Summer is off to a good start for 13-year-old Ryan Burnham.
Two weeks ago, he received a bike from the Greater Sudbury Police Service Earn-A-Bike program, and on July 9, he won a fishing rod at Kids, Cops and Fishing.
Felix Delongchamp, a member of the Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association, show young fishers Nicolas Landry, Ange Mununu, Isaiah Reed and Deli Delingoma how to bait a line. Photo by Jenny Jelen.
A number of kids walked away with prizes during the morning of fishing under sunny skies at the Sudbury Yacht Club, and even more simply had the chance to enjoy being on the water.
About 30 kids up to age 14 had the chance to try their hand at casting a line alongside police officers on Ramsey Lake.
Const. Victor Leroux said the day was designed to teach kids how to fish, promote water safety and foster positive relationships between youth and authority figures.
“It shows (kids) that police officers are human as well,” he said. “We like to be role models for kids.”
A number of the kids learning to fish were from the Zone 30 Project, which takes place in the Flour Mill and Donovan areas. Leroux said the program is designed to enhance the atmosphere in places that could benefit from it.
Ten-year-old Billy McCullough was another one of the lucky kids to score a free fishing pole at the event.
“I'm just so glad I got this fishing rod,” he said. “I once caught a fish with a net, but that was when I was four or five.”
Since learning that he was participating in the event, McCullough has been doing his research. He watched a TVO Kids show about the difference between large mouth bass and small mouth bass, and was looking forward to putting his knowledge to the test on fishing day.
He said he hadn't quite learned the techniques for catching the different types of fish though.
-Posted by Jenny Jelen.
