Catch A Smile! - Friends in Sportfishing
Registered Name: FRIENDS IN SPORTFISHING
Business No: 894502996RR0001
This organization is designated by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as a registered charity. They comply with the CRA's requirements and have been issued a charitable registration number.
This charity is fully set up with CanadaHelps, allowing for faster donation processing and access to more features
We provide free boat trips (some include fishing) to groups of people with special needs in the Ottawa region.
Catch a Smile!-FISF. We are a volunteer-run charity offering free sightseeing and fishing trips on adapted pontoon boats along the Rideau river and canal to groups of people with special needs. We operate from the first week in June to the last week in August. Since 1996 we have welcomed thousands of groups of people with special needs from the Ottawa region: youth, many from disadvantaged families, seniors living in long-term care, people with mobility issues, and more recently, new immigrants and survivors of gender-based violence. Our free excursions on Dows Lake and the Rideau River in Manotick introduce our guests to the natural beauty of the area where they experience the therapeutic effects of nature in a setting they would not otherwise be able to access. Everyone "Catches a Smile" while checking out the marshes for turtles, herons and other wildlife or singing songs or playing "I spy" while on the water. Each of our 3 wheelchair-accessible pontoon boats, can accommodate up to 1200 people each summer. Independent evaluation has shown that our guests are overwhelmingly thrilled with the time they spend on the water with us!
