GC Huston Grade 1 students Jaelyn (left) and Courage were all smiles as they got ready to release their young chinook salmon.

Hub Staff

After raising and looking after young Chinook salmon at their school over the winter, Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 students at GC Huston Public School took a walk with their teachers and parent volunteers to the Southampton Boat Launch on May 17 to release them into the Saugeen River.

GC Huston Principal Hugh Morrison explained that program, which is sponsored by Bruce Power and provided by the Lake Huron Fishing Club (LHFC). “We've had [the fish] since the fall,” explained Morrison. “It's been a real attraction for the kids to watch them grow. Everybody checks them every day,” he said.

LHFC members Ross MacDonald and Brian King met the children at the boat launch and between what the children had brought and some extras from LHFC, the total to be released was over 100, giving each student an opportunity to release a fish.

The club has 50 schools that participate in the program including three schools in Saugeen Shores, GC Huston, Northport Elementary and École Port Elgin Saugeen Central, said King. “It introduces [the students] to fishing and also the environment,” he explained. "Hopefully one or two, as they get older, may join the fishing club," he said.

With some instruction and guidance from their teachers and the LHFC members, the young Huston Hawks picked up a bucket and with a wave and a smile released the salmon into their new home.

The Huston Hawks look out over the Saugeen River in Southampton where they released Chinook salmon that they had been raising at the school since the fall.

Lake Huron Fishing Club members Ross MacDonald (left) and Brian King transfer individual fish into a bucket so that each student could release one.

GC Huston students lined up along the shores of the Saugeen River as they waited to be handed a salmon to release.

Ethan's classmates gather around as he pours his Chinook salmon into the Saugeen River.

Jaxon (left) and Cayleb take a last look at their fish before releasing them into their new home.

Junior Kindergarten Huston Hawks, Alexa and Rainah at the Southampton Boat Launch after releasing their salmon into the Saugeen River May 17.