Our mission is to work collaboratively with all interested and invested parties to ensure the Hoople Creek / Hoople Bay Fishery remains healthy, well managed and available to all stakeholders for recreational purposes.
- Water Levels Remain a Concern
- New Director – Katola Watson
- Hoople Creek ‘River Watch’
- Meeting with MPP Nolan Quinn
- Proposed Hatchery Partnership with First Nations Group
- Charity Status with Revenue Canada
Water Levels Remain a Concern
In recent weeks, the water levels of our Hoople Bay and surrounding area have been drastically reduced. This is despite Lake Ontario being at a relatively low level. We draw everyone’s attention to this as the primary reason for draining Lake St. Lawrence in the past (as provided by the International Joint Commission) is to drain Lake Ontario to acceptable levels.
We have written to both our Federal MP and Provincial MP to express continued concern for this issue. Our letter can be viewed here: https://1drv.ms/w/s!Agjzck0Py7BXgfYYOyefh_mRitTLJw?e=78sR27
If readers are interested in hearing what the International Joint Commission has to say about our concerns, we would direct them to the following letter: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Agjzck0Py7BXgesEJh7zUbfo_UvkvA?e=tuHwn1
New Director
We are pleased to report that Mr. Katola Watson, proud new owner of Relic Outfitters on Highway #2 in Ingleside has agreed to allow himself to be appointed to our Board of Directors for the Friends of Hoople Creek Society. Mr. Watson has a vested interest in our activities due to the nature of his store and he advises he has received several complaints in recent weeks about the low water levels. We look forward to his contributions and energy towards the long-term goals of our Society!
Hoople Creek ‘River Watch’
We require continued assistance from EVERYONE to send us some photos for our Website and Facebook Group. Please consider sharing any photos you might take, or come across, of wildlife, fish, aquatic life, water levels, weed growth, etc., with our Group. In previous years we have heard of eggs rotting in the sun when the water was dropped quickly around this time of year. If anyone has any evidence of this, we would appreciate photos. It is all about constant vigilance and awareness as we all work together to protect this nature reserve! Send them to Hooplecreek@cogeco.ca. And, it does not go without saying we would greatly appreciate any volunteers willing to get more actively involved in the overall administration of our Society! The following photo were provided by Chad Marke ll which he describes as along the bike path near Farran Park.
Meeting with Member of Provincial Parliament – Nolan Quinn
On August 3, 2022, MPP Nolan Quinn stopped by to visit with John Sliter and discuss the ongoing issues. The slide deck associated with that meeting can be viewed here: https://1drv.ms/p/s!Agjzck0Py7BXgfYkjIYBjzV2yOyQTA?e=EKPQJW
Mr. Quinn promised to bring up the issue of the seeming lack of protection for the Hoople Bay purported ‘fish sanctuary’ during his business in Queens Park as soon as convenient to do so.
Proposed Hatchery Partnership with First Nations Group
We are continuing our efforts to identify an appropriate First Nations Group in the hopes we could convince them to partner with us to create a hatchery on, or near, the Walleye Spawning grounds. We hope to create a proposal that would accommodate both First Nations Harvesting as well as a sustainable fishery for everyone. Considerations include partnering with the Harvesters to allow us to remove the eggs and sperm from fish being taken in order to put them back in the water and allow the eggs to mature. We are also considering a Portable Hatchery as a short-term measure as we build towards a more long-term plan. We have contacted the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources after reading of the great success stories on the U.S. side of the border. Their response arrived on July 12,2022 and while we found it a bit disheartening, we will continue to push forward as we are able.
Charity Status with Revenue Canada
We have formally applied to Revenue Canada for official Charity Status for our newly incorporated Society. This will allow us to issue Tax receipts and to establish various types of fund raisers to finance the installation of the underwater fish counting cameras. We are ‘daring to dream’ and the costs will be extensive if we reach some of these lofty goals! We have not yet received a response and application remains under review. We hope to use this status to sell tickets at the annual Ice Fishing derby to raise funds to purchase walleye fingerlings to begin a stocking program.
John Sliter, President
Friends of Hoople Creek Society
Friends of Hoople Creek 
Leave a comment