the French River area and everywhere in-between. It created a single link to the MNR for all of the clubs and made sharing and gathering information easier and more effective. The UWC has stocked millions and millions of walleye fry across Northern Ontario since
becoming a reality. In 2015, they had nearly nine million eggs in hatcheries across the region.
Frappier is the president of the UWC.
“Our fisheries were in trouble and that was the turning point - getting everybody to work together,” Frappier said. “I wasn’t going to stand by and do nothing. I am a relentless guy when I want to be. Our lakes are good now. It is important to have that in communities. Places people can drive or boat and even walk to and fish. There is still more to do.”
Frappier, 62, has been involved in conservation efforts for 42 years. It started when he lived in Gogama and did guided outdoors trips. He got into conservation full-time 15 years ago when he retired from the construction industry. It is his absolute passion.
“It’s about educating everyone,” Frappier said. “I get to do the things I love to do and share my knowledge with people. The more people that know about conservation efforts like what we do, the better it is for everyone.”
Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association president Felix Delongchamp has been involved with conservation causes since 1982. He has
known Frappier for 15 years. Delongchamp serves as the secretary
and treasurer of the UWC. He is
Frappier’s “right-hand man.” It is the work of volunteers that keeps the program going forward. Volunteers
routinely put in countless hours year-round. The real work is in April and May when they net walleyes to collect eggs. These days see people working from 9 p.m. to 4 or 5 a.m. when the walleyes are running. They spend a lot of time over the following weeks making sure the eggs are managed properly and then release the hatched fry into lakes to start a new cycle. The UWC obtain a 65 percent or better hatch rate on eggs gathered.
“What the volunteers do takes a lot of dedication,” Delongchamp said. “They are important. It’s unbelievable the hours they put in. They do it because they love the outdoors. They want to see our fisheries do well now and in the future.”
Lizette Carlson, a member of the Chelmsford Fish and Game Association, was out in late April lending her time to help out the UWC. Carlson volunteered for the first time the previous year and something happened that ensured she would be back again and again.
“Last year, I got to go on the shocker boat that nets the walleyes and I got to net a big hen,” Carlson said. “It barely fit in a four-foot long live-well. I was hooked right away. I had to do it again. It felt good to do it the first time, but I came back to do it again because it is the right thing to do. When the work is done, you’re proud to be a part of the program. You know you’re making a difference.”
CFGA president Eric Daoust has used Frappier as an example to follow. The genuine care Frappier has exhibited over the years is infectious and made Daoust more than just follow the lead; it also helped set the standard.
“I fish and I am a firm believer it is up to all of us to help and put fish back in the lakes,” Daoust said. “Without the work of people like Frappier and everyone else, the fisheries would be in trouble. He encouraged me to get more people involved. Rolly is a good example. If he tells you he is going to do something, he does it, and is determined to get it done. He doesn’t stop.”
The efforts by the UWC continue to evolve and gather more scope and strength. It all comes back to Frappier’s most important point - the program is about education of everyone from anglers to the general public. Earlier this year, the UWC introduced the School Hatchery Program, which saw five elementary schools take on micro-hatcheries and watch the process of eggs hatching first hand and under microscopes. There were also micro-hatcheries introduced into three First Nations communities.
“I love the reaction we get from the students and teachers,” Frappier said. “They see a walleye and its heart beating. I have a video of it and I call it ‘the heartbeat of the future’. It becomes precious to the kids. They take ownership of the eggs and it means more to them because they understand what has happened. It’s one of the best feelings to reach people that way.”
“What the volunteers do takes a lot of dedication,”
-Delongchamp