Mike Stiles fishes from a dock during the Fishing Forever event organizes by Osoyoos Wildlife Federation for people with disabilities. The private pond stocked with rainbow trout is wheelchair accessible. (Richard McGuire photo)
For the second year in a row, the Osoyoos Wildlife Federation has organized Fishing Forever, an event that makes it possible for people with disabilities to enjoy a day of fishing.
The event has been held in other communities around the province, where it has been organized by various local affiliate clubs of the B.C. Wildlife Federation.
For sporting clubs, it’s a chance to promote a sport they love, while also being seen to give back to the community. These people love to fish and they want people with disabilities to be able to share in their pleasure.
As Norm Eady, organizer of the event says, fishing is something that an entire family and several generations can share in together. It’s a family bonding experience in which the very youngest and the oldest can take part.
Indeed, at last Saturday’s Fishing Forever, family members of participants with disabilities also took part. For a while, it almost seemed like disabilities were erased as all participated together.
The property and fishing pond on Anarchist Mountain, stocked with rainbow trout, were generously made available for the event by Brian and Carolyne Strohmann.
But as participant Mike Stiles noted, this was a one-day event. Stiles was left a quadriplegic as the result of an equestrian accident 30 years ago. He has often spoken up about the needs of people with disabilities in the Osoyoos community. Stiles is also an avid fisherman and has been since he grew up in Alberta before his accident.
As he points out, people with disabilities can sometimes get out in a boat to fish and this gives them some mobility. But many lake and river fishing spots are simply impossible or impractical to get to in a wheelchair. So opportunities to fish are very limited, though he would like to get out more.
Certainly Stiles isn’t the only one. There were others in wheelchairs from throughout the area also participating on Saturday. And no doubt, many tourists who enjoy Osoyoos in the summer also have mobility issues. Probably there are people with disabilities in Osoyoos who do not fish, but might take it up if given a chance.
Stiles would like to see an accessible fishing dock on Osoyoos Lake, ideally near the bridge, which is a good fishing spot.
Whether or not this is practical and can be funded, it is at least something that the town and its partners should look into.
Not only would it be a potential draw for another segment of the tourism market, but it would allow members of this community to participate more fully in the activities of the community.
In recent decades, society as a whole has come a long way in making facilities accessible to those with disabilities. But there is still work to do.
As the population ages, there will be more and more people with mobility challenges coming to Osoyoos to live or visit.
Here is a possible way to reach out to them and make our facilities more inclusive.
