Around 300 people from the region and beyond convened at the Grand-Marais in Mansfield et Pontefract, on Saturday, as the Fort Coulonge Fire Department hosted its . . .

annual ice-fishing tournament.

According to the event’s main organizer Jonathan Soucie, the event has been a staple in the region for almost a decade.

He explained that the event is a fundraiser for the fire department and an opportunity for the community to get together and make the most of a cold winter day.

“It makes for a great family day for everyone,” he said.

Going from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the derby consisted of a competition where attendees set up their personal ice-fishing shacks on the frozen waterway, drilling holes in the thick sheet of ice to catch either the heaviest pike, the highest number of them or the smallest one.

With many participants having circled the event on their calendars long before the big day, some had already set up their shacks on the ice throughout the week leading up to the derby to reserve their favorite spots on the ice.

Throughout the day, participants hauled a combined 20-plus pike, Soucie said.

Organizers also held a 50/50 draw, which was won by Jamie Pleau for just over $570; as well as a draw for a DeWalt tool kit valued at $650 that went to Christine Durocher.

Plus, raffling off a long-list of donated door prizes throughout the day, around 70 lucky participants were able to go home with something to show.

Offering all sorts of greasy foods and refreshments in a canteen on site, attendees didn’t need to go far to fill their bellies.

With a chance to win among five grand prizes on the line, including a brand-new Woods ice auger courtesy of the Municipality of Fort Coulonge, participants gave it their all to come out on top.

Finishing with the first prize, for biggest pike, with a monstrous seven-pound, one-ouncer, Daniel Dube walked away with the coveted ice auger. Dube also took second prize of $100 for the second biggest pike with a three-pound, one-ouncer.

The third prize, for the smallest pike, went to Felix Dube who hauled in a tiny one-ounce pike.

Lia Soucie won the fourth prize for those who caught three or more pikes, after pulling in a whopping 10 fish.

The fifth prize, for the largest pike caught among female participants, went to Emilie Dagenais for her two-pound, 15-ounce fish.

Despite the cold, Soucie said that the event was an absolute success, drawing plenty of people from far and near to participate and more than he could’ve envisioned.

“We had people from Val des Monts, Val des Bois, Gatineau, Pembroke and Petawawa,” he said. “This was our biggest tournament in all the years that I’ve been doing this.

For Soucie, organizing the event for the community means a lot. Coming from a small-town, he feels grateful knowing just how much vibrance the event brings to his hometown during a typically dreary time of year.

“Everyone has their little shacks with their families and their friends all gathered together for the day,” he said.

Event organizer Jonathan Soucie reads off the names of raffle winners on Saturday.

Volunteers Father Justin Bertrand and Nia Lachapelle do what they can to stay warm by the barbecue station.

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