North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery

07/27/2026

Dear Community Members, Supporters, and Friends,

We are thrilled to share the fantastic results from this year’s North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery Summer Fish Fry & Pig Roast!

Thanks to your incredible enthusiasm and support, the turnout was wonderful—we welcomed 280 guests for an unforgettable evening of great food, community, and fun.

Highlights & Impact

Funds Raised: We are proud to announce that the event raised $32,425 in net proceeds, which will go directly toward the hatchery's operational expenses.
Record Growth: Thanks to your generosity, this year’s proceeds surpassed last year's total, helping ensure our hatchery operations remain strong.
Volunteer Power: A huge thanks to Peter Varley, who led our phenomenal volunteer team. An incredible group of over 150 volunteers contributed their time and hard work to make this event run smoothly from start to finish!
We extend our deepest gratitude to all of our participants, generous donors, and guests for making this such an incredibly rewarding evening. This event truly showcases the strength and spirit of our community.

📸 Share Your Photos!

We have set up a shared photo album for the event:

👉 View & Share Event Photos Here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JahxnrT7NxtV5kx47

If you attended the Fish Fry & Pig Roast, please add your favorite photos to the album so everyone can relive the memories!

📅 Save the Date for Next Year!

Mark your calendars for our 21st Annual Fish Fry & Pig Roast, which will take place on July 10th. We can't wait to see you all again next year!

We also look forward to sharing more updates soon on our ongoing hatchery initiatives and upcoming community events. Thank you again for your unwavering support!

Warm regards,

North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery Team

07/07/2026

What an absolutely spectacular day we had for the 6th Annual Pike Derby! The weather was beautiful, and we had a completely full field with 77 boats and 195 anglers out on the water.

Thanks to incredible efforts, the tournament numbers were staggering: 334 pike were caught, totaling 529 lbs of fish weighed in! An impressive 60% of all boats returned to the dock with fish. This year, we also introduced our new Top Angler category (weighing 6 or less fish), and it was a huge hit, with 39% of the field declaring to compete for it.

We are also thrilled to announce that the proceeds of the event were approximately $3,200! These funds will be shared by the Baptiste Lake Association and the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery to support our ongoing community and conservation efforts.

🏆 2026 Tournament Winners & Results

Congratulations to all of our official winners who took home cash rewards after some lively, friendly competition:

Big Fish Award ($400): Carson Freymond – 8.8 lbs
Top Angler Category ($400): Carson Freymond – 24.7 lbs
Boat Total Weight Category:
1st Place ($400): Chris Mills – 36.7 lbs
2nd Place ($300): Joe Fritz – 28.6 lbs
3rd Place ($200): Thor Dmyitruk – 28.3 lbs
4th Place ($100): Arek Aksamit – 27.2 lbs
We also want to congratulate Jason Hartwick, who took home $380 as the winner of our 50/50 drawing! In addition, 7 great door prizes were awarded to the dedicated anglers who stayed to enjoy the festive afternoon weigh-in ceremonies.

🤝 Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors

An event with financial rewards like this is only possible because of our incredible local businesses. Please join us in thanking the sponsors who generously donated CASH for our tournament awards:

Pipewerks
Freymond Lumber
Baptiste Marina
Remax (Joan Grant)
Makin' Waves
We also want to extend a massive thank you to the community businesses that donated our wonderful door prizes:

IDA - Maynooth
Birds Creek Farm Supply
Up North Beauty
Cedar & Co. Botanicals
Algonquin Cookhouse
Mack Attack

🐟 Feeding the Community

We expanded our Fish Cleaning area this year, and under the leadership of Kevin Vance, a team of 7 experienced filleters stepped up alongside others who were trained right at the event to clean all donated fish.

A special shout-out goes to Paul Posluszny, who assisted in cleaning and transporting hundreds of processed fish to be smoked.
Paul spent all day and night smoking the fish in his home made smoker. As soon as they were ready to eat he delivered them right from the smoker to Friends for Dinner, which is a free community potluck that serves food to those in need every Sunday in the IDA parking lot on station street.

🌟 A Shared Achievement

Look at what we accomplished together as a community this weekend:

Environmental Stewardship: Safely reducing the pike population in Baptiste Lake to help bring our fish species back into a healthy balance.
Community Spirit: Hosting a lively, rewarding competition and a festive afternoon celebration for friends and families.
Helping Others: Directly feeding those in need in our local community.
None of this could have happened without our 30+ incredible volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this day run smoothly. Thank you for making this event so special.

📸 Share Your Memories!

We want to see the day through your eyes! We have set up a shared photo album for the community. Please click the link below to view the pictures and upload any of your own photos from the water, the dock, or the weigh-in:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aJE4DSr3jVMkJc1s5



Thank you all again for an unforgettable derby. See you on the water!

Best regards,

The Pike Derby Committee 🐟🎣

Shared album · Tap to view!

06/30/2026

We are looking for volunteers (of all ages), but especially students that may be looking for a fun way to fulfill their high school community service hours by helping out with our Summer Dinner event.

Volunteers needed between July 9 to 13th. 🐟

Please contact Kevin Vance if interested.
[email protected]
613 334 9522

06/26/2026

Saturday July 4th will be the 6th annual Pike Derby on Baptiste Lake! Tickets are almost sold out, so grab yours while you can! 🐟🎣

Tickets available online or in person at Mack Attack Outdoors and Makin' Waves Marine

06/18/2026

We are looking for volunteers (of all ages), but especially students that may be looking for a fun way to fulfill their high school community service hours by helping out with our Summer Dinner event. Volunteers will be needed between July 9 to 13th. 🐟🎣

Please contact Kevin Vance if interested.
[email protected]
613 334 9522

06/12/2026

The 2026 Annual Summer fish fry dinner and fundraiser is officially sold out! 🥳🎣🐟

We are maintaining a waiting list for those still interested in attending, in case tickets do free up. Please reach out to us at [email protected] should you want to be added to the wait list.

If you have tickets already but your plans change such that you can no longer attend, please contact us through the above referenced email for reimbursement and ticket re-assignment.

Please do not attempt to purchase tickets from someone other than through our organization as we have seen previous attempts of scammers trying to resale bogus tickets for the dinner on this platform.

Thank you for the tremendous support for this must-attend event of the Summer!

05/28/2026

We are pleased to share our Spring 2026 newsletter, highlighting some of the major activities achieved over the past couple of months as we continue to build sustainability in our lakes and at the Hatchery. We have also included a reminder for two fun community events being planned for July- get your tickets soon before they are sold out!

05/24/2026

Save the Date: July 11th!

Tickets are 66% sold out! Grab yours now!

It’s our 20th Anniversary! What started as a small fundraiser has become the "must-attend" community happening of the summer. Last year we sold out five weeks in advance, so don’t wait to secure your spot for this milestone celebration!

Join us for a legendary feast and our popular Live and Silent Auctions, all to support a vital cause: local fish for local lakes. Every ticket helps the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery protect our water and ensure healthy fish populations for generations to come.

4 Ways to Get Your Tickets:

Order online: Send your request to [email protected]

Credit Card: Fast and secure via Zeffy at https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/20th-annual-fish-fry-and-pork-roast

E-transfer: Send to [email protected] ( Be sure to include requested number of tickets and contact information in notes.)

Cash or Cheque: Pick them up in person at Mack Attack Outdoors, 62 Hastings St N, Bancroft, ON K0L 1C0, Canada

Buy your tickets now before they're gone! 🎣

We look forward to seeing you there!

05/23/2026

05/14/2026

It’s time to gear up! The North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery is proud to sponsor the 6th Annual Pike Derby on Saturday, July 4, 2026. This event is a cornerstone of our efforts to promote active stewardship and improve the health and balance of the Baptiste Lake fishery.

We have an exciting update for this year: a brand new category for Top Angler! This new award joins our existing $1,800.00 cash prizes for the largest fish and top total weight.
With over 100 anglers and 200 spectators expected, it will be an incredible day supporting a vital cause. Please see the attached event poster for full details.
Event Highlights:
· NHCFH and Baptiste Lake Sponsorship: All proceeds support our hatchery’s conservation and lake balance initiatives.
· New Category: Top Angler Title allows one successful angler to stand out.
· Cash Prizes: Significant purses designed to attract participants. $1,800.00 paid to 6 places.
· Door Prizes: At weigh-in there will be door prize drawings and games to add to the weigh-in excitement.
· Registration Limit: To ensure a quality experience, entry is limited to the first 75 boats.
How to Register & Pay:
1. Online: Sign up through our official NHCFH registration link on Zeffy: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/baptiste-pike-derby.
2. eTransfer: Payments can be made via eTransfer to [email protected]. Please include your name and a note stating "Pike Derby" in the transfer details.
3. In-Person: Registration is also available at Mack Attack Outdoors, or Makin’ Waves Marine, in Bancroft.
Thank you for supporting the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery and our commitment to a healthy local fishery.