Capilano Fish Hatcheries, North Vancouver

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Adult fish who made it up the concrete fish ladder to holding tank rest before spawning.

Resting at the bottom of North Vancouver's Cleveland Dam and the edge of Capilano River Regional Park, the Fish Hatcheries is an amazing building holding an even more amazing ecological balance. Taking place in this building is the spawning of three important coastal fish, the Coho, Chinook and Steelhead. With the construction of the Cleveland Dam five hundred meters away it was evident that the fish population was dying, so this innovative building provides the quiet pools fish need to lay their eggs, ensuring future generations will have access to these precious natural resources.

The fish industry is one of the driving economic forces in British Columbia which relies on fresh water rivers, streams, creeks and waterways as well as the salt water ocean to create ideal conditions for spawning. The Capilano River is an example of one such river providing a place for Salmon to spawn for generations. However, in 1954 the environment of the river changed due to the completion of the Cleveland Dam and the Chinook, Coho and Steelheads who were dependent on the waterway could not reach their annual spawning grounds. Recognizing this, the district of North Vancouver tried several different methods to promote Salmon spawning in the Capilano River.

Early attempts to create a concrete fish ladder to the reservoir high above the river was unsuccessful as the young salmon were killed as they made their way to the ocean over the large waterfall from the Dam. A new project was formulated and led to the construction of the current building beneath the Dam constructed between 1969 and 1971. It was built for two purposes, to educate visitors about the work being done as well as to provide a place for fish to spawn.

The building offers a wide range of information for visitors to the Fish Hatchery - it details the work done at the centre, both to improve fish population for sport fishing and commercial use as well as the scientific studies occurring at the Hatchery to research the routes taken by the salmon and their interaction with the ocean environment once they have been reintroduced into the wild.

Information about the Salmon species is plentiful and the visible fish ladder that can be seen through thick glass provides an amazing experience as the fish struggle to move into the calmer spawning tank, providing the challenges a regular river system would pose. Depending on the time of year, visitors can also see Coho, Chinook and Steelhead eggs, fry and smolts, juveniles and adults and learn about the stages of growth these fish exhibit through their lifetimes.

The Capilano Fish Hatchery is an excellent place to learn about this unique government program designed to study Salmon and stabilize their populations to combat high mortality rates. The Hatchery is a great experience for all ages!