Come bid farewell and help release our Chum salmon Grads of 2024 as they leave us for the long journey out to sea!

Join the Hoy - Scott Watershed Society as we host Salmon Leave Home on Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Hoy Creek Hatchery.

The first 18 months of the life of coho salmon are spent in a freshwater stream environment. Society volunteers incubate coho eggs in the hatchery and rear fry to the smolt stage in our rearing pond.

Our chum salmon, unlike coho, do not reside in fresh water for an extended period. The Chum fry once emerging from the gravels could be only weeks before they begin their journey to the ocean. Fun fact - Chum salmon are the second largest of all the Pacific salmon, second only to Chinook salmon!

Once released to the creek, the Chum and Coho begin their journey to the ocean: Hoy Creek → Scott Creek → Coquitlam River → Fraser River → Strait of Georgia into the Pacific Ocean!

What to expect at our event:

• Meet our volunteers.

• Take part in the first ever ‘public’ release of Hoy Creek Chum fry!

• View our Coho fry.

• Play Plinko and get your salmon past predators to saltwater safety to win a prize.

• Take a family photo in front of our Grads of 2024 sign.

• Learn about the hatchery and the salmon life cycle.

• Explore Hoy Creek Linear Park.

This free family event takes place rain or shine! 

The Hoy Creek Hatchery is located on Hoy Creek Trail, west of the City Centre Aquatic Complex at the corner of Pinetree and Guildford Way. Here’s how to find the hatchery.

Stay notified and receive a reminder. Click the button below to go RSVP. Be sure to invite your family and friends. Our event hashtag is #salmonleavehome.