The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society invites the community out for their annual Salmon Leave Home event on Sunday, May 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hoy Creek Hatchery in Coquitlam.

People of all ages will have the opportunity to help release 18-month-old coho smolts into Hoy Creek.

“Salmon Leave Home is a special event for families with small children. The kids find so much delight in releasing fish into the creek,” said society president, Robbin Whachell. “Once the salmon are released, they make their way downstream to Scott Creek, then Coquitlam River, the Fraser River — which empties into the Strait of Georgia on the Pacific Ocean. They return in approximately two years to the same location where they were spawned.”

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The family-friendly free outdoor event will run rain or shine and among the festivities will be face painting by students from the Pinetree secondary environmental club, an art build activity and Spirit Bear coffees provided by the Wild Salmon Creative Cafe.

It’s a great opportunity to learn about the local fish hatchery and get information on the year-round salmon enhancement program, which includes work with plants in the riparian area of Hoy and Scott Creeks. Five-month-old coho salmon fry will also be on display.

The hatchery is located in the Hoy Creek Linear Park behind Douglas College and north of Guildford, a few minutes walk inland and is only a ten-minute walk from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas Skytrain station. To find the exact location, simply Google “Hoy Creek Hatchery.”

More information can be found at the society’s website: hoyscottcreeks.org.