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Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club hosting annual awards banquet

Attend the evening on Feb. 22 to support local fish and wildlife initiatives
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The Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club's annual banquet is coming soon.

Every year, the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club hosts an awards ceremony and fundraiser to create public awareness of the need for communities to stay engaged in fish and wildlife management.

The family-friendly evening will be held on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Creston and District Community Complex with trophy presentations beginning at 4:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m., and a dance at 9 p.m. Attendees will also benefit from raffles, door prizes, and a silent auction. Tickets are available at Mawson Sports and Wynndel Foods - $55 for adults and $25 for youth under the age of 17. 

The work of generous volunteers, along with donations received from community members, help make this banquet one of the largest and most successful events in the Creston Valley. The money raised is used to facilitate many of the programs that enhance our community, such as:

2024 Projects:

Return of the Kokanee Project: In the second year of this project, just over 2.2 million Kokanee eggs were planted - 10,000 in the Old Goat River Channel, 376,000 in Summit Creek, and the remainder in the Meadow Creek Spawning Channel. This has been made possible with a collaborative partnership between the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development; Freshwater Fisheries Society; Lower Kootenay Band; and the Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club. It has cost a total of $399,000, with help from the Destination Development Fund. A public relations event was held at Summit Creek, information signs posted at Balfour Ferry Landing, Crawford Bay Ferry Landing, and at Summit Creek. The project has heightened public awareness for the value of the Kootenay Lake fishery. In addition, the project placed aquariums with eyed Kokanee eggs in four local classrooms to help teach the next generation of conservationists. We are currently seeking additional funding sources to continue with this project.

Broom Busters: The Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club and Wildsight conducted a noxious weed removal project at La France Creek on the east shore of Kootenay Lake. Target species was Scotch Broom, a highly aggressive invasive non-native species which is colonizing the lower slopes on the east side of the lake.

Abandoned Fence Removal: The Rod and Gun Club and Wildsight continue removing old, abandoned fences on private land. Old abandoned barb wire and page wire fences, lying close to the ground in the under growth of lands previously used for livestock grazing create hazards for wild ungulates.

Kid Creek Rifle Range: The Rod and Gun Club manages the only shooting facility in the area. This range provides a safe and structured place for shooting enthusiasts and hunters to become proficient with their firearms. All law enforcement agencies are also accommodated for practice and certification shooting. An active archery sector hosts 3D shoots annually. Members are qualified for CORE training and certification. Every year, the club hosts a National Range Day on the first Saturday in June.

• Blue Mountain Project: The Creston club manages access onto private forest lands owned by Blue Mountain Forest Lands and Selkirk Forestry.

Mawson Lake: The property at the Idaho border on Highway 22 offers fishing in Mawson Lake, a picnic ground, walking trails, and a field archery course. Every year, we host “Learn to Fish” programs with the Fresh Water Fisheries Society for our youth.

Creston Valley Rod and Gun Club is looking forward to another successful banquet and hopes to see you, your family, and friends there!