceeds

to Trout Unlimited Canada. More specifically,

funds would be directed towards the Mallard

Point side channel enhancement project on the

Snorkel survey on Alberta’s Bill Griffiths Creek (above), and one of the creek’smany large brown trout (below, right). Bottom: assessing cutthroat populations inBanff National Park’s Helen Creek. TUC photos.



Fall Splash 2013

T he 2013 Fall Splash was held on Thurs-

day October 24th at the Commonwealth

Centre. While the dinner was held earli-

er than usual, an enthusiastic crowd once again

showed their support for the Bow River Chapter

and Trout Unlimited Canada’s work in the Bow

basin and throughout southern Alberta.

The dinner had a theme of “A Season of

Change and Recovery” due to the massive spring

flooding of the Bow River and the damage the

floods caused, including the Chapter’s Legacy Is-

the host Chapter, lined up three exceptional

speakers for the 2013 event. Presentations were

delivered by Jim McLennan, Lorne Fitch, and

Dr. Brad Stelfox, surrounding the theme, “The

Bow River and South Saskatchewan Watershed:

Past, Present and Future”. Competitors, volun-

teers, and members of the public attended the

symposium and took part in an interactive dis-

cussion with the presenters.

The Chapter, along with the competitors

and the Calgary community of Arbour Lake

also put on an educational day for local youth.

The youth participants had a chance to try fly

fishing, fly tying, and playing some fun and

educational “fishy” games! This aligned well

with a pilot Trout Unlimited Canada youth

education program.

The competitors and volunteers that were

involved in the 2013 Nationals considered it a

great success, as did Trout Unlimited Canada.

Nearly $15,000 was raised for the Mallard Point

project, thanks in part to a very successful live

and silent auction that took place during the

awards banquet. Sponsorships from Fish Tales

Fly Shop and Canadian Tire as well as an event

support grant from the Alberta Sport, Recre-

ation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation were

extremely helpful in supporting the event.

Volunteers and staff preparing to “get at ‘er” to remove non-native brook trout in Hidden Lake. TUC photo.

Gerry Thompson, Co-chair (second from left) and Robert Eagleson, Treasurer (left) present TUC CEO Jeff Surtees (center) with a cheque during the National Fly Fishing Championships. Lesley Peterson, TUC Project Biologist (second from right) and Don Pike, TUC’s Director of Special Events (right) were also on hand for the presentation. TUC photo.



land access site. A major aspect of the dinner was

a celebration of the work done by the Chapter

in restoring the Legacy Island river access site at

the not insignificant cost of over $40,000. When

finished, the restoration had the site in the best

shape it has ever been in. Everyone who uses the

Bow River owes the Chapter a huge “Thank You”

for the completed work.

In marking the site’s restoration, the Bob Paget

Memorial Conservation Award was presented to

Kon Construction and their President, Craig

Surkon, for their outstanding work on-site work

and their contribution of doing the work at re-

duced rates. While the costs may have been re-

duced, the construction standard definitely was

not as the site is better than ever.

Peter Crowe-Swords was presented with the

Tom Wagler Volunteer award for his work in be-

ing the project leader for the Legacy Island resto-

ration. Without Peter’s hands-on efforts the res-

toration would have been much delayed. He put

in many hours in seeing the project to fruition.

The Chapter also expressed its appreciation

to Wayne Olson, who retired from the Board

of Directors after many years of yeoman service.

Wayne was actively involved over many years

with the Fish Rescue where his hard work and

dedication endeared him to Brian Meagher and

Lesley Peterson. He also did yeoman service in

helping Don Pike with both the National Con-

servation and Fall Splash dinners. Wayne would

take two days of holidays for each dinner in order

to be able to assist at these events. His hard work

and dedication will be missed.

6

2013 Toronto Dinner and Auction

T he 27th annual Toronto National

Conservation Dinner and Auction

took place on Thursday, November

28th with over 300 people in attendance.

The evening featured numerous high-

lights through the live and silent auction

including exotic trips, unique experiences,

art, and jewellery, even items for the die-

hard Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

Companies that supported this year’s

event by purchasing platinum, gold, silver

or bronze sponsorships took part in spe-

cial sponsor recognition event just prior to

the dinner. The sponsor event provided a

great opportunity to network or catch up

Veterans Affairs, was on hand to present TUC

CEO Jeff Surtees with a special certificate of

recognition.

This year’s dinner and auction proved a great

success. Trout Unlimited Canada wishes to

thank everyone for their support of Canada’s

rivers and streams. TUC also wishes to extend

a special thanks to the 2013 Dinner Chair Greg

Robertson, P.Eng., from the Lakeside Group

of Companies. Their support and enthusiasm

for this year’s event was contagious.

Duffins Creek Update

The Duffins Creek Renewal Program,

one of TUC’s Flagship Conservation

Projects, is off to a busy start with over

$200.000 in program funding from the On-

with old friends while enjoying tasty appetis-

ers, lively music courtesy of Kirk Godwin and

a scotch tasting courtesy of Glenfiddich.

Ted Coulson was this year’s recipient of

the Mike Warrian Conservation Award. This

annual award it provided to a TUC Chapter

member who makes a significant contribution

toward coldwater conservation. TUC wishes

to congratulate Ted on receiving this presti-

gious award.

Trout Unlimited Canada was also pleas-

antly surprised and honored to be recognized

for our conservation efforts. The Honorable

Julian Fantino, MP and current Minister of

Top left: Peter Crowe-Swords (left), and Kon Construction’s Craig Surkon and Wayne Chabot receiving their awards from Bow River Chapter’s Craig Cooper (right). TUC photo. Above: the silent auction was a hub of activity at the 2013 Toronto Dinner and Auction. Photo courtesy Sara Anderson.



tario Trillium Foundation. Over the next two

years these funds will help with educational

opportunities, events, and monitoring and as-

sessment in the watershed.

The on-the-ground restoration projects

planned for Duffins Creek will be supported

by significant funding from Enbridge Gas

Distribution and Wells-Fargo. TUC would

like to thanks these companies for their com-

mitment to the Duffins Creek watershed.

For additional information on the Duffins

Creek Flagship Conservation Project please

visit the TUC website at www.tucanada.org.

Yellow Fish Road™ News

T rout Unlimited Canada is honored

to receive a $30,000 grant from RBC

Foundation for 2013-14.

This grant will enable Trout Unlim-

ited Canada to expand the Yellow

Fish Road™ program’s capacity in the cities

of Calgary and Edmonton, allowing TUC to

offer a full complement of presentations and

painting activities. RBC is committed to sup-

porting endeavors that empower organiza-

promote awareness and understanding of the

natural world and actions leading to sustainable

living. Yellow Fish Road’s storm-drain marking

program will be listed and

advertised as an outreach

program for teachers and

community groups. A contract educator will

deliver in-classroom presentations within Win-

nipeg during the spring and summer of 2014.

FortWhyte Alive recognizes that the Yellow Fish

Road™ program combines education with ac-

tion projects. This combination applies closely

to their mandate to build and nurture

sustainable communities. Yellow Fish

Road™ will continue to apply for addi-

tional sponsors to fund further develop-

ment of their program in Manitoba.

National Fly Fishing Championships “Youth Day”With the help of fly fishing volunteers, Yel-

low Fish Road™ provided fun and interac-

tive activities including fly tying, fly cast-

ing and fish printing as part of a day’s fly

fishing at Arbour Lake, in Calgary, AB. The

hope is activities such as the National Fly

Fishing Championships Youth Day sparks

interest in the sport of fly fishing with many

young Calgarians.

Celebrating Yellow Fish Road™ Partners and Volunteers

In Alberta, Lethbridge-based YFR Program-

mer, Stephanie Vehnon designed a fun fish

costume, and created new pamphlets, posters

and media ads to advertise and promote the

Yellow Fish Road™ program. Stephanie’s cre-

ative spirit and passion for the program saw an

increase in participation and awareness about

water pollution.

In the City of Red Deer, Educator, Ryszard

Kozlowski, has witnessed increased growth,

with Yellow Fish Road™ program numbers,

more than double in the last year. Increased

interest requires additional support through

our partnership with the local Central Alberta

Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada.

In British Columbia, Communications

Coordinator, Lesley Driscoll with the City of

Kelowna, discovered that by running the Yel-

low Fish Road™ program in conjunction with

the Adopt A Stream program, interest has

grown significantly.

tions to make a difference and inspire others.

RBC Foundation donations are intended to

create social and economic opportunities that

strengthen the health and quality of life in the

communities in which we live and work. Yel-

low Fish Road™ would also like to acknowl-

edge the City of Edmonton, Drainage Ser-

vices, and Environmental Planning who have

endorsed the program and provided storage

space for supplies and kits.

YFR™ arrives in WinnipegWith a $12,000 grant from The Winnipeg

Foundation,

Yellow Fi

sh Road™

arrived in

Winnipeg, MB through a new partnership with

FortWhyte Alive. FortWhyte Alive is a pri-

vate, non-profit environmental education facil-

ity located within city limits, with a mission to

Top left: TUC’s Jeff Surtees (left) receiving a certifi-cate of apprectiation (shown above) from the Hon. Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs. Left: Mike Warrian presenting Ted Coulsen (right) with the Mike Warrian Conservation Award at the 2013 Toronto Dinner. Photos courtesy Sara Anderson.



Help us help the trout — join today! Visit us at tucanada.org

TROUT UNLIMITED CANADA

Jeff Surtees Chief Executive Officer [email protected]

Kimberly Davidson Director of Member and Chapter Relations [email protected]

Dean Orlando Director, Finance and Administration [email protected]

Jack Imhof National Biologist and Director of Conservation Programs [email protected]

Don Pike Director, Special Events [email protected]

Lynn Robb Director of Conservation Education [email protected]

Phil Rowley Marketing & Communications [email protected]

Brian Meagher Alberta Provincial Biologist [email protected]

Silvia D’Amelio Ontario Program Manager [email protected]

Lesley Peterson Project Biologist [email protected]

Stacey Stevens Ontario Office Coordinator [email protected]

Beth Anne Fischer Bronte Creek Watershed Project Biologist [email protected]

Colin Oaks Duffins Creek Project Biologist [email protected]

National Office: Ste. 160, 6712 Fisher St. SE Calgary, AB T2H 2A7 Tel: 403-221-8360 Fax: 403-221-8368 1-800-909-6040

Ontario Office: Rm. 273, Axelrod Building, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1 Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 56588 Fax: 519-780-1696

[email protected] tucanada.org

Currents layout: David Soltess, [email protected]

TUC Welcomes New Team Member

T rout Unlimited Canada is excited to

welcome Colin Oaks to our team. Colin

will be working out of TUC’s Guelph

office as the Project Biologist for Duffins Creek,

one of Trout Unlimited Canada’s National

Flagship Programs.

Colin brings a wealth of experience from

past employment with the Ontario Ministry

of Natural

R e s o u r c e s

and a private

c o n s u l t i n g

firm.

H a v i n g

worked out

of the Guelph

office as part

of its summer

field crews

for two sea-

sons, Colin is

no stranger to Trout Unlimited Canada.

Colin has a B.Sc. in Environmental Scienc-

es from the University of Guelph, where he

majored in Ecology, and both Fish and Wild-

life Technician and Technologist diplomas

from Sir Sandford Fleming College’s Frost

Campus. He is certified by the Society for

Freshwater Science as a family-level aquatic

insect taxonomist, and has completed the

Ontario Fishes Identification and Ontario

Fish Species at Risk workshops offered by the

Royal Ontario Museum.

Colin has a passion for the natural envi-

ronment and the function of an ecosystem as

a whole. He believes strongly in public out-

reach and hands-on education, feeling this

is when people learn the most about, and

gain the most respect for their environment.

Colin volunteers with Wild Ontario, which

uses non-releasable birds of prey as ambas-

sadors for education, and is a member of the

Nature Guelph executive, a local naturalist

organization.

According to Janice Buick, Events Coordina-

tor, with The Allan Brooks Nature Centre Soci-

ety in Vernon, BC, the society saw eight schools

and close to 500 participants involved in the

Yellow Fish Road ™program in its first year.

In Ontario, a group of volunteers from the

Royal Bank of Canada, Burlington, headed

by Darlene Kosmack, Customer Assistant Of-

ficer, took matters into their own hands and

received a $1,000 Service Grant towards Yel-

low Fish Road™ Armed with these funds

Darlene’s volunteers painted the streets with

yellow fish.

Severn Sound Conservation Authority’s,

Daelin Verkindt, Water Technician, found

that the key to a successful Yellow Fish Road™

program is early season promotion through

local media and website coverage, as well as

recognizing participants with t-shirts and cer-

tificates of appreciation.

International Scouts MOOT 2013 EventThe International Scout Event, ‘MOOT 2013’

was held in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto,

August 18-25, 2013. Youth aged 18-25 partici-

pated in the Yellow Fish Road™ program as part

of an eco-responsibility challenge. Thanks to

Alex Payne, Outreach Education Instructor and

the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority

for facilitating their ‘Watershed on Wheels’ pre-

sentations and storm drain painting activities

with these enthusiastic young people.

Lynn Robb: TUC Director of Conservation Education

8

Follow us on Twitter

@TUCanada1

Heather Gowland (left) and Stephanie Vehnon mod-

elling Stephanie’s new fun fish costumes. TUC photo.

Colin Oaks

trout unlimited canada protecting canada's water - …own facts”. so it is in that spirit...

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