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Winfield, Oyama, Okanagan Centre and Carrs Landing since 1951
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2 5 0 - 76 6 - 2 0 9 9 10 9 - 9 6 8 5 H w y. 9 7 N (Winfield Plaza) Lake Country Fu s i o n S t u d i o @ s h a w. c a
April 3, 2013
Fun for whole family ice fishing on Beaver Lake
Inside
Politicos take up the challenge to live more sustainably and challenge others to do likewise. ...............................
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Imagining heaven is a game for the very young. Better yet to create your own heaven on Earth. ...............................
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Spion Kop trail gets a partial rerouting while work is completed. ...............................
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A healthy gathering of kids enjoyed a day of ice fishing on Beaver Lake late last month as the Oceola Fish and Game Club organized a youth ice fishing event at Beaver Lake Resort, designed to get Lake Country youth connected to the outdoors. A total of 41 people attended the event with about 20 kids and their eager parents participating for the fun-filled four-hour event. The families were provided with an ice fishing rod, bait and a drilled hole so they could start fishing as soon as they arrived. With the help of Oceola Fish and Game Club volunteers, the kids were shown the basics of ice fishing. The rainbow trout fishing action was a bit on the slower side, but the small sculpins in the lake came out to play. Each time one of the kids caught a sculpin, you would think they had hooked a 10-pound trout and their smiles and excitement was contagious throughout the crowd. Thanks to a generous donation by Winfield Cooper Foods, a BBQ hot dog lunch with all the fixings was served to the group of young anglers. After lunch was
JUDIE STEEVES
■ Budget Blinds
The sharp eyes of kids playing outside at lunch at the Boys and Girls Club’s Lake Country Daycare in Winfield
■ Staples
fisherperson, Kassidy Lillie (right) tries her luck at the Oceola Fish and Game Club’s youth fishing derby held at Beaver Lake in March. served, the OFGC volunteers had some fun games for everyone. The youth learned how to cast a fishing rod by taking part in a casting challenge. The game involved casting a bobber towards cardboard fish targets on the ice. Once they finished their turn they were awarded with a prize courtesy of BCFishn.com. The big hit of the day was the fishing bobber and spoon relay game. The children and adults were divided into two teams. Before the game could start every-
one warmed up by learning the secret fish dance taught by OFGC volunteers. The whistle blew and the teams were off and running. Working their balancing skills, the team members ran to a check point then marched backwards to the starting point all while balancing a bobber on the spoon. If the bobber fell off the spoon, the team member would have to “fish dance” for five seconds with an OFGC volunteer before picking up the bobber again. Within minutes into
the game all the children and parents were cheering and performing the fish dance. OFGC members report that each youngster was very engaged in this outdoor event as they demonstrated valuable team work, patience and sportsman-like skills which made them all winners. Thanks to a generous donation by Interior Land Reclamation Ltd., each youth received a prize of a new fishing rod and tackle box. This ice fishing event was a small step for the Oceola Fish and Game
Club towards adding more youth-driven programs and events to the community. The club plans on growing its youth programs to reach multiple aspects of the outdoorsmen/outdoorswomen in the years to come. “Introducing a young person to the outdoors is a very rewarding experience,” said Danny Coyne, an OFGC director. “It is a skill and livelihood that has been passed down from generation to generation. The Oceola Fish and Game
Club encourages all families to get their youth connected to the outdoors and throw a line in the water. You might just catch a smile.” The club thanks event sponsors: Cooper Foods, Interior Land Reclamation Ltd., Beaver Lake Resort and BCFishn. com as well as OFGC volunteers Bob Vannan, Mike Kamann, Gael Russell, Marina Coyne, Jay and Aly Earl. For more information regarding the OFGC Youth Programs please visit www.Oceola.ca.
Cougar spotted at daycare dispatched by conservation officers
Flyers ■ Home Depot
CONTRIBUTED
KYLE MACLEOD (above) gets a bit of help from a volunteer while another young
STAFF REPORTER
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Wednesday may have saved them from catastrophe when they spotted and reported a cougar in a ponderosa pine tree in the playground. Caregivers rounded up the youngsters and
got them inside, then called the Conservation Officer Service to deal with the wildcat. Conservation officer Ed Seitz admitted it was a “very scary situation; the worst situation you
can imagine.” He figured the noise that the children were making could have attracted the cat, which may have viewed them as prey. It was the second cou-
gar that Seitz had to shoot yesterday. The other was in Oyama and had attacked and killed livestock in a farmyard. (See story on page A3). Seitz said the cougar
at the daycare was a juvenile, about two years old, weighing about 40 or 45 pounds. “Typically these ju-
SEE COUGAR A3
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