Port Hope Visitor Guide 2019

PORT HOPE SIGNATURE EVENT
Spectators gather on the river banks in late summer through to early October, taking photos
and marveling at nature’s unstoppable power. About 5,000 to 10,000 chinook and silvery
coho salmon come to the fish ladder at Corbett’s Dam every year (officially called the
Ganaraska River Fishway). Some don’t make it over on the first try and there’s a lot of happy
cheering when they do succeed.
And there are knowledgeable, dedicated volunteers at the fish ladder to help keep things
in order, including the infrared monitoring system that records the numbers of fish and their
health while running video surveillance of every fish that goes through.
“It’s a remarkable river and a very high quality habitat for fish.”
– Colin Lake
Some people come every weekend during the salmon migration to see the action. “It’s a
remarkable river and a very high quality habitat for fish,” says Colin Lake, a biologist with the
Lake Ontario Management Unit at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The longest
chinook through the counter to date was 125 cm (almost 50 inches), and larger salmon
can weigh more than 40 lbs. The ministry has monitored the fish at the ladder since 1974, first
counting and measuring the fish by hand.
Understanding migration timing and patterns is critical to evaluate the success of restoration
efforts, like the eggs taken from some of the females as they pass through the fish ladder
to grow fish for stocking, Colin explains. The data gives the ministry an index of the species
population status in Lake Ontario.
“We have a real appreciation of the fish community and the environment, and look at the
Port Hope watershed and how it’s changing,” says Colin. “The Great Lakes are really important
to our way of life. The health of the lake, and the fish, is a good indicator of the health of
the environment.”
Mural by Mique Michelle [www.miquemichelle.com]
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2019 PORT HOPE VISITOR GUIDE
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