The Temagami Area Fish Involvement Program (TAFIP) is a not-for-profit, charitable organization run by a group of dedicated volunteers who give their time and energy to enhance the walleye fishery in Lake Temagami, and surrounding water bodies.
The group is benefiting from a new sea can storage facility and upgraded fishery equipment bought with a $10,000 cash donation from TC Energy.
“The funds donated went towards the purchase of a steel container facility to store the group’s hatchery equipment," said Ike Laba, TAFIP president. "The donation is to ensure TAFIP can continue to conduct our fish hatchery program. We certainly appreciate this. It will go a long way for the hatchery,”
Purchasing a steel container was essential to the TAFIP program as its storage facilities in the past were limited due to the volume of equipment. The new storage container now provides the group with total security preventing future losses of our equipment.
The group has suffered from a rash of thefts over the past couple of years.
"We've lost equipment in the past few years," Laba told BayToday. "We never lost equipment before. It's hard to find a good storage area. The anchors are about 60lbs to keep the nets solidly in place. When we catch the fish we milk them then put them back in the water."
This year they had the nets but the anchors had been stolen,"totally vanished" Laba says, a tone of astonishment in his voice.
"The anchors vanished, the marker buoys vanished and the anchors aren't much good to the average person because they are like a great big hook." (see photo above) As well the volunteers lost a substantial amount of lumber.
"I've been here for about 50 years and we never had this problem before, no major issues."
So T.C. Energy stepped up to help.
The company's community giving program, Build Strong, invests in organizations that are integral to local communities, and business where TC Energy has assets.
“We donate to non-profits, registered charities, associations, municipalities, social enterprises, Indigenous groups and foundations that equip first responders and environmental stewards with important tools and resources; improve access to education; protect and enhance the environment, and alleviate poverty,” said TC Energy representative Herb Shields.
In 2020, TC Energy donated more than C$25.6 million to over 2,500 different organizations and students from 1,040 communities across North America.
The Temagami group usually harvests a million eggs from Lake Temagami.
Laba estimates since the group started in 1985 it has added 15 million fish to Temagami area lakes.
