About the Club Events and Meeting Information Contacts Photo Journals Where to Fish In the Sudbury Area
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Sudbury Game & Fish Protective Assoc. Inc. The Club History The Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association was founded at 8 o'clock on the evening of February 9th, 1916, only four years after the Sudbury Trout Club had been formed. That meeting saw the Reverend Father Crawley elected as the club's first President. When looking back over the minutes of those first meetings it is interesting to note that many of the problems and concerns the club had then are the same concerns the club has now. Ways to assist game wardens in operating a fish hatchery, conservation issues and safety were very much in the minds of the members of this new club and still are today. In 1928 the Sudbury Game and Fish Club sent Col. Hoffman Smith to Toronto to represent the Club in assisting the formation of the Ontario Federation of Anglers, which is now known as the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Inc. Over the years the Sudbury Club has supplied the Ontario Federation with Presidents and Directors and has hosted the annual convention as well.
The Club continues today in these very worthy endeavors and have added many more! Tree planting, lake restoration, the improvement of animal habitats, and restocking are all very much part of the day to day activities of many club members. They also have recently donated a robotic deer to the government to be used in the capture and conviction of poachers. They are often found outside on cold winter days cutting browse for deer herds during difficult winters. They continue to build and place nest boxes throughout the area and during the last couple of years have spent many days working with the Ontario Government's Elk Restoration Project.
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Throughout
the Sudbury Club's history they have continued their work in such areas as
stocking speckled trout, building duck nests, and planting duck food areas
in association with Laurentian University, reclamation projects to improve
area lakes (such as Mud Lake, Lake Laurentian and Ramsey Lake), tree
planting and financing the publication of an anti-pollution book (that was
distributed throughout Canada). Their efforts have seen some wonderful
results, such as the four fold increase in duck population during the
first year of their work with nests and feeding areas. Mud Lake has been
developed into one of the more productive Speckle and Rainbow Trout lakes
in the area. Helping to get the Nickel District Conservation Authority off
and running. And today they are involved in the Ontario Government's Elk
Restoration Project. And they have been noticed! The pollution book called
"The Choice" was requested by a number of European universities!
As far back as 1958 the Club became the first in Northern Ontario to win
the coveted Mary Pickford award. This award is presented each year to the
club in Ontario with the most impressive record of work in conservation.
On a
more personal note the Club found itself a long awaited home in 1972. They
purchased a piece of land located six miles from downtown Sudbury. Buying
this land seems to have lent an air of excitement to club members who
formed 12 committees in the first year who were deeply involved in
conservation projects! The Ministry of Transport contacted the Club to
participate in feasibility studies on major road construction and fish
patrols were set up in conjunction with the Ministry's local office to
patrol spawning beds and protect them from poachers. A Junior Club was
organized. One member was chosen to sit on a technical tree-planting
committee for the region and a long term reforestation project was put in
motion. The property was used as a home base for conservation projects
that could be launched to affect the thousands of acres of crown land
surrounding it. The old farm house on the property was remodeled to be
used as a club house for it's main objective, reclamation.
The
Sudbury Game and Fish Club is now in it's 85th year. During those
years many dedicated honored members have passed though it's doors. The
dedication and loyalty of these members have formed a solid foundation for
this club. It's ideals and goals will be proudly passed on to their
children and their children after them.