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0RONO WEEKLY TIMES, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14% 1967Plaque Marks Historic Newcastle Fish HatcheryOn Wednesday afternoon, Sep* tember 13, an historical plaque commemorating the Newcastle Fish Hatchery was unveiled at the site of the aid hatchery, near the junction of Highways 2 and115..This plaque is one of a series being erected' throughout the province by the Department of Public Records and, Archives), acting on the advice of the Arehae-oogicai and Historic Sites Board ■of Ontario,Wedinfedaj# ceremony was sponsored by the Township of Clarke, whose reeve, R. A. Foster, acted as program chairman. Prof, W. S. Gouldyng of the School of Architecture, University of Toronto, will represent the Archaeological and Historic Site® Board,Among those who were invited to take part in the ceremony were: Mrs. Thomas FairbrotHer, chairman of the Clarke Township Centennial Committee, Russell C, Honey, M.P., Alex Carruthers M. P.P.; Dr.H. R. MecCrimmon, Department of Zoology, University of Guelph; Dr. A. G. Huntsman of the American Fisheries Association; and Dr. R. R. Logie, Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Fisheries, Ottawa. The plaque was unveiled by Miss Ojive Thorne, a grand-daughter of Samuel Wilmot.In the latter half of the nineteenth century there was a growing concern in Canada over the declining numbers of salmon in the rivers, lakes and streams where these fish had formerly a-I bounded. The practice of both the Indian and the white man of removing large ‘catches* of fish from the water by nets, spears and even scooping with the bare hands, had greatly lessened the number of fish, particularly salmon. The Fishery Act of 1857 attempted to solve this problem by making such fishing practices illegal, but the law was difficult to enforce. The problem of a decreasing number of salmon, trout and whitefish remained. The Fishery Act of 1857 had provided; for ; the appointment of Superintendents of Fisheries for Canada East and West. Richard’ Nettle, appointed for Canada East was a-wa-re of the need to maintain and increase the supply of fish in his province and anxious to find a solution to the problem of depletion. The protective provisions in the Fishery Act were not sufficient to cover his entire plan, and so he estiblished an experimental station in Quebec City for the propagation of Salmon, and other fish. The hatchery, which Nettle called an “ovarium” was the firstof its kind in North America. jeiaHy and again waited for them In the early 1880's in what is ■ to hatch in the wooden troughs now Ontario, Samuel Wilmot, a! he had constructed in Ms fease-landowner, who resided near i ment. He evidently found a solu-Newcastle, was also concerned a-, tion to the problem because in bout the depletion of salmon, the following spring 75 percent oftrout and whitefish in the rivers streams in Canada. An ardent student of natural history, Wilmot had acquired an extensive knowledge of the Spawning behaviour of the salmon which -flowed through Wilmot Creek, near histhe- eggs were hatched.The government became interested: in Wilmot’s success in fish culture and in 1866' an order-in-council set aside Wilmot’s Creek for the artificial and, naturalhome. In the basement of his | breeding of salmon. Wilmot mow-house he began- to experiment jec* bis experimental station to asmall building on the banks of the creek- From the spawn taken in that year, nearly 15,000 salmon fry were hatched.with the natural propagation of salmon.In his initial experiments, Wil-mot did not attempt to fertilize the eggs artificially. Instead, he secured: ,a small supply of eggs from, the gravel spawning area of Wilmot Greek where they hadImpressed by Wilmot’s success, the Canadian Government in 1867 financed the construction of permanent buildings and the excava-been laid in the early autumn, i tion, of rearing ponds on the and placed them in an artificially I banks of Wilmot Creek. In 1868created environment. To Wilmot’s (surprise only five per cent of these eggs were fertile.The following autumn Wilmot fertilized the salmon eggs artifi-full scale fish culture operation was launched which, over the next 50 years, was to produce over155,000,000 fish of various species.Two important features of the Newcastle Fish Hatchery were what Wilmot called the Reception Room and the Breeding Room.. All 'salmon ascending Wilmot Cheek were diverted into a building constructed over a by-pass channel. The mature salmon moved voluntarily into this Reception Room where they were detailed umitilj needed. In the Breeding Room, located in another building, the actual collection of eggs took place. After ‘ the eggs and milt had been taken from the parent salmon, the fish were returned1 to Wilmot Greek to continue their journey.In the decade following the establishment of the Newcastle Hatchery, the number of salmon and. other fish in Onfhrio waters increased;. The eggs and young fish bred here were distributed in Quebec, in various parts of the United States and in England as well. The Newcastle Hatchery set a pattern for fish culture in many pants of the world.Wilmot supervised the establishment of additional fish breeding stations across Canada and in 1876 he was appointed by the .government as Superintendent of Fish Breeding Establishments. At the Great International Fisheries Exhibition held; in London, England, ini 1883, Canada was awarded the Gold Medal of Excellency for a working model of the Newcastle Hatchery.After 1879 the hatchery failed to continue its early success. The salmon runs in all: the streams along the Lake Ontario shore decreased drastically and in many cased completely disappeared. This was due mainly to the inroads of settlement and the consequent change in environment for many varieties of fish, la 1914 the Newcastle Hatchery ceased operation entirely. Today, the buildings of the Hatchery are no longer standing, but the depressions in the earth beside Wilmot Creek which were previously used by Wilmot as rearing ponds for salmon, trout and whitefish, can still be seen.
Newspaper Details
Orono Weekly Times
Orono, Ontario, CA
Thu, Sep 14, 1967
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Sam M.
USA 13 Mar 2025
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