R
reelBitch
Guest
Where has our money gone? Who is running the show?
For some time now I've heard many 'stories' from friends and acquaintances within the Sooke fishing community about the Sooke Salmon Classic and Sooke Harbour Marina. The stories have revolved around lack of recognition, payments, back door dealings, employment, and theft.
I was recently forwarded the following email and would like your insight or imput regarding this matter:
Thanks,
reelBitch
*For profit not for salmon
I want to make a public apology to the community of Sooke.
In October of 2008 I emailed the manager of the Sooke Harbour Resort with a brief outline of what would later become the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic. At the initial meeting in December I briefed a selected group of interested parties (six or seven people) who all were prepared to volunteer their time and effort to make this a reality.
I was very specific that there were to be three primary reasons for holding this tournament. Number one was a sizeable donation from proceeds to local salmon restoration projects. Number two was to help put Sooke on the sport fishing destination map. The third was to promote the resort. A sold out event would fill the resort’s rooms with persons who would otherwise likely never stay there. Maybe even sell a unit if they were fortunate.
At that initial meeting everyone, including the manager at the time and one of the resort’s investors, agreed that a sizeable donation to local salmon projects was essential if we were to obtain community support. Sadly this has not happened and the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic is not much more than a private-for-profit derby. Some of the ownership group do not seem to appreciate the hard work put in over the years by many local volunteers to save and restore local salmon populations. Salmon runs that support their business directly.
My thought in the beginning was that this tournament would result in a few local Chinook salmon being caught, but the money raised and donated would result in many more being put back.
If I had to do it all over again I would have approached a non-profit society and worked with them to create what would have truly been a great event for Sooke. Do it all over again? We’ll see, time will tell.
To those of you who I talked to personally in the very beginning that opposed this tournament I do apologize. You felt this would be a “for-profit-tournament” and I assured you that a donation was the number one priority. Lesson learned.
It is sad you can’t just take people on their word.
Rollie Rose
Victoria*
For some time now I've heard many 'stories' from friends and acquaintances within the Sooke fishing community about the Sooke Salmon Classic and Sooke Harbour Marina. The stories have revolved around lack of recognition, payments, back door dealings, employment, and theft.
I was recently forwarded the following email and would like your insight or imput regarding this matter:
Thanks,
reelBitch
*For profit not for salmon
I want to make a public apology to the community of Sooke.
In October of 2008 I emailed the manager of the Sooke Harbour Resort with a brief outline of what would later become the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic. At the initial meeting in December I briefed a selected group of interested parties (six or seven people) who all were prepared to volunteer their time and effort to make this a reality.
I was very specific that there were to be three primary reasons for holding this tournament. Number one was a sizeable donation from proceeds to local salmon restoration projects. Number two was to help put Sooke on the sport fishing destination map. The third was to promote the resort. A sold out event would fill the resort’s rooms with persons who would otherwise likely never stay there. Maybe even sell a unit if they were fortunate.
At that initial meeting everyone, including the manager at the time and one of the resort’s investors, agreed that a sizeable donation to local salmon projects was essential if we were to obtain community support. Sadly this has not happened and the Vancouver Island Salmon Classic is not much more than a private-for-profit derby. Some of the ownership group do not seem to appreciate the hard work put in over the years by many local volunteers to save and restore local salmon populations. Salmon runs that support their business directly.
My thought in the beginning was that this tournament would result in a few local Chinook salmon being caught, but the money raised and donated would result in many more being put back.
If I had to do it all over again I would have approached a non-profit society and worked with them to create what would have truly been a great event for Sooke. Do it all over again? We’ll see, time will tell.
To those of you who I talked to personally in the very beginning that opposed this tournament I do apologize. You felt this would be a “for-profit-tournament” and I assured you that a donation was the number one priority. Lesson learned.
It is sad you can’t just take people on their word.
Rollie Rose
Victoria*
