The school of fish ripped through the water as students fought hard to reel them in.
Class was out of session for many students in 14 Division, as they learned to fish at Scadding Court Community Centre on June 19.
The week-long “Gone Fishin’ ” event, sponsored by ProAction, Cops & Kids, a charity that funds programs linking police with at-risk youth, transformed the pool into a trout-filled angler’s paradise, where children learned how to bait, cast and catch a fish.
“This is a great event that gives children in this diverse community the opportunity to learn how to fish,” S/Sgt. Frank Besenthal said. “Most of these kids never had the chance to go fishing before, so I’m glad they’re given the chance to learn now.”
Kevin Lee, executive director of the community centre, says it is an engaging activity that allows the children to interact with police. Most of the children tend to hear negative comments about police, when something goes wrong in the community, so fishing with them for the day can help change that skewed perspective, he says.
“An event like this really makes an impression on the children about the police,” he said. “It provides an opportunity for officers to interact with the kids in an activity they don’t normally have access to.”
Teacher Susan FitzPatick’s class, from St. Mary’s Catholic School, enjoys coming to the event every year.
Throughout the semester, they have been learning the process of how food goes from nature to their refrigerator; now they were able to take part in that process.
“This is such a well-organized event,” FitzPatrick said. “It teaches them patience and they get to see how fish are caught – rather than just buying it from the store.”
Every student leaves with a fish of their own to take home and cook.
“You can really see the pride in their eyes after they catch a fish and then get to take it home,” said Alexei Chiao, who is volunteering for the week. “I like being here helping them, because it’s fun to see their excitement.”
John Carter, 13, from FitzPatrick’s class, managed to pull in a fish by himself and agreed that it was a thrill.
“Coming here to catch a fish is so much fun,” he said. “That’s the best part about the day.”
By Travis Persaud
