About 4 thousand anglers will be looking for salmon in the Owen Sound area soon.
Fred Geberdt has been the event co-chair for the entire 21 years the Spectacular has been run.
He says the event started as a way to capitalize on the return of the Chinook salmon, to raise money for conservation efforts.
Geberdt says he’s seen it grow from a small tent with weigh scale, to a huge tent, with ten days of fishing plus nightly entertainment.
He says it used to bring a few hardcore anglers to the region, but this year, they’re expecting 35 hundred to 45 hundred anglers, plus another 40 thousand people for the events.
Geberdt says over the years, they’ve done three economic development studies, and the benefit to the rest of the community is anywhere from 1.1 to 1.3 million dollars.
As for the money they bring in, Geberdt says it all goes to the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority.
He adds they’ve been able to grow their sponsorship over the years, which makes for better prizes and draws more anglers.
This year, the event has 172 sponsors.
The Salmon Spectacular runs from August 22nd until the 31st.
