KAGAWONG—While students from several schools on and off Manitoulin Island have had the opportunity to hear and see up close about the annual salmon run in Kagawong through Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association (MSIA), they and other visitors to the Bridal Veil Falls have also had the chance to visit the fishing platform and the educational signs posted on it.
“We had the fully accessible angling platform installed last year, late in the season. The idea was to create an opportunity where tourists and locals can go to fish, view and learn about the area,” said Seija Deschenes of MSIA. “And we tried to adopt the educational signage at the platform to the features of the streams and species that access the (Kagawong) river and the falls area.”
“One of the educational signs details the life cycle of salmon species, from the adult spawning stage to the end-of-life cycle,” said Ms. Deschenes. “There is also information the stream rehabilitation that has been undertaking and why, what species of fish are located here, species at risk, invasive species and the invertebrates found there so they can tell if the fish are healthy or unhealthy.”
Liam Campbell of MSIA has been hosting salmon tours up the Kagawong River to the base of the Bridal Veil Falls.
“Look at the big fish!” stated one Lakeview School student on a tour students in the Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grade 1 class took with Mr. Campbell last Tuesday. “This is so much fun!’
Mr. Campbell provided a visual tour of the river and various aspects of the wildlife and aquatic habitat of the area, along with describing the work that has been done to rejuvenate the river area over the past few years, which has led to more species of fish and other wildlife habitat to the deer statues, and a visit to the falls area where the salmon are gathered to spawn. He cautioned the students, “We are going to stay away from the water, and not disrupt the fish, and we can’t go behind the falls because it is slippery and so one could fall and get hurt.”
Mr. Campbell said among those MSIA has provided tours of the river and falls area this fall has been three classes from Assiginack Public School, six classes of students from Lakeview, a group of students from St. Joseph’s school (Sheshegwaning First Nation) LaSalle School from Sudbury, Montessori Private School based in Toronto, Wikwemikong Tourism, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Manitoulin Nature Club and several German tourists.
Ms. Deschenes pointed out the educational signage was funded by FEDNOR and the Douglas A. Smith Family Foundation and the platform was funded by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Kendra Edwards Design designed the signs and her brother Morgan Edwards constructed the frames and installed them on the angling platform.
