The upcoming Hailey’s Way Ice Fishing Derby in Gimli in honour of Hailey Dugay, a young woman who loved to fish, is gearing up to give participants a fun-filled day of ice fishing on Lake Winnipeg and a chance to vie for the top prize of $10,000.
People registering for the March derby will also be supporting programming and recreational activities for Interlake youth offered through Hailey’s Way Inc., the non-profit organization that’s organizing the derby.
Hailey’s mom, Dana DesRoches, founded the organization in honour of her 20-year-old daughter, who tragically died in 2018 near Fraserwood after a man opened fire at a vehicle in which she was a passenger.
DesRoches wants to provide youth in small Interlake communities opportunities to take part in safe, supervised programs that focus on building life skills and engagement in recreational activities.
She said she thought a fishing derby would be ideal to raise funds for programs while bringing friends and family together for an enjoyable day on Lake Winnipeg.
“Ice fishing is something I’ve done with my children right from the time we moved here to Gimli. It was something that Hailey really enjoyed doing. That was a big part of why we decided to hold a derby,” said DesRoches. “And we wanted to bring an ice-fishing fundraiser back to Gimli; there hasn’t been a fishing derby here in about two years or so. We decided we’d take that on. It’s also a great way to bring people together, bring community organizations together and help raise money for youth programs here in the Interlake.”
The board of Hailey’s Way is organizing the event, along with business supporters such as Ian Prise from Prise Fishing and Adam Stringer from Stringer Rentals. They’ll be organizing the layout of the site, drilling the holes, arranging parking and so forth said DesRoches.
Last winter, Hailey’s Way partnered with the RM of Gimli, the Gimli Recreation Centre and local anglers to offer a free half-day how-to-fish program to Interlake kids aged 8 to 17.
“We brought out a bunch of kids and taught them about ice fishing, everything from setting up a tent, drilling the holes and using a hook to how to fillet your own fish and clean up their site,” said DesRoches.
Last year, the organization was able to provide programs and funding for almost 100 kids in the region, she added.
There will lots of prizes for children and adults at the derby.
“There will be probably be close to 70 prizes, which could be range from an ice augur to an ice-fishing kit,” said DesRoches. “There will be random draws for people buying their hole and showing up to participate. Other prizes will be based on the fish caught.”
The grand prize is $10,000 with second- and third-place prizes of $3,000 and $1,500 respectively. There are two early bird ticket-purchasing prizes, one for adults (a Mr. Heater portable propane heater) and one for children (ice-fishing rod and tackle box).
Early-bird ticket sales end on Feb. 15 and the draws will take place online on Feb. 28 via the Hailey’s Way Ice Fishing Derby Facebook page.
DesRoches said the derby has attracted plenty of top-notch sponsorship support from several businesses, individuals and the Rural Municipality of Gimli.
“We’ve had lots of community involvement, lots of in-kind services and lots of volunteers who are stepping up to help set up tents, judge at the hole to measure fish, and cleanup,” she said.
In the spirit of community solidarity, the fishing derby will be held during the Gimli Ice Festival, said DesRoches, and the two organizations are “helping one another out.”
Peter Holfeuer, co-chair of the Gimli Ice Festival with his wife Susan, said collaboration is what it’s all about.
“Since its conception in 2012, the Gimli Ice Festival continues to be a collaboration of many organizations who come together once a year to support or facilitate an event,” said Holfeuer. “Some events are organized independently of the festival; however, with the festival’s approval, an organization may choose to run their event during the same weekend as the festival in order to draw from and help create a better overall experience for the 3,000-5,000 individuals that attend the festival each year.”
Hailey’s Way had asked GIF if it could run a major ice fishing derby on March 7, and Holfeuer said GIF’s executive committee “fully supported this complementary event” with its aim to support youth, and that GIF will help out in any way it can.
Gimli council is providing in-kind support to the fishing derby, said RM and council spokesperson Christine Payne.
“Council approved an in‑kind sponsorship by directing that the event’s ice‑clearing requirements be included within the existing Harbour Ice maintenance contract,” she said. “As a result, Stringer Rentals & Power Products will clear the designated derby area as part of their contracted duties, at no cost to the organizers.”
The Hailey’s Way Ice Fishing Derby will be held on Lake Winnipeg on March 7, just south of Gimli Harbour. Tickets are available via the Hailey’s Way Inc. Facebook page or by scanning the QR code on the derby’s poster.
