The Ontario Government is doubling the length of free family fishing this July.
From July 4th to July 19th, Ontario residents of all ages can fish in Ontario without having to purchase a licence or an outdoors card. Normally fishing only lasts the first full week of July. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski says it will give everyone an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and that it’s a safe way to spend time with family during COVID-19.
Yakabuski says that annually, anglers put upwards of $1.6 dollars back into the economy. Yakabuski says he hopes the free fishing will help jumpstart the tourism economy in the area that has been taken a hit by COVID-19. He says this is a perfect opportunity for those who wish to fish but can’t to do so, adding that he hopes this will expand the number of people who will become routine fishers.
Written by Trevor Smith-Millar