The koi swimming in Quayside ponds may look like overgrown goldfish - but they’re a source of endless fascination for a local man.
Quayside resident Joe Hargitt is inviting New West residents to join him in celebrating the koi at the Quay in August.
“I know myself, as a resident there, I walk around and see all these lagoons, all these koi and there are things going on that I really don’t understand,” he said. “My idea is to bring people together on Aug. 1 to come and enjoy the lagoons, learn about the koi and meet your neighbours.”
Fascinated by the koi who live in four ponds at the Quay, Hargitt has been trying to learn more about the fish. Along with presenting some info about the fish at the gathering, he’s hoping people with more details or stories about the fish will attend.
“I care a lot about it because I think, obviously, they are not indigenous,” he said. “There are questions I’ve had and still do, to some degree. How did they get there? How many are there? Why is it I only see big ones? As it turns out, I think all the small ones are taken by predators. The survival rate for koi is very poor. Otherwise it would be overrun with koi, apparently.”
Hargitt has spotted herons and other birds looking for dinner at the koi ponds, but they’re not the only ones who’ve wanted to feast on the fish.
“Apparently somebody was caught fishing for them once, and their defence was, ‘I have a licence,’” Hargitt said.
According to Hargitt, the four ponds at the Quay are interconnected, with 600,000 gallons of rainwater flowing amongst the pools. Koi can also be spotted in come of the canals outside some of the buildings at the Quay.
While the pond at Hargitt’s residence is only accessible to residents, the other ponds are in public areas of the Quay.
“The one where I live, there is only a handful of koi in there. I am not even sure who is taking care of them,” he told the Record. “There’s way better experts down here than myself. Anybody who does have that, please come and share. Share your koi experience.”
Hargitt received a Vancouver Foundation New Westminster neighbourhood small grant to hold the Aug. 1 event.
“It seems to me the whole idea behind the koi in the lagoons is an interesting enough story for people to come together,” he said. “I put the grant forward on the basis of educating people about the koi. I thought it was a good opportunity to pull people together.”
The keeping of koi is a hobby around the world, with the fish coming in a variety of colours including white, black, red and yellow.
“There’s a whole spiritual connection to koi. The Japanese have always had a fond feeling towards koi so there’s that connection to it,” Hargitt noted. “It’s not just a big goldfish in a big pond.”
A former Vancouver resident, Hargitt has enjoyed getting to know his new community since moving to New Westminster last July 2014. He’s excited about showing off one of the interesting aspects of his new neighbourhood.
Community members are invited to celebrate the koi at the Quay on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone wishing to attend is invited to meet at the large lagoon between Rialto Court and Renaissance Square, next to the new Vancouver Biennale public art installation.
