Farewell Chums! Salmon Left Home

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Thank you to all the families who came out to enjoy and learn!

On April 27, residents of Coquitlam came to help release our Chum salmon at our Salmon Leave Home festival. Traditionally held around Mother’s Day for the release of our Coho, in 2024 the Society decided to change the focus of the release to the Chum species.

Hatchery manager and Society vice president, Tyler Storgaard explains why, “After significant efforts by our volunteers, we are able to hold both Coho and Chum fry, where previously we had only been able to hold one species at a time. This new capacity and growing concern over drier and warmer conditions earlier in the year had us rethink our release dates for overall fish health. “

Despite the constant rain, the festival was well supported and manageable throughout the day. Children and adults carried buckets of fry down Hoy Trail to a quiet and easily-accessible part of Hoy Creek to release the fish.

Crafts, education, hatchery tour and release of Chum salmon

Residents also got to view Chum fry up close in tanks as well as the Coho fingerlings raised at the hatchery. A scavenger hunt was available as well as the opportunity to make seed bombs to take home and plant to encourage spring flowers for our pollinators.

The Society would like to thank the community who didn't let the weather get in the way! Thanks also goes out to our dedicated and hardworking volunteers.

A huge thank you to our event sponsor, Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program, and for the continuous support of the Fisheries & Oceans Canada.

We hope to see you at our next festival in October for Salmon Come Home!

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Tyler, Anne and Suzz helping bucket out the Chum!

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Founding Member Acknowledged at Salmon Leave Home

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Founding member and the Hoy/Scott Watershed Society’s first president was acknowledged at Salmon Leave Home on May 14, 2023. From left to right: Fin Donnelly, MLA; HSWS president, Kyle Uno; and founding member, Keith Kozak holding his certificate of acknowledgement.

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society was formed and registered in 2002 with a mandate to promote watershed restoration and help raise awareness of our shared responsibility for the care of the creek and its surrounding habitat. Founding members who signed the Society document were: Keith Kozak, Linda Gorsline, Chris Hamming, Andrea Tubbs, and Shawn Tubbs.

Twenty-one years later, on May 14, 2023, during the Society’s Salmon Leave Home festival, Keith Kozak was honoured for his major contribution. Setting up a society from nothing is an arduous task and we’re grateful for the time and commitment put in by our founding members.

Keith was the Society's first president. So much goes into the operations of a society, and Keith put in countless hours leading stream cleans, tree planting, salmon rearing, and time networking with the City, DFO, and environmental groups, as well as checking that area developers were ensuring the safety of the salmon.

Keith speaks about the formation of the Society and the work of the group in educating the public on the sensitivity of the habitat, as well as ensuring the return of Coho and Chum salmon to Hoy Creek.

Keith was acknowledged and thanked by the current president, Kyle Uno. “We would not be here today without your efforts. As a token of our appreciation, we present you with this certificate and gift.”

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This photo was featured on the cover of The Tri-City News. Seen left is Keith Kozak, holding a Coho salmon, as a family looks on on the shore of Hoy Creek, Coquitlam.

Salmon Released by the Public at Hoy Creek Hatchery

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A girl releases a Coho smolt into Hoy Creek at Salmon Leave Home at Hoy Creek Hatchery. (HSWS Photo)

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) held its annual Salmon Leave Home event on May 14, and was pleased to return to a public release of the approximately 18-month-old Coho smolts that have been living in the outdoor rearing pond since last May. This was the first time since 2019 that the public was able to assist with the salmon release, due to the pandemic.

The Society moved the event time to the afternoon to give families time to celebrate Mom (it was Mother’s Day). Weather conditions were hot with a high of 32C, but despite that, a steady stream of people came through the Hoy Creek Hatchery area. To the delight of many, wild Coho fry were visible from the footbridge.

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The community had the opportunity to carry a bucket of Coho smolts to Hoy Creek for release; take a peek at the six-month-old Coho fry in the hatchery’s Capilano trough room; meet the volunteers and learn about the Society; make a Mother's Day greeting card using leaves; play the Plinko game and get salmon past predators to saltwater safety; sign a Farewell to the Coho Grads of 2023 card; sign a pledge to protect the salmon; and explore Hoy Creek Linear Park.

After a Land Acknowledgement by HSWS president, Kyle Uno, the MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, Fin Donnelly provided a few words before Kyle presented Keith Kozak, the Society’s first president, with a certificate of appreciation and a gift. Keith spoke about the early years of getting the Society up and running.

The event was supported by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, with Isaac Nelson overseeing the fish release.

The Society would like to thank all its volunteers for the time spent supporting the event, and the community who came out to help. A special thank you to the event sponsor, the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program!

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Salmon Leave Home 2023 'unofficial' photo: Thanks to our HSWS volunteers who were manning our areas of the event so that some of us could gather for a group photo with our special guests.

Back row, left to right: Tyler Storgaard, Isaac Nelson (DFO), Hannah Tonsaker; Matthew Watts; Henrietta Hamming (wife of the late Chris Hamming, HSWS founder); Robbin Whachell; Keith Kozak (founding member/HSWS first president); and Rodney Lee.

Front row, Fin Donnelly, MLA; and Kyle Uno, current HSWS president.

No Fanfare for Salmon Leaving Home at Hoy Creek Hatchery

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Hatchery manager, Rodney Lee looks over the channel where the fish were released in a non-traditional manner this year due to COVID-19. No festival took place.

On May 16, a few Hoy/Scott Watershed Society members came out to the Hoy Creek Hatchery to witness the release of the coho smolts.

What has become known as a favourite community affair where children and adults help with releasing the fish with buckets, was kept hushed this year due to COVID-19. A few residents who happened to be out for a walk stood by to observe as hatchery manager Rodney Lee, and assistant hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard released the boards to open the waterway between the rearing pond and Hoy Creek.

Society volunteers see this particular coho brood of approximately 2700 as special because they were the resilient survivors of a major fish kill in May 2019 where thousands of fish in the hatchery and in the creek died of an unknown chemical substance.

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Assistant hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard mans the channel where coho salmon smolts were released to the lower pond, where local residents can be seen peering into.

The weather was wet, which did not help visibility for the onlookers, but our team was able to use a Go-pro for some underwater shots, and once the fish made their way through the back pond and down the metal weir to Hoy Creek, it helped us capture this video for our Youtube page. (see videos below)

Now that our rearing pond has been emptied, it will be cleaned and then refilled to prepare for the transfer of our coho fry (broodstock from winter 2019/20). The fry will first undergo an adipose fin clip to identify them as hatchery fish.

Once in the rearing pond, they will remain there until their release at Salmon Leave Home in May 2021.

“We’d like to thank our dedicated and small group of volunteers,” said Society president, Robbin Whachell. “From our daily feeders to those that helped out during Saturday work sessions to monitor the health of our fish and help maintain the riparian area. We also want to thank our neighours, the public, and the residents who keep a watchful eye over the watershed and alert us and the authorities of anything suspicious or negligent.”

It should be noted that since mid-March and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoy/Scott Watershed Society has cancelled all Saturday work sessions, all in-person meetings and hatchery tours or open houses until further notice.

Check out our Facebook page ‘photos section’ for more images.

Hoy - Scott Watershed Society, (HSWS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run environmental stewardship group, that conducts a salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. We are actively involved in watershed restoration, public awareness, education, and preservation.

Salmon Leave Home at Hoy Creek on Mother's Day

A young boy releases a coho smolt on the edge of Hoy Creek, while a volunteer assists and looks on - at Salmon Leave Home 2018. (Photo: HSWS)

The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society invites the community out for their annual Salmon Leave Home event on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam.  People of all ages will have the opportunity to help release 18-month-old coho smolts into Hoy Creek.

“Salmon Leave Home is a great way for families to connect with nature, and brings awareness to our delicate ecosystem, right here in Coquitlam,” said society president, Robbin Whachell.  “Once the salmon are released, they make their way downstream to Scott Creek, then Coquitlam River, the Fraser River - which empties into the Strait of Georgia on the Pacific Ocean. They take about a year to get to the ocean, and then return in approximately 2 years to the same location where they were spawned.”  

The family-friendly free outdoor event will run rain or shine and the society will have families engaged in fishy fun. Students from the Pinetree Secondary community club will be providing face painting, and a family walk through the watershed is always beautiful at this time of year.

The event is a great opportunity to learn about the local fish hatchery and get information on the year-round volunteer-run salmon enhancement program, which includes work with plants in the riparian area of Hoy and Scott Creeks. 20,000 coho fry will also be on display.

The hatchery is located in the Hoy Creek Linear Park behind Douglas College and north of Guildford, a few minutes walk inland, and is only a ten-minute walk from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas skytrain station.  To find the exact location, simply Google “Hoy Creek Hatchery.”

RSVP to the Facebook event page to receive updates and a reminder.

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, (HSWS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer run environmental stewardship group, that conducts a year-round salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. We are actively involved in watershed restoration, public awareness, education and preservation.

Coquitlam residents help release coho at Salmon Leave Home

A boy releases coho salmon under the guidance of a volunteer at Hoy Creek. 

The weather was perfect for our annual Salmon Leave Home event on May 6! Well over a thousand residents participated.

We'd like to thank everyone who came out to lend a hand and give their well wishes and good thoughts to our 5000 coho smolts who now make Hoy Creek their home.  The fish will now make the creeks, or the Coquitlam or Fraser rivers their home for about a year before making it to the ocean. 

Patrons of Salmon Leave Home listen to Ed Hall of Kwikwetlem First Nation at the opening of the annual event at Hoy Creek. 

A big thank you to special guests, the Kwikwetlem First Nation who provided comment during the opening ceremony and released our first fish into Hoy Creek. Thanks also to the Wild Salmon Caravan for providing entertainment and art activities. The kids loved painting the salmon van!  The Pinetree Secondary School students were a great help on site, and also provided face painting. 

The Wild Salmon Caravan served up fishy fun. 

CBC News came out to provide coverage of the event on the evening news that day. 

After the event closed, the rearing pond was cleaned out in preparation for the next broodstock which will make the location their home in June. The approximately 6-month old salmon will live there until the next Salmon Leave Home event in May 2019. 

To view our all of our photos of the event, check out our Facebook album. If you are not a Facebook user, we have a Google photo album too.

We'll see you at Salmon Come Home in October!

HSWS participates in Walton Elementary Earth Day event

Stewart and Chris at the Walton Elementary Earth Day event.

Members of the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) participated in the Earth Day Swap Meet event put on by Walton Elementary School on April 28. The schoo is a short walk through the forest to Hoy Creek Hatchery. 

"It's important for the students, parents, and teachers to be aware of the salmon sanctuary that is so close to their school," said president of the Society, Robbin Whachell. "Many of the families walk through the watershed along Hoy Trail on their way to and from school, so it's important that they have an awareness that each of us have a role to play in protecting our watershed, which in turn assists in the preservation of our salmon." 

Robbin and Lani at Walton Elementary 

"It was wonderful to talk to parents who have observed changes in the watershed, or who have witnessed wildlife. The watershed is a wonderful place to explore."

A big thanks to Society volunteers, Chris Hamming and Stewart Brotchie who interacted with participants on Friday evening, and to Lani Lehun who represented the Society on Saturday with Robbin. 

HSWS applauds the organizers for leading an important event that not only supports their school but helps open eyes and minds to the wonders and sensitivities of our environment. 

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) is a volunteer-run non-profit society that operates a small salmon hatchery beside Hoy Creek and conducts a salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and with technical expertise from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The group stewards the Hoy and Scott Watersheds, promoting public awareness and education, and is involved in watershed habitat restoration and preservation.

Yvonne from Walton Elementary thanks the Society at Salmon Leave Home

Salmon Leave Home on Sunday, May 6

A young boy releases a fingerling coho salmon into Hoy Creek during Salmon Leave Home. (Photo: Robbin Whachell / HSWS)

Join the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society on Sunday, May 6 for Salmon Leave Home at the Hoy

The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society invites the community out for their annual Salmon Leave Home event on Sunday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam.  People of all ages will have the opportunity to help release 18-month-old coho smolts into Hoy Creek. 

“Salmon Leave Home is a special event for families with small children. The kids find so much delight in releasing fish into the creek,” said society president, Robbin Whachell.  “Once the salmon are released, they make their way downstream to Scott Creek, then Coquitlam River, the Fraser River - which empties into the Strait of Georgia on the Pacific Ocean. They return in approximately 2 years to the same location where they were spawned.”  

The family-friendly free outdoor event will run rain or shine and the society will have families engaged in fishy fun. Students from the Pinetree Secondary environmental club will be providing face painting, while the Wild Salmon Creative Cafe will be serving up Spirit Bear coffees and will host an art build activity.

It’s a great opportunity to learn about the local fish hatchery and get information on the year-round salmon enhancement program, which includes work with plants in the riparian area of Hoy and Scott Creeks.  Our 5-month old coho fry will also be on display.

The hatchery is located in the Hoy Creek Linear Park behind Douglas College and north of Guildford, a few minutes walk inland and is only a ten-minute walk from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas Skytrain station.  To find the exact location, simply Google “Hoy Creek Hatchery.”  

Let us know you're coming, or invite your family and friends on our Facebook event page.

Hoy Trail has several entrances:
- Walk in from Princess Crescent;
- Walk in from behind Douglas College;
- Walk in from Guildford Way (between Johnson and Pinetree);
- Walk in from Walton Avenue, or behind Walton Elementary;
- Walk in from the foot of Lasalle Place.

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, (HSWS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run environmental stewardship group, that conducts a year-round salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. We are actively involved in watershed restoration, public awareness, education, and preservation.

To find the exact location simply Google, "Hoy Creek Hatchery."

Our event hashtag is #salmonleavehome, so if you attend, feel free to tweet or share, and check out what others are posting with our event hashtag.

(Photos from last year)

Fishy Fun at 2017 Salmon Leave Home

A mother and son peek at a coho fingerling held by a HSWS volunteer at Salmon Leave Home (Photo: Robbin Whachell / HSWS)

And they're gone!

Coho smolts that had their start in life at the Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam are well on their way to adapting to life in the stream.  Approximately 5000 smolts were released at Hoy-Scott Watershed Society's Salmon Leave Home event on May 7th.

When ready, they will make their way from Hoy Creek to Scott Creek, then Coquitlam River, then to the Fraser River, and then on to the Straight of Georgia and the Pacific Ocean.

A father and son set to release coho smolts into Hoy Creek during Salmon Leave Home on May 7th, 2017. (Photo: Robbin Whachell / HSWS)

The weather was perfect for the family fun free community event, and there was a steady flow of people throughout the day.  Patrons learned about the life-cycle of the salmon, viewed hatchery facilities, and had fun building bird boxes, getting face-painted, and doing fish-crafts.  Music was provided by 98.7 The Point radio. Watershed Watch Salmon Society was also on had with crafts for the kids and education for all. Jay Peachy honoured the Kwikwetlem First Nation traditional territory and delivered the "Salmon Song" accompanied by drumming.

The highlight of the day was the release of the smolts, as children of all ages delighted in carrying young salmon in buckets from the rearing pond a short distance to release them into Hoy Creek.

Face-painting, building bird boxes, and fish crafts...

The society wishes to thank all of our hard working volunteers from Pinetree Secondary.

Over the summer things generally slow down at the hatchery, but volunteers still continue to oversee the care of some 25,000 coho fry, approximately 5 months old, who will be transferred into the rearing pond before June.

The bird box building station at Salmon Leave Home. 

See ALL of our photos from Salmon Leave Home on our Facebook album HERE.

Work also continues in the riparian areas of the watershed to ensure invasive species are reduced and native plants are thriving. A healthy riparian area ensures a healthy creek.

In July or August the society also does a stream cleanup, removing trash and debris from Scott and Hoy Creeks. To get involved, click our "Get Involved" button, or email the Society at hoyscottwatershed@gmail.com

New Art Fixture Installed at Hoy Creek Hatchery

A new dragonfly metal art-piece is proudly displayed above the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery contributed by local artist, Patricia Gaspar.  All three of the pieces here were created over the years by the same artist.

The local salmon hatchery in Coquitlam, nestled in Hoy Creek Linear Park and operated by the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) has just welcomed a new art piece by local artist, Patricia Gaspar.

The metal dragonfly was installed in time for Salmon Leave Home on May 7th.

The sparkling and bejeweled dragonfly is mounted above the rearing pond which houses coho from May to May of each year before they are released into Hoy Creek at Salmon Leave Home.

"We are so pleased to have yet another charming piece of artwork from Patricia on the hatchery grounds," said HSWS president Robbin Whachell.  "Patricia's artwork can be enjoyed by the entire community, and is in sync with our objective of bringing public awareness and education toward the restoration and preservation of our local habitat."

View other artwork at Hoy Creek Hatchery by Patricia Gaspar HERE.

The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society executive would highly recommend Patricia Gaspar for any art projects, in particular those that benefit the community.  Visit the artist's website HERE.

The rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam. Home to our coho salmon from May through May.  When grown to smolts, the salmon are released into the creek at Salmon Leave Home.

The new dragonfly art piece by Patricia Gaspar, mounted above the rearing pond at Hoy Creek Hatchery.