Fisheries in Grimsby

Fisheries in Grimsby. . , Grimsby Nature , Fisheries in Grimsby , The fish once caught in Lake Ontario help tell the story of settlement and growth around Forty Mile Creek. The Neutral Confederacy, Niagara's first inhabitants, were well established in the area, benefitting from the abundant fish and wildlife and the natural travelling system provided by Lake Ontario. In the 1790s, the creek was resettled by United Empire Loyalists coming from the United States. They called their new community "The Forty" and would soon build a harbour that would become a bustling hub of trade and the centre of the local commercial fishing industry., The Hand Family, The Hand family were particularly prominent in Grimsby's fishing industry. Coming to Grimsby in the 1880s, the Hands purchased land around Forty Mile Pond to establish a commercial fishing business. John Hand, along with his sons Edward, Phillip, Frank and Jim, built processing facilities on shore and shared in running the operation. , Between April and November, Grimsby's fishermen caught Whitefish, Lake Trout, Lake Herring, Cisco and Atlantic Salmon. The fish caught were filleted and packed at the Hand facilities and then shipped to nearby markets in St. Catharines, Hamilton and as far as New York City., Changing Environmental Conditions, Though Lake Ontario commercial fishing prospered in the nineteenth century, environmental changes caused by development eventually led to its demise. The dams built in the 1800s to power mills along the creeks restricted Atlantic Salmon spawning. By the 1830s Sea Lamprey and other invasive species began to appear in Lake Ontario, deteriorating native fish populations. Pollution was also a contributor, first from silt flowing off agricultural tracts and other cleared lands and then from industrial chemical pollutants introduced after the Second World War. The commercial fishing industry was no longer viable. , In 1965, a fire destroyed the Hand's fishing facilities and the pond was filled in. Foran's Marine and Lakecourt Marine now operate where the fisher was once located. Even though commercial fishing is no longer viable, many enthusiasts continue to fish in Grimsby for fun and for sport., This plaque was provided thanks to the generosity of Water Smart Niagara in conjunction with the Town of Grimsby.