Salmon Come Home to Coquitlam Creeks

Families look on at the Maple Creek Streamkeepers table, ready for a salmon dissection demonstration. (HSWS photo)

The annual event Salmon Come Home event hosted by the City of Coquitlam and the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) took place on a very wet Sunday (Oct. 20). Approximately 1300 residents geared up and came out anyway to take part in learning about their watershed and about the salmon lifecycle.

The heavy rain and high water flow dampened the ability to see salmon in the stream for the most part, but several chum salmon were spotted throughout the day in the lower-lying creek areas along Hoy Trail.

The event’s expanded area, allowed for families to enjoy a ‘watershed walk’ between two festival sites, the main site behind Pinetree Community Centre situated next to a Hoy Creek Linear Park trailhead, and the feature site, the Hoy Creek Hatchery. Along the watershed walk between both locations, HSWS put out interpretational signage for the public to enjoy information about plant-life, insects, birds and other animals of the watershed.

Naomi Higo, Institute of Urban Ecology Coordinator for Douglas College provided hourly guided tours along Hoy Trail between the two sites assisted by Lani Lehun of Hoy/Scott Watershed Society.

A welcome with Chief Ed Hall. (HSWS photo)

Chief Ed Hall of Kwikwetlem First Nation offered words of welcome and acknowledged the Society’s loss of HSWS founding member, Chris Hamming in 2019.

HSWS members gathered to pay tribute to Earl Elliott, the recipient of the inaugural Hatchery Manager’s Award presented by Rodney Lee.

Angela Brown’s coho tent provided fun and dry retreat from the rain, as children’s gathered inside the inflated fish to hear stories before suiting up in nylon zoo costumes for a parade along the trail.

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society volunteers had the hatchery on full display and provided talks in front of the rearing pond which houses the young coho fry which will be released this coming May at Salmon Leave Home.

The expanded layout focused on the ‘watershed walk’ which is Hoy Trail, between Pinetree Community Centre and the Hoy Creek Hatchery. (HSWS photo)

Maple Creek Streamkeepers provided salmon dissection for all to view the inside of the fish up close.

The Wild Salmon Creative Cafe kept hearts warm with music provided by several local performers, and hands and bellies warm with Spirit Bear Coffee. Food trucks, BC Taco and Bannock Queen kept everyone well fed. Creative Cafe musical performers were Elaina Buenaventura, Julia DePieri, and Bobby Ravensdaughter,. Metis artist, Pat Calihou gave a carving paddle demonstration.

Creative Cafe artists helped brighten moods on the wet cool day!

Other contributors to the event were: Articipation; Burke Mountain Naturalists; City of Coquitlam Urban Forestry (Bad Seed); City of Coquitlam Environmental Services; Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable; Coquitlam Riverwatch; Friends of DeBoville Slough; Hyde Creek Watershed Society; Maple Creek Watershed Streamkeepers; Port Moody Ecological Society; VanCity Pinetree Branch; Kwiketlem First Nation; and the Minnekhada Park Association.

An event favourite! Angela Brown’s inflatable coho provided a dry spot to hear stories before children and parents suited up in the nylon zoo costume for a parade along the trail. (HSWS photo)

Thank you to all of our youth volunteers that assisted to make this day a success! (HSWS photo)

Interpretational signage along the ‘watershed walk.’ This exact location is where several salmon were spotted on the day. (HSWS photo)

With the heavy rain behind us and current cool clear weather, it makes for idyllic conditions for salmon spotting at both Scott and Hoy Creeks.

Hatchery volunteers have begun their broodstock collecting. Salmon spawning time runs through to mid-December.

(View our Facebook photo album)

A chum salmon spotted in Hoy Creek on Oct. 27, 2019 (Photo: Lilian Elliott)

“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. ”

Coffee and Collaboration at February HSWS Meeting

Stewart Brotchie receives a box of Spirit Bear coffee from Jay Peachy after a presentation by Jay at our recent meeting

We'd like to thank Jay Peachy, of the Wild Salmon Caravan for presenting at the Hoy - Scott Watershed Society's monthly meeting on February 15, 2017. Jay has been involved in our previous festivals by providing entertainment, and art-related activities, as well as Spirit Bear coffee.

After his presentation on the breadth of the services he and the Wild Salmon Caravan offer he presented the Society with a generous donation of Spirit Bear Coffee!

"I'm happy to support the good work the society does for the salmon and the community," said Jay Peachy.

Groups or persons wishing to present at one of our meetings, or who may have an idea for a collaboration, can email us at hoyscottwatershed@gmail.com.

Excellent chum return for Salmon Come Home 2016

Left to right: Maurice Coulter-Boisvert, DFO; Caresse Selk, City of Coquitlam; Ed Hall, Kwikwetlem First Nation; Beverley Mrockowski, Kwikwetlem First Nation; and Rodney Lee, Hoy-Scott Watershed Society (Photo: Robbin Whachell /HSWS)

Hoy Creek was teaming with chum salmon during the annual signature event for both Hoy-Scott Watershed Society and the City of Coquitlam, as residents of the tri-cities came out to enjoy a day in nature and learn from many local environmental groups at the Salmon Come Home festival. The rain held off and children and adults were delighted to witness the jumping and spawning salmon traveling up the creek. 

Opening words were offered by special guests, Kwikwetlem First Nation Councillor Ed Hall, and Elder Beverley Mrockowski.  Also providing words of welcome was Coquitlam mayor Richard Stewart. Society volunteers held several live salmon demonstrations where Department of Fisheries community advisor for Lower Fraser Salmon Enhancement Program, Maurice Coulter-Boisvert, offered commentary and answered questions. Salmon educator and founding HSWS member, Chris Hamming kept children active and busy by the rearing pond learning about the salmon and its life cycle.

AJ, a volunteer with Hoy-Scott Watershed Society shows the underside of a chum salmon while Maurice from the DFO commentates. (Photo: Robbin Whachell / HSWS)

Angela Brown and her nylon circus was enjoyed by little ones as they dressed up their parents and paraded through the festival grounds. The Creative Café and guest artists, Elaina Buenaventura, Etienne Siew, and Alana Crockett provided continuous musical entertainment and Spirit Bear Coffee was served.

Hosted by the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, and the City of Coquitlam who had their Bad Seed/Urban Forestry; Park Spark; Solid Waste and Recycling; and Water Conservation Departments out, other exhibitors included: Articipation; BC Salmon Marketing Council; Burke Mountain Naturalists; Coexisting with Coyotes; Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable; Coquitlam Riverwatch; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC; Kintec; Maple Creek Streamkeepers; and Port Moody Ecological Society.

Residents gather along Hoy Creek to view the return and spawning of chum salmon at Salmon Leave Home on October 23rd.  (Photo: Robbin Whachell / HSWS)

VIEW MORE Photos on our Facebook album HERE.

Click < arrows > to scroll through photos below...

Enjoy a video overview BELOW of the day's activates courtesy of the Tri-Cities Community TV.

Salmon Come Home returns to Coquitlam on Sunday, October 23rd

Hoy-Scott Watershed volunteer Kyle Uno holds up a chum salmon for others to see at Salmon Come Home 2015.  (Photo: Ed Paulino / HSWS)

The salmon are coming!  Join the City of Coquitlam and the Hoy-Scott Creek Watershed Society to celebrate the return of the salmon to Hoy Creek at the annual Salmon Come Home at Hoy Creek Hatchery on Sunday, October 23rd from 11 am to 3 pm. Bring your family and friends to participate in this exciting community event which attracts thousands of people to view spawning chum salmon in-stream, and learn about this amazing fish through educational demonstrations and displays.

Enjoy music, children's crafts, costume parade and story telling with Angela Brown, prize fish pond, face painting,  music by CKPM FM 98.7 The Point, and the Creative Café and guest artists will be serving up fun and Spirit Bear Coffee.

The free, family event runs rain or shine and provides a great opportunity to learn about the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society's salmon enhancement program, as well as the work of many other local stewardship groups who attend.

Hosted by the Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, and the City of Coquitlam who will have their Bad Seed/Urban Forestry; Park Spark; Solid Waste and Recycling; and Water Conservation Departments out. Other participants include Articipation; BC Salmon Marketing Council; Burke Mountain Naturalists; Coexisting with Coyotes; Coquitlam River Watershed Roundtable; Coquitlam Riverwatch; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC; Kintec; Maple Creek Streamkeepers; Port Moody Ecological Society; and Kwikwetlem First Nation.

Hoy Creek Hatchery is located off of Princess Crescent, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex and the Pinetree Community Centre in Coquitlam.  Parking is available at City Hall or at Douglas College David Lam Campus where you can enjoy a short walk inland to the hatchery via Hoy Creek Trail. To find the exact location simply Google "Hoy Creek Hatchery."

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society has been in operation since 2002 and is a volunteer run society that operates a small salmon hatchery, and conducts a salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, with technical expertise from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  The Society also works to restore and maintain the riparian habitat in the watershed by removing invasive plant species and re-planting with native plant species. Learn more about the Society at hoyscottcreeks.org

Salmon Come Home is environmentally-themed and designed to promote public awareness about conservation and spawning salmon that migrate back to Coquitlam. For more information on Salmon Come Home, please visit coquitlam.ca/enviroevents