Restoring Hoy Creek’s Riparian Zone: A Community Effort

We’re excited to share that restoration of the riparian area around Hoy Creek—disturbed last summer during the removal of old concrete structures—is now complete!

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our amazing volunteers, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) team, and supportive friends and family, the area has now been replanted and is ready to thrive.

It wasn’t easy work—digging, hauling, planting—but the spirit of teamwork made the effort lighter and the days brighter. As always, we are grateful for our incredible community and those who stepped up to help.

💚 Special thanks to Tyler, Thomas, Anne, Amy, Jiameng, Eric, Glenda, Dillon, Kathy, Madeleine, and Sam for giving your time and energy to make this restoration possible.

We also extend a BIG thanks to the Pacific Salmon Foundation for their ongoing support of salmon and habitat recovery in our region!

🌱 If you’re walking the Hoy Creek Trail, you may notice green fencing in the restoration area. Please respect the barrier and help us protect this young growth by reminding others to do the same. With a little time and care, this area will return to a lush, vibrant habitat that supports both wildlife and the health of our watershed.

Local Schools Release Salmon Fry and Visit Hoy Creek Hatchery

Panorama Heights Elementary | Salmon in the Classroom release at Hoy Creek, Coquitlam

We were thrilled to welcome students from three local elementary schools to Hoy Creek this March, wrapping up another successful season of Salmon in the Classroom!

A big thank you goes out to Smiling Creek, Blakeburn, and Panorama Heights Elementary Schools for participating in this important salmon education program. Each school received approximately 50 Chum salmon eggs from Hoy Creek in the winter, carefully raising them in classroom aquariums while learning about the salmon life cycle and the importance of healthy waterways.

In early March, the students proudly released their young Chum fry into Hoy Creek, knowing they were giving them a strong start on their journey to the Pacific Ocean.

Teachers net chum fry into cups for students to release into Hoy Creek.

After the release, classes toured our Hoy Creek Hatchery, where they got to see firsthand the work being done to support salmon populations in our watershed. Students were excited to observe the 20,000 Chum fry and 3,500 Coho currently being raised at the hatchery.

Tours were led by our dedicated volunteers Anne Woosnam, Maya Uno, and Robbin Whachell, who shared their knowledge and passion for salmon stewardship with each group. It’s always inspiring to see young minds light up as they connect with nature and understand the vital role they can play in protecting it.

We’re proud to support Salmon in the Classroom and thank our local schools, teachers, and students for being part of the solution for salmon and our environment!

Minds light up when they connect with nature!

Each release ended with a tour at the hatchery. Maya Uno (back middle), HSWS volunteer discusses challenges faced with pollution events in our streams.

Break-in at Hoy Creek Hatchery

Notice to Area Residents: Break-in at Hoy Creek Hatchery

We regret to inform the community that a break-in occurred at Hoy Creek Hatchery, discovered the morning of January 13th by one of our dedicated feeders. The incident has left us puzzled, as the items removed were primarily related to fisheries education or hatchery operations.

We kindly ask for your assistance in keeping an eye out for anything unusual. If you noticed anything suspicious or if you notice any discarded items or suspicious activity along the trails or around city center, please report it to the Coquitlam RCMP.

How to Help:

  • Report any findings to the Coquitlam RCMP non-emergency/information line at 604-945-1550.

  • Reference File No.: Coquitlam 25-977 when making your report.

Your vigilance is vital in helping us recover these materials and ensuring the safety and integrity of our hatchery operations. Thank you for your continued support.

— The Hoy/Scott Watershed Society

A Special Delivery!

In late May, we had an unexpected visitor at the Hoy Creek Hatchery—a Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata)—and not in the usual way! It dropped straight out of the sky onto our lower pond wall. Turns out, a local crow had let it slip mid-flight, likely intending it as a future snack. We quickly stepped in to scoop up the lamprey, rescuing it before the crow could reclaim its lunch.

Curious and excited, we saw an opportunity to observe this mysterious creature up close. We set it up in an aquarium, complete with creek sand, pebbles, and a bubbler to ease it into a comfortable setting—a little more “home” than a bare glass box. With a bit of sympathy, we gave this peculiar, squirmy guest a name: Larry.

Imagine our surprise the next day when Larry began a curious shimmy and shake, revealing tiny white eggs! Our Larry was actually Larissa! With this discovery, Larissa earned her place in our records and, ultimately, in our specimen collection. Being an anadromous species like salmon, Lampetra tridentata die after spawning, so this incredible creature is now preserved with us.

Larissa, a distant relative of the shark, continues to amaze us even in her preserved form—a rare, close-up look at one of nature’s fascinating wonders.

NOTE: Should you attend one of our open houses, be sure to ask to see Larissa

“Click video and watch on full screen for best view of eggs coming from Larissa!”

Atmospheric River Helps Salmon Come Home

Youth volunteers introduce our Coho fry to the public in front of the rearing pond at Salmon Come Home on Oct. 27 (HSWS Photo)

The positive impact of recent rainfalls provided the necessary flows for salmon to reach their spawning grounds throughout the watershed. The Salmon Come Home event on October 27 was a wonderful celebration of this remarkable species, bringing together our team, community, and sponsors to honour their incredible journey.

As we rejoice in their return, it’s crucial to recognize the challenges they face. Human and pet traffic through creek beds can disturb sensitive spawning areas, and pollution events pose significant threats to their survival. Additionally, erosion from heavy storms can release fine sediments that suffocate eggs (redds).

Let’s continue to protect these vital habitats and ensure that our salmon have a safe journey home. Thank you for your support!

Maple Creek Streamkeepers and the salmon dissection table kept so many residents engaged and educated. (HSWS Photo)

What an amazing day at the festival! So many Coquitlam residents joined Hoy/Scott Watershed Society and the City of Coquitlam to celebrate the incredible journey of the salmon. A huge shoutout to our volunteers, and our sponsors, Qualex-Landmark and FortisBC, continued support from Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program; and all the community groups who shared their knowledge and passion for nature.

We were truly blessed to witness so many salmon in the stream—an inspiring reminder of the resilience of nature. Together, we can continue to protect and appreciate these beautiful creatures.

Check out our photos and relive the magic! ps. We are grateful by the media visit from CityNews TV.

Etienne Siew, a former hatchery volunteer serenaded us throughout the festival. (HSWS Photo)

Hoy Creek Hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard holds a live Chum salmon to show the public during the DFO Salmon Talks.

Salmon Talk Comes to Seniors at Parkwood Manor

Robbin and Anne are both board members and volunteers of Hoy/Scott Watershed Society.

On November 1, Hoy/Scott Watershed Society (HSWS) volunteers, Robbin Whachell and Anne Woosnam, brought the wonders of the local ecosystem to Parkwood Manor in Coquitlam. Engaging residents who live adjacent to Hoy Creek, the duo led a lively and informative discussion about the life cycle of salmon, the significance of their presence in the watershed, and how they contribute to the health of the local environment.

Residents of Parkwood Manor, many of whom regularly stroll along Hoy Trail and cherish the tranquil scenes of the stream, enthusiastically participated, asking insightful questions and sharing their observations. The talk not only deepened their understanding of the natural world surrounding them but also highlighted the close connection between the community and the watershed.

HSWS extends its sincere thanks to the management of Parkwood Manor for facilitating this enriching 1-hour session. We are thrilled to have already received an invitation to return next year and look forward to fostering this connection once again.

Through stewardship, community outreach, education, and advocacy, we are dedicated to protecting the Hoy/Scott Watershed, and it is opportunities like these that help strengthen our mission.

Anne answers questions after the talk.




Resident Gifts Salmon Return Painting

Local resident painter, Ollee stands next to the Hoy Creek Hatchery with the painted he gifted. (HSWS Photo)

On October 24th, a Coquitlam resident stopped by with a special gift. Artist, Ollee, presented hatchery manager, Tyler Storgaard with his painting called, “Come Home” featuring beautiful Coho salmon jumping up stream.

The Society wishes to thank Ollee for this thoughtful and generous gift!

“Go Home” is a special gift!

Poaching Reported in Hoy Creek

Poaching is NOT okay! We received a report on Oct. 24 from a Coquitlam resident, of an account of poaching in Hoy Creek.

City Bylaws is investigating.

It's ILLEGAL to fish in local streams, which also includes the removal of carcasses (dead fish). Dead or alive, it is illegal to take fish. If you want to fish, you must have a license to fish, and you must know where it's okay to fish.

If you see people fishing at local streams in any way – with a line, net, or anything else, please contact "Report All Poachers and Polluters" (RAPP) and fill out this form.

Or fisheries violations, contact Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at 1-800-465-4336. You can also contact your local RCMP detachment or municipal police.

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society has information on our Contact Page.

Photo sent in by a resident on Oct. 24, 2024.

2024 AGM and Elections Held

Kyle Uno, President delivers a Year in Review at our AGM on Sept. 25 at the Poirier Branch of the Coquitlam Library.

The Hoy-Scott Watershed Society held an annual general meeting on Sept. 25, 2024, at the Coquitlam library and voted in the following vice president, secretary and new directors:

  • Vice President – Tyler Storgaard (second term, hatchery manager)

  • Secretary – Robbin Whachell (past director, past president)

  • Director (past secretary, assistant hatchery manager)

  • Director - Kim Mayes (reappointment)

  • Director - Matthew Watts (reappointment)

  • Director - Annie Kim

The above mentioned join the existing executive:

President - Kyle Uno

Treasurer - Sandra Uno

Through stewardship, community outreach, education and advocacy, we are dedicated to protecting the Hoy/Scott Watershed.

Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, (HSWS) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run environmental stewardship group, that conducts a year-round salmon enhancement program in partnership with the City of Coquitlam, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

President Kyle Uno (right) speaks at AGM on Sept. 25. The meeting was hybrid for society members.


Fire Foam Suspected Cause of Fishkill in Hoy Creek

HSWS photo

On Sunday, September 15, a member of Hoy/Scott Watershed Society reported a fishkill in Hoy Creek after seeing a foamy substance on the surface of the water and dead young fish in the stream.

The sighting was reported to the authorities.

The City of Coquitlam advised they were investigating.

HSWS photo

On Tuesday, September 17, the City provided the following information to the Society highlighting an incident that took place on Sunday at the City Center Aquatic Complex. Their report stating the following:

  • On Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, a fire rescue incident had occurred in the vicinity of the CCAC parking lot that led to fire foam entering a catch basin and the drainage system leading to Hoy Creek

  • EPW received a report of foam in Hoy Creek around 3pm and that there was evidence of fish kill.

  • The catch basin in the CCAC parking lot was vacuumed out and booms were deployed in 3 locations along Hoy Creek (see map below) to prevent the foam from travelling further downstream.

  • This morning (Monday, Sept. 16), an Environment Officer from the City inspected the CCAC parking lot, the outfall near Guildford Way and Pacific Street, and the water quality pond near Glen Drive and Johnson Street. The officer did not observe any further signs of water quality impact.

Should you see a spill or dead fish in the stream, please contact the authorities. Here's more information on who to reach out to via our Contact page.

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