Event: Learn about angling in the GTA

Is Toronto Fish City? Pro fisherman David Chong thinks so, and he’ll be sharing his tips for urban angling at a free public event.

“As a major metropolitan area, the GTA boasts some of the finest fishing in North America,” says Chong. “There are plentiful and diverse fish species that can be caught right within the city limits.” A respected multi-species tournament pro, Chong has been fishing competitively for over 20 years, and is also a longtime advocate of urban angling.

On June 12, Chong, along with a panel of experts from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Ministry of the Environment, will be raising awareness about fishing opportunities in and around Toronto.

The event, held at the Gladstone Hotel, is as part of Toronto and Region Conservation’s ongoing “Lake Ontario Evenings” series of speaker events. It will also mark the launch of the new Fishes of Toronto booklet, an 80-page guide to aquatic wildlife in the city.

Other speakers include the MNR’s Wil Wegman, Chris Robinson from OFAH and Satyendra Bhavsar from the MOE, who will discuss the safety of eating fish from toronto’s waterfront (event schedule below).

Toronto is home to a wide variety of gamefish, including northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, rainbow and brown trout and Pacific salmon. Looking after local fish populations is the responsibility of organizations such as Toronto and Region Conservation, the MOE and the MNR, which all participate in  aquatic protection and rehabilitation projects along the Toronto waterfront.

“We study existing fish populations, and determine their overall health and approximate population, and we create new habitats, like wetlands,” says Gord MacPherson, TRCA’s senior manager of restoration services. “This wildlife is important to us and we want to see it flourish.”

The Lake Ontario Evenings, first started in 2009, is a free event where members of the public are encouraged to come and learn about Lake Ontario, including its health, wildlife, and our impact on its future. Past forum topics have included water diversions, biodiversity, the nearshore environment, environmental contaminants and the Toronto landscape.

Lake Ontario Evening: Angling in the GTA

June 12, Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. West

• 6:00 PM — Doors open
• 6:45 PM — Chris Robinson, OFAH, “A Look at the Fishes of Toronto Book”
• 7:00 PM — Satyendra Bhavsar, MOE, “Is it safe to eat the fish in the GTA?”
• 7:15 PM — Wil Wegman, MNR, “Urban Fishing Events in Toronto”
• 7:35 PM — Dave Chong, “Toronto is Fish City!”
• 8:05 PM — Audience question and answer period