Urban fishers drawn to Montreal’s Lachine Canal despite industrial past

Live euphony pulses done nan aerial arsenic Henry Leung casts a lure into nan murky waters of nan Lachine Canal, astatine a tract wedged betwixt a noisy show and nan high-rises of Montreal’s Griffintown neighbourhood.

It’s nary bucolic time connected a lake, but Leung says location are plentifulness of food to drawback successful bosom of nan city, ranging from bass and walleye to nan ample muskellunge — aliases muskie — which tin turn to 125 centimetres agelong successful these parts.

“It’s a really awesome activity for learning really to beryllium patient,” Leung said of fishing. “It’s not ever going to happen, it’s not ever going to activity out, but if you put nan clip successful it, yet it will.”

Leung is 1 of galore municipality fishers dropping a statement into nan Lachine Canal, undeterred by floating garbage, nan roar of passing postulation aliases nan furniture of contaminated sediments astatine nan bottommost — a bequest of its business past.

Leung, who has been sportfishing since he was a kid and runs a YouTube transmission dedicated to nan sport, says he has seen a “huge spike” successful liking successful sportfishing astir Montreal that began successful nan early days of nan COVID-19 pandemic, erstwhile lockdowns sent group looking for section outdoor activities.

He says nan entreaty of sportfishing successful nan canal is clear: it’s adjacent to location and takes only a $50 sportfishing rod and a $25 yearly licence — arsenic good arsenic a small patience and practice.

“It’s not costly and it’s thing anyone tin do,” he said. “Anyone tin spell retired and person fun.”

Darian Savage, a Montreal-area sportfishing guide, says he has besides seen “more and much group connected nan water” each year, particularly young people. He credits not only COVID-19 but besides nan presence of much immigrants from places wherever sportfishing is common.

While he prefers sportfishing connected boats extracurricular nan city, he says nan Lachine Canal connects to nan St. Lawrence River, which explains nan wide assortment of food species.

“If you were to show up to nan Lachine Canal and find immoderate spot on nan statement and driblet a worm successful nan bottom, I’m beautiful judge you’d drawback a food beautiful quickly,” he said.

Parks Canada, which operates nan Lachine Canal, says nan tract has been celebrated for sportfishing for galore years because of its “its rich | biodiversity and humanities significance.” It said it hadn’t observed an summation successful nan number of anglers successful caller months, but noted that its celebrated “Learn to fish” programme ever fills up fast.

On a caller sportfishing session, Leung quickly pulled a bid of small, colourful perch from nan water.

While 3 ample carp could beryllium seen lazing adjacent nan surface, nan ones connected nan bottommost he was trying to drawback proved elusive. It could beryllium nan sound from festival, he said, aliases perchance nan murky h2o from a caller 100-millimetre downpour of rainfall that exceeded sewer capacity and forced wastewater discharge into nan canal.

Parks Canada recommends consuming food caught successful nan canal “in moderation” because of nan furniture of contaminated sediment connected nan bottom.

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The 14-kilometre canal was erstwhile nan cradle of nan city’s business development, pinch factories lining each broadside soon aft its opening successful 1825. It closed to shipping successful 1970, aft being rendered obsolete by nan St. Lawrence Seaway.

While decontamination was discussed decades ago, an biology study that preceded nan canal’s reopening for recreational activities successful 2002 suggested that leaving nan sediments successful spot would create little of an biology impact.

“The information of consuming food from nan Lachine Canal, arsenic pinch immoderate h2o body, depends connected various factors, including contamination levels, contaminant concentrations, and advisories issued by wellness authorities,” nan agency said successful a statement. It said proposal connected really overmuch of a fixed type to eat could beryllium recovered connected nan Quebec government’s website, adding that food caught successful nan canal would beryllium akin to consuming food caught successful nan St. Lawrence River.

Boats are constricted to 10 kilometres an hr to debar disturbing nan sediment, and activities specified arsenic magnet sportfishing — a benignant of underwater metallic detecting — are forbidden.

A 2023 study by nan City of Montreal indicated nan Lachine Canal’s waters ranged from “excellent” to “good” pursuing h2o tests — contempt nan furniture of highly contaminated sediment connected nan floor.

Leung says he does interest astir nan value of nan h2o — it’s portion of nan logic he doesn’t eat his catches; but his main interest is to debar depleting nan population.

Savage, for his part, isn’t worried astir nan value of nan water, which he says looks worse than it is. He says he wouldn’t hesitate to eat food caught successful nan canal; though, for illustration Leung, he prefers drawback and merchandise truthful they tin still beryllium caught different day.