b'KIDS & COPSMinnows & memoriesCBM Aggregates McMillan Pond hosts kids and cops for an unforgettable day offishingBy Sarah B. HoodD o you remember catching your very first fish? If you grewRainbow trout are the focal species, but CBM also stocks bluegills, up in Ontario, with its wealth of unspoiled freshwaterwhichareasunfish-typespecies,andsomenativeminnows,and lakes and rivers, chances are youve never forgotten thethey have all flourished in the lake. Besides fish species, the pond excitement of that tug on the line and the thrill of pullinghas attracted numerous birds, including a pair of bald eagles, blue a sparkling silver fish out of the water.herons, common terns, diving ducks, osprey and a family of loons. In addition, the pond hosts turtles, frogs, salamanders and crayfish that In 2023, CBM Aggregates hosted a Kids & Cops event that gavehave migrated on their own from the surrounding area. The dissolved agroupofchildrenthatsamewonderfulopportunity.Theeventfish waste used to encourage the rehabilitation process in the lake paired children who might otherwise never experience fishing withwas sourced from Izumi Aquaculture, Inc., which also opened a fish police officers in a fun day at the rehabilitated McMillan Pond nearproduction facility on the property. Aberfoyle. The experience was made possible by the Fishing ForeverThe companys president, Wayne Izumi, founded the Kids & Cops Foundation, which supports the program whose aim is to open mindsprogram with his brother Bob, who is well known as a professional and build bridges. angler and long-time host of Bob Izumis Real Fishing Show. My The McMillan site is a restored gravel pit in the Township ofbrother and I started the Fishing Forever Foundation over 25 years ago, Puslinch, 15 or 20 minutes south of Guelph, says Steve May, landsand for at least 20 years weve supported a Kids & Cops program, manager for CBM Aggregates. It operated as a tip for approximatelyWaynesays.Wewantedtoputsomeofourmoneybackinto 10 years and was restored to a natural condition starting in 2002.supporting fishing.Naturalization contouring on the property, which is just under 100CREATING CONNECTIONacres, with a 65-acre lake, was completed in 2007. At that particularMultiple Kids & Cops events take place in different locations each year. area theres very high-quality aggregate material located below theIn our peak years, before COVID, we had up to 80 events a yearwater table, says May. mainly in Ontario, but also in Saskatchewan, says Izumi. The program Once extraction was complete, the lake on the site was clean andwas designed to create a community connection between youth and clear but utterly bereft of life. After May joined the company about fivelocal law enforcement. All the equipment is normally provided to years ago, new technology with floating raceways allowed CBM to putthe young participants, and they receive some basic instruction in fishingtechniques. a controlled amount of nutrient into the pond. Essentially, May says, the system works via a network of docks that enclose the fish withHolding the event at McMillan Pond was a natural idea because screens on both sides. Water is fed through on an airlift system andIzumiAquaculturealreadyhadapresencethere.Weproduce theres an airstone, like what you would have in an aquariumsystem. steelhead trout for market consumption, and we are also vertically 28 AVENUESWINTER 2024'