Hundreds of people turned out Sunday at the Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery in Coquitlam for the annual Salmon Come Home festival.
The only problem? The salmon hadn't come home.
The reason? Not enough rain.
"This year, because of the drought we've been having over last week, there wasn't the volume of water in the creek," said Keith Kozak of the Hoy/Scott Creek Watershed Society, noting the party went on without the guests of honour.
Spawning salmon are reportedly waiting in the Coquitlam River for heavy rains to fill the creeks so they can travel upstream.
Kozak said the water shortage isn't causing any problems yet and, in fact, he did see a Coho salmon near the footbridge over the creek last week.
"It's encouraging," Kozak said, noting that rearing coho is an important mandate for the society.
Sunday's event included children's crafts and activities, salmon presentations, music, a kid's costume parade and story telling, a food concession, community displays and activities, and a prize fishing pond.
