EMMANUEL SAMOGLOU
LIFE REPORTER

A woman fishing in Grenadier Pond in High Park. (Emmanuel Samoglou)

Humber students don’t need to head up north for decent angling, there’s a host of great fishing spots right here in Toronto, said a media outreach official with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

“There’s all kinds of opportunities along the waterfront itself,” said Wil Wegman, a promoter of fishing for the provincial government who authored Urban fishing opportunities in Toronto & Surrounding Areas.
He said some of Toronto’s standout fishing holes include Grenadier Pond in High Park. Wegman said the Toronto Islands is also a good place, where prospective anglers can gather general fishing information, borrow equipment and obtain a fishing licence, a document required by adult residents of Ontario.
Wegman said the islands support a vibrant population of fish including bass, sunfish, perch, catfish and carp. He added there are also misconceptions about the ecosystem’s health and many fish are in fact, edible.
“Your gut reaction, perhaps, without knowing the details behind it, would be for most people to think of waters around Canada’s largest city with all the potential for effluents and pollutants and all kinds of chemicals to be dumped into the water that it’s just a given that the fish aren’t safe,” he said. “By and large, it’s amazing that a lot of those fish are fairly clean and safe to eat.”
Owner and operator of Andrew’s Charter Wayne Andrew said he has been taking clients out fishing in Lake Ontario for over 36 years and said the quality of fishing has held up over the years.
“It’s actually good, it’s not as good as it used to be, but it certainly is still good,” he said.
While Andrew’s business mainly caters to professionals and fishing enthusiasts, he said he sees many young people fishing along the shores of Toronto’s waterways, including the Humber River.
“There’s a lot of them that fish the rivers.”
Humber culinary management student Christopher Gilmore, 26, said he has fished at Grenadier Pond and said it was an enjoyable experience.
“I definitely liked it there,” he said. “It was great, considering you’re in the city.”
However, Gilmore said he would not eat the fish he catches.
“It would have to be a last resort option.”