My Watermark is Grenadier Pond in High Park Toronto, Ontario.

I was passionate about fishing ever since my dad put a fishing rod in my hand at four years old. I always wanted to go whenever I had the chance but believed you could only catch fish by fishing up north.

I first discovered the fishing opportunities at grenadier pond when I saw people catching bluegills and sunfish, I was only about 8 years old at the time. After that day I gathered all my fishing gear together and started fishing the pond every chance I could. It was hard at first since I could only go with an adult present since I was still too young to go unsupervised.

After I turned 10 years old and had gotten my first cellphone I had only one thing on my mind. I would constantly ask my mom “ Can I go fishing by myself “. I don't know if it was ready or that I was just getting on her nerves but my mom finally agreed to let me go fishing by myself at Grenadier Pond. I remember packing my bag so fast and hoping on my bike to get down to the pond and get fishing, I had yet to catch my first fish at Grenadier pond and my first fish in an urban environment.

It took many years of constant learning, fishless days and lots of frustration to catch fish. Fast Forward 2 years later and I catch my first Grenadier Pond fish at 12 years old. That fish is the most important fish to me because that fish inspired me to get more involved in protecting our waterways and environment. I found out about TUFA ( TorontoUrbanFishingAmbassadors ) this way and have since been involved in kids fishing events, shore cleanups and much more.

Grenadier Pond is a waterway that's not only important to me, but to the city of Toronto and its residents who have fished this pond for more than one hundred years.

Fishing has been banned on the west part of the shoreline due to some anglers not respecting the wildlife and waterway. This obviously does not represent the entire angling community but we do play a big part in making sure this waterway is protected to ensure everybody can enjoy it. Shore cleanups make a big contribution but I believe that having conservation officers monitor this waterway more often will cut down on the amount of people disrespecting the park.

Waterways are apart of our history and should be treated with the respect is deserves. We as a community need to ensure that our waterways and treated well so that our future generations can appreciate it as much as we do.