Thousands of endangered chinook salmon were released into the Nicomekl River in 91原创 on Sunday, April 21, during Lafarge Family Day at the at the hatchery.

It was the first time Walnut Grove鈥檚 Rachel Brown, 3, and parents Jason and Olivia, had taken part in a salmon release, filling up a bucket with tiny chinook fry before walking down to the nearby waterway to pour them into a chute.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really great,鈥� Jason commented.

鈥淛ust to learn about salmon and the waterways here, it鈥檚 really cool.鈥�

Hatchery president Nigel Easton explained the event, which included live music, games, kids鈥� activities, lunch and refreshments, was thanks to a 鈥渨onderful agreement鈥� with Lafarge Canada.

鈥淭hey are here with their family of staff to help release approximately 30,000 endangered chinook salmon back into the Nicomekl River,鈥� Easton said.

Lincoln Kyne, Lafarge senior vice president, British Columbia & United States, Pacific Northwest called it a 鈥渁 super exciting day for us.鈥�

Kyne explained it was year two of five that the company has committed to sponsoring the NES.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 a great day where our employees can come out, share in the benefits of the great work that they do, and release some fish back into their natural habitat,鈥� Kyne told the 91原创 Advance Times.

In 2022, Lafarge Canada announced a five-year in-kind donation commitment, worth $100,000, with NES.

From 2023 to 2028, Lafarge will annually provide $20,000 in aggregates, concrete, and labour.

An all-volunteer organization, NES was formed in 1989 by fishermen interested in trying to preserve the diminishing salmon population.

The hatchery annually captures and releases three types of Pacific salmon 鈥� chinook, chum and coho, around 250,000 a year.

With more than 6,900 employees and 400 sites across the country, Lafarge is Canada鈥檚 largest provider of aggregates, cement, ready mix and precast concrete, asphalt and paving, and road and civil construction.

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