The 2026 recipient of the Ontario Chapter Student Subunit Outstanding Mentor Award was William (Bill) Gardner, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Retired). The award was presented by mentee and AFS-OC President-Elect Raegan Davis at the 2026 AFS-OC Annual Meeting.
Tentative Date: June 16-17, 2026
This two day workshop will provide an introduction to the anatomy, biology and ecology of Ontario’s freshwater mussels with special emphasis on the 16 COSEWIC assessed Species at Risk.
See Ontario Freshwater Mussel Identification Workshop for more information and join the waitlist.
The 2026 AFS-OC AGM & Conference Program is now available!
Join us at our 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference at Cartier Place Suite Hotel, Ottawa on January 30-Februray 01, 2026. The Conference organizers have put together a fantastic Program, including a keynote talks, oral and poster presentations, as well as a collections tour, panel event and careers workshop.
Conference registration and Canadian Museum of Nature: Collections Tour registration are available at the Online Store. Tour participation is free for conference registrants; however, registration is mandatory and must be completed by January 28th.
See 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference for additional information. If you have any questions, please contact Connor Reid (president@afs-oc.org).
The 2026 Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary is now available! Digital copies can be viewed online or as a PDF download.
An annual guide to the rules and regulations for recreational fishing in Ontario. It contains information about recreational fishing licences, open seasons and catch limits, as well as up-to-date fishing regulations for each fishing zone. Effective January 1, 2026.
Learn more at fishing notices and updates.
2026 IAGLR-SCAS Joint Conference, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Theme: Connected Waters: Bridging Communities & Ideas
The October 2025 Mainstream Newsletter (Volume 41, Issue 1) is now available from the North Central Division website.
The winner of the Al Dextrase Award for Best Student Poster Presentation at the 2025 AFS-OC Annual Meeting was Jacob Lasci from University of Western Ontario. Jacob (right) received his award from Ontario Chapter President Silviya Ivanova (left) and Vice President Connor Reid (middle). His poster was titled “Effects of introduced salmonids on native Lake Trout in Lake Huron” and the abstract is available in the 2025 Joint OCTWS AFS-OC Conference Program.
The recipient of the E.J. Crossman Award for Best Student Oral Presentation at the 2025 AFS-OC Annual Meeting was Raegan Davis from Carleton University. Raegan (middle) received her award from Ontario Chapter President Silviya Ivanova (right) and Vice President Connor Reid (left). Her presentation was titled “Dam it, I’m stranded: Evaluating fish stranding downstream of a hydropeaking facility on the Michipicoten River, ON” and the abstract is available in the 2025 Joint OCTWS AFS-OC Conference Program.
A synopsis of the 2024 AFS-OC Annual Meeting and Conference held January 26–28 at Bayview Wildwood Resort, in Severn Bridge has been posted. See photos, poster presentations and review highlights of the event.
The results of the 2025-26 Ontario Chapter Executive Committee election are official. Thank you to all candidates and congratulations to those elected. As per our bylaws, all Ontario Chapter members were eligible to vote and officers were elected by a majority of ballots cast. Each member was permitted to cast one vote. A total of 23 members participated in the election, representing approximately 24% of the membership.
Raegan Davis was elected to the position of President-Elect with 100% of the vote. The term of office for President-Elect is one year, leading to the position of President in 2026-27, and Past-President the following year.
Gabriela Carew was elected to the position of Vice President with 100% of the vote. The term for the position of Vice President is at least one year; however, it is preferred to serve more than one term.
