The popular wooden fish, which used to be an entrance sign in Burns Lake, has found a new home.
Burns Lake council chose to give the old landmark to Woods N' Water Sports & Recreation, located on Hwy. 16 in Burns Lake.
The village had launched a contest to choose a new owner for the wooden fish in April 2016. Council asked for written submissions including how applicants planned to utilize the fish.
Woods N' Water's father-and-son team Blain and Daniel Cunningham submitted a letter to council saying, "We would like to use the fish for a frontage sign; we are a sports store serving Burns Lake and area and the fish would fit with what we sell."
Other applicants included the Nadina Lake Lodge, located approximately one hour southwest of Burns Lake; the Takysie Lake Resort, located in the Southside; and the Decker Lake Trading Post, located in Decker Lake.
According to the Burns Lake council, keeping the wooden fish within municipal boundaries could help attract more visitors to stop and shop in the Lakes District.
"I have no doubt that Woods N' Water folks will do a fabulous job at displaying it, maintaining it and preserving it," said councillor Susan Schienbein. "I can't imagine that they wouldn't do an exceptional job."
Known as "old fish," the old entrance sign was one of two signs that used to hang at the east and west ends of town. One of the signs was destroyed by a car accident, and the other one was taken down about 15 years ago.
The wooden landmark had been sitting at the village's public works yard until a Decker Lake resident wrote a letter to the village requesting to be the new owner of the sign. Janet MacAdam, who works at the Decker Lake Trading Post, said in her letter that she's wanted to give the old sign a new life for a number of years.
After reading the letter, council decided that it would be fair to start a contest to allow other residents a chance to own the wooden fish.
"A lot of people had attachments to the fish," said Mayor Luke Strimbold.
According to the village, the old sign will need some work.
"It's a little worse for ware, one of the fins is broken and it could use a fresh coat of varnish, but it's a genuine piece of Burns Lake history."