UNITY – Most known for the annual wildlife suppers, the Unity Wildlife Federation works year-round, helping out with many projects that benefit our community.
Each year at the annual awards banquet, a variety of raffles, draws and auctions are held to help raise funds for the federation. Those funds help with building more walking paths around the town, supporting the archery program at the high school, sending kids to wildlife camp and supporting the Scott Reservoir.
In June 1960, the Saskatchewan government started supplying young fish stock for the reservoir with the help of the UWF, who were willing to maintain and oversee the site. Over the past 63 years, more than 310,000 fish have been stocked. Anglers from across the province have come to the dam to fish. Kurt Elder, member of the UWF, said he has seen folks from Saskatoon drive down for the day to fish the Scott Dam.
Maintenance of the dam has been ongoing. In the fall of 2022, the federation purchased and installed a new aeration system. The overall health of the fish and the quality of the water have vastly improved since the system was put into place.
The aeration system runs year-round and during the winter months is roped off for the safety of anyone who wants to ice fish. However, not everyone who visits the dam wants to fish.
“The biggest struggle with the dam is that people are not cleaning up after themselves. Over the years, there has been some unnecessary vandalism due to the remote location,” said Elder. “We are also hoping to get some assistance in regard to access to the dam, especially in the winter months.”
Along with funding outdoor activities for the community, the UWF also offers a Hunter Safety Course every January to March to students of all ages.
“We like to educate our youth about safety and the sport of hunting,” Elder explains.
At the annual supper, outdoor sportsmen and women can purchase or renew membership in the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation through the Unity Wildlife Federation. Elder said membership numbers within Unity have stayed steady over the years.
“We have seen some older members pass away and younger members with families joining, with that we hope to see the younger members become more active within the committee,” he added.
Currently, the committee has 13 directors with room to expand to 16. They meet four times throughout the year as well as when the federation hosts events.
