The first inaugural Catching Fish with Cops event held in August in Gananoque is being touted as a smashing success by organizers.

The event, which took place Aug. 13 at Gananoque’s waterfront and was organized by members of the Gananoque Police Service, was a free activity that involved many members of the community.

“We had, approximately, over 125 (youth) participants attend, as well as their friends and family that were with them,” said Gananoque Police Chief Scott Gee.

The young anglers who participated were welcomed to giveaways and a barbecue lunch with drinks following a fishing derby. In addition to other festivities, the Gananoque Vintage Boat Museum provided boat rides to youngsters in a vintage tugboat.

“It was a huge success,” said Gee. “We had a ton of support from our policing partners, with the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as RCMP, who attended, as well. This was a first for us, and we had a lot of community support. Everyone really rallied together, a number of individual sponsors came forward as well and provided prizes.”

Fishing legend “Big” Jim McLaughlin was a special guest at the fishing derby.

Catching Fish with Cops was sponsored by the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation’s Kids and Cops Fishing Days, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting and protecting recreational fishing. The event was also sponsored by the Gananoque Fire Department, the Police Association of Ontario, the Gananoque Police Association, the Town of Gananoque and the local Canadian Tire and No Frills.

Kids and Cops Fishing Days was created by fishing celebrity Bob Izumi who is an avid supporter of recreational fishing for both the young and the young at heart.

(Keith Dempsey is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Brockville Recorder and Times. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.)

Keith Dempsey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brockville Recorder and Times