Pictured above: Barb Mason shows her fishing derby catch. She was one of the winners of the giveaway prizes, taking home a swimming pool.

Community members from St. Theresa Point First Nation, MB had a fun and entertaining day at the Chief Fishing Derby while also raising funds for a new church.

The Annual Chief Fishing Derby was hosted by the St. Theresa Point Recreation Department on Easter Monday, April 5, and held at the Water Treatment Plant Shoreline. It was a great success as many community members participated this year, giving them a chance to relax and enjoy a different afternoon during the pandemic.

During the event, several prizes were given away such as TVs, bicycles, a swimming pool, laptops and tablets. Among the grand prizes was a quad ATV donated by the Band, a truck, some canoes and cash prizes. This year, St. Theresa Point Northern Store was happy to contribute to the event by donating a prize worth $4,000 – a Clipper canoe, motor, paddles and life jackets.

Pictured above: St. Theresa Northern Store staff prepared delicious hamburgers and smokies which were sold at the Chief Fishing Derby to help raise funds for a new church. 

Unfortunately, on Easter Sunday, the community of St. Theresa Point experienced a tragedy as the only church in the community burned down, a loss that was felt by the entire community. Nevertheless, this did not stop the community members who quickly rose and rallied to raise funds for the steeple of a new church.

Murray Thomas, St. Theresa Northern Store Manager, and his staff came together and held a cash BBQ at the Chief Fishing Derby to help raise funds for the new church. They set up a stand on Monday morning and got ready to sell hamburgers, smokies and pop to people attending the event. In addition, Thomas was also promoting their fundraising efforts and went live on the St. Theresa Point Northern/Tim Horton’s Facebook page to call out community members to come and support.

“We can all take comfort in knowing that our memories and spirit will never be taken by fire. A building can be rebuilt and with our faith in God and ourselves we will overcome this,” said Thomas.