The province of Alberta, Canada is investing CA$43 million to replace the Raven Creek Brood Trout Station and refurbish Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery and Allison Creek Brood Trout Station. Critical operating systems at each facility were at or beyond their expected service life.  

The new Raven Creek facility will be larger to support increased stocking numbers and will include dedicated space for additional species, such as tiger trout and Arctic grayling. Upgrades to Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery and the Allison Creek Brood Trout Station are underway. Fish production at all three facilities will be optimized through modernized operating systems, improved water quality and stronger biosecurity, and energy and water consumption will be reduced.  

CA$26 million is budgeted for the Raven Creek Brood Trout Station, located near Caroline, where construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2021. The Raven Creek Brood Trout Station has been in operation since the 1930s and is one of Alberta’s oldest operating hatcheries. The current infrastructure was constructed primarily in the 1970s, with few modifications. The arrangement and space at the facility is no longer adequate for its role in the province’s stocking program, and the aging and deteriorating infrastructure presents an increased risk of exposure to waterborne fish disease.  

Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery and Allison Creek Brood Trout Station were constructed in the 1970s and 1980s, respectively. Water treatment and filtration systems at both facilities were at the end of their service life. CA$12.6 million worth of upgrades to Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery, located in Calgary, are substantially complete. The facility is expected to be running at full capacity later this winter. The Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery plays an important role as part of Bow Habitat Station’s public education initiatives, allowing Albertans to get an up-close look at how trout are raised, and how the fish stocking program supports sustainable fishing opportunities in the province.   Improvements totaling more than CA$4 million are underway for Allison Creek Brood Trout Station, located in Crowsnest Pass. Upgrades are expected to be complete this summer.

The provincial stocking program stocks an average of 2.1 million trout per year into almost 240 water bodies throughout Alberta.