On Thursday, more than 30 young people in Sudbury hit the water with police as part of the annual national event called Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Days. The event is an opportunity for youth to learn about fishing -- and for police to build relationships with youth. The youth picked their fishing rods, which they get to take home with them. A tackle box, too. They were fishing on Whitewater Lake in Azilda. “We were able to get 32 youth from various locations throughout the city,” said Sudbury police Const. Bradley Walker. “Several organizations have reached out to families that they work with and they have expressed an interest in fishing. So they have the opportunity to come out and join us for a day of fishing both on shore and on boats.” For many of the young people who took part, it was their first time fishing. “Big – like, big,” said seven-year-old Marcela Chaina when asked how big a fish she wanted to catch. “That’s my goal. How big? This big,” she said, showing about a foot-long fish with her hands. Her brother, Lucas, was excited, too. “It’s my first time fishing,” he said. “I don’t know how much I like fishing, you know? That’s why I came here -- to learn. And teach my mom and my dad.” Isabella Hopkins has taken part in the event before and said she already loves fishing. “Just waiting for the bite to see if it’s a big fish or not,” Isabella said. It’s also an opportunity for police to have some valuable interaction with youth. “It’s so important because we really want our youth to be able to see our officers as humans,” said Sudbury police chief Sara Cunningham. “You know, those behind the badge. We want youth to be able to come to us freely.” “We want the kids to know that police are just like anybody else and we want them to feel safe when they are with us and that they can come and talk to us if ever there is a situation where they need to speak to police,” said Const. Stephane Bellemare, OPP Northeast Region. Police said the catch-and-release fishing expedition is about making new friendships, enjoying the outdoors and building relationships with youth.
