Newmarket kids can once again try their hands at fishing on Fairy Lake for free as organizations partner to bring back the Urban Family Fish Out this Sunday, July 10.
Families are invited to catch and release fish on the lake during the province’s Family Fishing Week, with free equipment provided. The Optimist Club of Newmarket, York Regional Police, Ministry of Natural Resources and Aurora Bass Masters will host the event for kids wishing to get a feel for the traditional sport.
Optimist Club spokesperson Cindy Crone said it is exciting to hold the annual event again after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
“They come out as a family to learn about the outdoors,” she said. “It’s all provided, so they can actually experience this Canadian experience that not all the urban people tend to do.”
Those who attend will be provided equipment and live bait, along with a free lunch. It runs during one of the times of the year when Ontario residents can fish without a licence.
The catch-and-release format is designed to teach kids about sustainability, Crone said.
“It would be overly onerous on the Fairy Lake ecosystem (to keep fish),” she said. “It’s also to promote the conservationism … promoting the concept that you replenish, that you give back when you are done.”
Free Family Fishing Week runs every day until July 10. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters also offers free equipment loans at dozens of locations through its TackleShare program.
The Newmarket event Sunday, July 10 will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with equipment set up at the Fairy Lake parking lot.
“It’s just a fun event for the kids to go out and families to be together and enjoy a nice day in the outdoors,” Crone said. “It’s nice to go back to normal. It’s nice to have these events.”
