Despite a rainy morning, many Prince Rupert families came out armed with their buckets to participate in the fifth annual Smoltfest at the Oldfield Hatchery.

Droves of young children released about 5,700 juvenile Coho Salmon into the creek, some of which they had raised their own classrooms as part of the Stream to Sea partnership between the hatchery and the school district.

There was also a barbeque, face painting and more. Besides being a convenient and fun way to reintroduce the salmon back into the wild, Smoltfest also serves as a fundraiser for the hatchery. This year’s donations will go towards the education center the hatchery is adding to their building.