Lolea Moseanko, right, of Surfwood Equipment Coquitlampresents Hyde Creek Watershed Society vice-president Shane Peachman with a series of new tools for use at the hatchery.
Photograph by: Submitted photo , for the NOW
Faced with a funding crunch and the need to replace stolen equipment, the Hyde Creek Watershed Society received a much-needed boost. The volunteer group got about $1,000 in donated equipment from the Coquitlam outlet of Surfwood Equipment to help offset the loss of a series of items stolen from the hatchery in July.
The donated items include a new Stihl chainsaw and backpack blower, a helmet and other accessories.
"It is certainly a relief," said society vice-president Shane Peachman.
The donation is particularly timely in that the society is finalizing its fundraising efforts around the installation of a new well.
So far, the society has accumulated just over $60,000 towards the final price tag of $76,000.
"We don't have that kind of money," Peachman said. "It costs us almost $10,000 to $12,000 a year to run the hatchery and we only get about $4,000 from [Fisheries and Oceans Canada]. The rest of it we have to beg, borrow or steal from whoever we can."
Peachman noted that times of heavy rain are best suited for installing the new well, and the group has targeted late November or early December to get the shovels in the ground.
But before they get to digging, society members will play host to the 13th-annual Hyde Creek Salmon Festival on Sunday, Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.hydecreek.org for details.
