BANCROFT, Ontario March 6, 2009 - Daryl Kramp, MP for Prince Edward Hastings discusses water consevation technology with Dennis LeFeuvre, President of the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery Board.

“As a fisherman and a person strongly committed to preserving the environment and clean water, this is a project very close to my heart,” said MP Kramp. “Please accept my congratulations on a fabulous facility and your community’s thanks for all that you and the Fish Hatchery Board and fundraising committee have accomplished.”

Through the Eastern Ontario Development Program, North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery was able to install state of the art water treatment and recirculation system.

Essentially ground water is pumped to the hatchery, is aerated, flows through the various tanks, is filtered to remove suspended solids, passes through a biofilter to remove biological matter, through an infrared filter to kill pathogens, if necessary through an aeration system and a chiller if required and then back through the tanks. This process is an ongoing process and while there is water and waste discharged the volume of water required as input is minimal.

The Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) is intended to promote socio economic development in rural Eastern Ontario, contribute to the successful development of business and job opportunities as well as sustainable, self reliant communities and will lead to a competitive and diversified regional economy. The Government has funded the Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin to implement five components of the EODP: Access to Capital, Skills Development, Youth Retention, Local Initiatives and Business Planning.