After two years of a pandemic that forced the Nicomekl Enhancement Society to cancel the annual open house at their , the event will return on Saturday, April 30.

Running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the facility located at 5263 232nd St., the event will feature the release of 25,000 Chinook salmon into the Nicomekl River system.

There will be free hot dogs and pop (donations are welcomed), and, for the first time, live music by Fuzz and Sweet Max playing popular 60鈥檚 and 70鈥檚 music, as well as a scavenger hunt, with prizes.

Society president Nigel Easton said it is part of a return to normal that has also seen the resumption of the hatchery school program, with planned visits from K-to-5 classes, and, more volunteers on site.

During the pandemic, Easton said they had to restrict the size of the volunteer crews who work at the hatchery, who are often seniors and more vulnerable to COVID-19.鈥�

鈥淲e said [to everyone], if you don鈥檛 have a job to do, don鈥檛 come by,鈥� Easton recalled.

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Easton said it will be the second release of Chinook this season.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been feeding them well,鈥� Easton said, describing the Chinook smelts as 鈥渉uge鈥� at seven to eight grams,

鈥淭hey鈥檙e little whales,鈥� he laughed.

They will need the size, he explained, 鈥渂ecause they head to the ocean right away. They need to get to salt water as soon as possible.鈥�

In the past, the open house at the volunteer-run hatchery has drawn around 600 people.

鈥淲e look forward to seeing everyone,鈥� Easton said.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all very excited.鈥�

READ ALSO: 鈥楰eeper of Brydon Lagoon鈥� Rhys Griffiths honoured with memorial rock

The society got its start in 1989, when the 91原创 Rod and Gun Club hosted a public meeting to organize a group of 91原创 area volunteers willing to work on restoring and enhancing the troubled Nicomekl River watershed.

First known as Fish for your Future, and later as the Nicomekl Enhancement Society, the all-volunteer organization has released hundreds of thousands of salmon fry into the Nicomekl River, which originates in the Township of 91原创 and flows east to west through the City of 91原创 and Surrey to Mud Bay at Blackie鈥檚 Spit.

For more information, visit or their .