THUNDER BAY — Upgrades to the fish ladder on the Current River Dam are well underway, and should be finished in just a few weeks.
Frank Edgson, project manager for Northshore Steelhead Association, said for the most part, things have been going smoothly.
“We have a little bit of an issue with timing for our installation of the fish counters, which are coming from British Columbia.
“The gentlemen who are here to install those devices are unable to attend in the next two weeks, so we had to reschedule them to Sept. 2,” Edgson said.
There have been very few comments from the public during the upgrades, he added.
“We've reached out to our members and associate members, and other organizations to inform them of what was about to happen with the fishway, and the same with the public announcement about the construction time frame.
“It's been relatively quiet. I think people understand that these things take time and have to be done.”
The goal is to establish a self-sustaining population of rainbow trout, and have fish move through the fishway more easily, he said.
The province invested in the project with a $175,705 contribution through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.
“We're supporting the Northern Ontario Steelhead Association here at the fish ladder on the Current River Dam.
“It's really to provide that sustainability and help with the fishing population, particularly rainbow trout, and it's important for us to make sure that we're not just protecting our natural resources in this case of the fish, but it's also providing an opportunity for residents in the city of Thunder Bay to have access to fishing here close to home,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan.
It’s a good investment for the province, and it’s what the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is all about, he added.
“The NOHFC, the program itself, it's been revamped a couple of years ago, is really making sure that we're targeting different areas of Northwestern Ontario and providing funding to different aspects of our community.
“We've really captured what the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund program is all about, and that's supporting communities, businesses, organizations, and the environment, and just what Northwestern Ontario is really all about.
