Howard Scott from Kelowna pulls in a trout he caught during the Fishing Forever event on Anarchist Mountain on June 8. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)

By Vanessa Broadbent

Osoyoos Times

The fish were biting and the sun was (mostly) shining for the annual Fishing Forever event on Anarchist Mountain this weekend.

The BC Wildlife Federation’s Fishing Forever program is an opportunity for people with disabilities to fish and enjoy the outdoors. In conjunction with Accessible Okanagan, this year was the sixth the program has come to the Strohmann family’s trout-stocked pond east of Osoyoos.

Troy Morrison, a paraplegic from Kamloops, made the four-hour trip after learning about the event through Accessible Okanagan.

“I’m not the best fisherman but when I heard it was a nice private lake and it was stocked and there was a better chance at catching something, I was all for it,” he said.

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“I had never been to Osoyoos before so I figured why not load the dog and load the truck up and have an adventure.”

Mike Stiles, a quadriplegic Osoyoos resident and chair of the BC Mobility Opportunities Society (BCMOS) started the event after attending one in Peachland. Initially, the event was only one day but now participants camp for the weekend.

“The program started to get people out into fishing and back into nature,” he said. “The Strohmann’s are incredible. They let us move in here and take over the place for the weekend; it’s a great location.”

Troy Morrison from Kamloops participated in the sixth annual Fishing Forever event on June 8. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)

New this year was the launch of the TrailRider, an access-all-areas wheelchair from the BCMOS that Forever Fishing participants could test. The one-wheeled chair is a pilot project that aims to make outdoor recreation more accessible and can tackle any terrain.

“We see the outdoors as a space for everyone, whether an outdoor enthusiast or environmentalist, able bodied or disabled, there is room for everyone,” Ruby Ng, BCMOS executive director, said in a press release.

“Partnering with BC Wildlife Federation in this pilot project is a great way to not only break down barriers, but to also introduce different aspects of the outdoors we all get to enjoy.”

Morrison praised the Forever Fishing event for its accessibility and inclusivity.

“I love it – it’s an amazing property and everybody is so helpful with anything you need, depending on level of injury, whether you’re paraplegic or quadriplegic,” he said.

“Everybody is just open arms and just wanting to help everyone out and make sure everybody has a good time.”

As for next year’s event, he’s “definitely coming back.”