RIVERS
BANNER
ersary v i n Celebrating our 108th An
Gazette-Reporter
Serving the Rivers, Rapid City and Oak River areas for 107 years
Walleye for Wahtopanah June 9, 2017
Volume 109, Issue 49
89¢ + tax
By Hall Sveistrup
On Saturday forenoon May 20, two pontoon boats, manned by Rivers & Area Game & Fish Association members Dave and Donna Falkevitch and Ron and Bonnie Taylor, along with association president Shawn Williams, waited patiently at the Rivers Provincial Park dock. The object of their presence was the anticipation of the arrival of club member and regional fisheries biologist, Bruno Bruederlin. He transported to Lake Wahtopanah 1.5 million walleye fry from a fish hatchery on Lake Manitoba near Lundar in Manitoba’s Interlake region. The tiny fry, each approximately one centimetre long and consisting of little more than two large bulging eyes and an egg yolk sac, were contained in large water-filled plastic bags. Each bag held approximately 100,000 baby walleye. The fry were divided between the two vessels and taken to calm and shallow areas at opposite ends of the lake where they were then released. Bruederlin estimates only one per cent of the fry will survive and those that do will reach a size suitable for angling in two or three years. He also reports that this stocking initiative has been in existence since the 1920s in many of Manitoba’s lakes; Lake Wahtopanah has been stocked with fry for many years. Local game and fish members, as well as all anglers who visit here will surely appreciate the efforts of the Fisheries Branch of Manitoba Department of Sustainable Development.
Photos submitted
If you look closely, the slight discolouration at the bottom of the bag is a whopping 100,000 fish; Bruno Bruederlin passes the babies to Shawn Williams. Inset: A close up of the fry. Photo by Richard Brown
L/R: Jeff Worth of Rivers accepts a service award from Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs president Cam Abrey.
Worth was wowed
By Sheila Runions Banner Staff
M
anitoba Association of Fire Chiefs (MAFC) held its annual convention in Winnipeg June 1-3. Among the attendees were Rivers/Daly Chief Richard Brown and Deputy Chief
Jeff Worth. Richard was pleased his surprise at the convention remained a secret. “I nominated Jeff for a 25year f ire service award; this was kept a surprise up until he received it.”
Jeff ’s Facebook post reads: “Big thanks to Chief Richard Brown for surprising me with this at the MAFC conference! It truly is an honour to serve the community.” From that message, he had more than 200 likes and comments from friends and family. Although he has completed 30 years of service and is now working on 31 years of volunteering with the department, according to Richard the asso-
ciation “wants you to have completed your 30th year before you receive the medal. Jeff has been on Rivers fire since April 1987 and has held the title of deputy chief since Jan. 1, 1994. Jeff also worked on the ambulance for 15 years. We are thankful for his knowledge and experience that he brings to the fire service.” The silver medal hangs from a tri-coloured ribbon of red, green and yellow, which has a pin on the backside so it may be affixed
to a uniform, suit jacket, etc. In addition to the medallion, the urban municipal supervisor of Riverdale Municipality public works also received a certificate from MAFC “in recognition of 25 years of dedicated and loyal service in Manitoba.” Besides recognition at the MAFC level, the local department honoured Jeff with a 25year service plaque, given to him at their Christmas party six months ago.