Picture a verdant valley cut by sparkling waters running from the highlands of the Oak Ridges Moraine north of Toronto down to Lake Ontario.

Now imagine a golf course by the riverbank owned by a man with a passion for fishing and conservation on his mind. The course is Parkview Golf Club in Markham, Ontario, the river is the Rouge, and the man is Jim Bamford.

With the outlook he had on life and the close relationship he had with the river, it seemed only natural that he would get involved in its well-being. So he enlisted the aid of his friends in The Metro East Anglers to come up with a plan of action. They decided to create a fish hatchery.

Several of the members took a course to become certified as operators of electro-fishers, battery operated devices designed to temporarily stun fish in a localized area of water. In March of 1995, under the guidance of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources biologist, Mark Heaton, they netted spawning Rainbow Trout, stripped them of roe and milt, tagged and then released them, none the worse for wear. They obtained about 5800 eggs this way which they fertilized with the milt and placed in upwelling incubation boxes set in Bamford Brook, a small feeder stream to the Rouge River.

Here the eggs rested, protected from predation, until mid June when there were 3500 tiny fry which survived to be released into the lower Rouge. Wow! What a feeling! Let's try it again! April of 1996 saw them at it once more. This time they managed to produce 22500 Rainbow trout fry. In November that year they received 77000 Brown Trout and 17500 Atlantic Salmon eggs from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources which went into the boxes for some more TLC.

By January 1997, 75000 of the Brown Trout had survived as fry and were split into two groups for release into the Rouge River. 37500 swam off into the lower river and 37500 were placed upstream, above the Milne Dam. Unfortunately, the Salmon didn't do as well. Only 5000 survived. The club soon learned that Atlantics were much more difficult to rear to stocking size.

However, the Ministry came up with another 20000 fry so a total of 25000 Atlantic Salmon entered the lower Rouge in February. In April, 150000 eggs were stripped from Rainbows on their spawning run and were snuggled into the boxes in the brook. They began hatching in mid May. In late June, approx. 50,000 Rainbow fry were stocked from the hatchery into The Don, Rouge, Morningside and Highland Creek.

The operation began with an upwelling box sitting in a small brook. From those humble beginnings, the hatchery continued to grow and expand until it comprised two buildings housing banks of Heath tray incubators, indoor early-rearing and growth tanks, and a large outdoor growth tank, all fed with a system of pipes that channel spring water throughout. Schools and community groups often visited the hatchery to discover what the club was doing to enhance the local fishery; they always left impressed by what a group of dedicated volunteers can do. The operation is currently being moved to the Ringwood Fish Culture Station, where volunteers will continue their work in association with O.F.A.H and the Ministry of Natural Resources. See the October 10, 2006 OFAH news release for some details.

Parkview yearly produced upwards of 400,000 fish that were released into local watersheds. The club collects Rainbow Trout spawn in early spring, and receives Brown Trout and Atlantic Salmon eggs from the Normandale Fish Culture Station. The hatchery works in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources through the CFIP program. Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Atlantic Salmon are released at various stages of their development. Most are released as fry, but typically about 10,000 Rainbow fall fingerings are released. With the new partnership with O.F.A.H, Chinook and Coho Salmon are being added to the mix.

Please check our web site frequently to follow our progress. Funds for the hatchery have been provided by Jim, Ontario Streams, and Parkview Golf Club. Labour has been provided by Jim and the Metro East Anglers.