B.C. Wildlife Federation

On Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 11 am – 3 pm, the Port Moody Ecological Society invites everyone to attend our annual Fingerling Festival

This iconic environmental festival is the largest of its kind in the Lower Mainland, and provides an opportunity for children (and adults!) to help release thousands of young chum salmon into Noons Creek to help these fish begin their four-year journey at sea.

We invite visitors to the hatchery with its fish-rearing pond and restored wetland. Release salmon fingerlings and speak to amazing ecological, educational and stewardship organizations that help make the Tri-Cities area a healthy, diverse and ecologically sustainable place to live.

Our fun, free environmental festival will be held at our Noons Creek Hatchery and the Port Moody Recreation Centre’s ice rink, located just across the walking bridge at 300 Ioco Road.

Hours: Our festival runs from 11am until 3pm, and we need people to help set up starting at 8am. We do our best to rotate shifts so that volunteers have the opportunity to work in different areas, especially popular roles such as the bucket brigade.

Set up from 8am
Registration from 10am
Festival starts at 11am
Festival finishes at 3pm
Taking down from 3pm (usually until 4/5)

Please note: our photographers may take photos of volunteers, which may then be used in our website and advertisements for future events

Also, all volunteers must be 16 or older to volunteer with us during the festival.

Volunteer Roles
Volunteer Registration
Putting up directional posters prior to the festival start, marking volunteer names off the list, handing out nametags and meal tickets, giving duties to people that may turn up unexpectedly. Helping the public with questions, directions and taking care of and making announcements regarding lost children.

Helping with Salmon release
Helping children to release the salmon and ensuring they are pouring them into the water and not from a height. Collecting empty buckets and returning them to the hatchery. Making sure nobody, including other volunteers, enter the water. Volunteers in this role should have some hatchery experience.

All volunteers working near the water must wear a high visibility vest. Please ensure that you identify yourself to the hatchery volunteer manager and get a vest from them.

Working in the rink
Helping set up the tables and chairs, helping groups set up (including those that require electricity on the outer circle), speaking with exhibitors and providing them with assistance, looking for lost children, helping the public with directions. Work with the Exhibitor Liaison to ensure the smooth running of the festival.

Food tent
Helping set up the food tent, cook the food, set up the tables, money and ticket handling, handing out food and drinks. Also providing exhibitors and volunteers with their free lunch and refreshments. If you have FoodSafe, please let us know!

Buggy Valet
We have an area set aside for buggy’s and you give a ticket to parents and put the other half of the ticket on their buggy. Watch over the buggies and match their ticket to their buggy ticket and hand it over.

Runner
The person that does this role will move around the festival and will work closely with the Volunteer Liaison help out wherever he/she can.

 In the case of an Emergency or Lost children:
Contact the nearest liaison or go directly to the information tent with the child (let the liaison know before you leave your area).

If you need to leave early, please let your liaison know and check-out at the Information Tent to hand in your lanyard.

Please do not bring valuables as we have no storage space.

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