Why there’s a mannequin ice fishing on a Kamloops lake

A mannequin of a man who appears to be ice fishing on a lake in Kamloops is keeping school children across the district entertained.

It’s the fifth winter the mannequin, known as Manny, has sat on a chair ice fishing on McQueen Lake beside McQueen Lake Environmental Education Centre, located in the backcountry 16 kilometres northwest of the city.

Wayne Deptuck is the resource teacher at the centre and facilitates the annual activity called the Thaw Draw.

“Students put in a guess as to the time and date the ice will thaw and Manny falls in the water,” he said. “It started out as a fundraising idea for the centre when COVID started but the fundraiser never materialized and the mannequin quickly became engaging for students.”

Students sign into their school Google account and fill in a date, hour and minute Manny will sink, with the two closest times winning bragging rights and prizes. The winter activity sparks curiosity.

“The kids ask questions that open up different subjects, like how elevation affects temperature and climate change,” Deptuck said. “It creates fun, engagement and curiousity about the world around them.”

Recently retired centre caretaker Dan Sargent came up with the idea and did most of the work building Manny who is set up in front of a camera for live streaming.

“The first year there were kinks to work out and the first thing that happened was a critter chomped the cable going to the camera and the image was down,” Deptuck said. “Right away I’m hearing from a librarian and teachers that the kids are guessing what animal had done it and asking questions about it. One year a bobcat visited Manny and we had nighttime images of it the kids could look at.”

The instructor didn’t have a personal guess as to when Manny will fall through the ice this year, however, in previous years that date has typically been somewhere in the middle of April.

“In the last few years, it has been unpredictable,” he said. “Last year we barely got a Google form for submitting guesses out before he fell in, it was tight. If there is one thing you can’t predict, it’s weather conditions.”

McQueen Lake Environmental Education Centre opened in 1972 as part of School District 73’s education initiatives, and almost 7,000 students and parents visit every year to get hands-on learning outside the classroom.

“The area is so full of life. We do custom things for teachers working on something particular, even if it’s a novel study,” Deptuck said. “The main subjects we cover are pond studies and ecology, survival skills and navigation activities which are inherently engaging and a sneaky way to teach math.”  

Generally, the public has been respectful of the odd-looking mannequin that is dressed warmly and wearing a lifejacket while appearing to fish alone on the snowy lake.

A sign in the area informs the public the mannequin is there for education purposes and will be removed when the ice thaws.

“He is trying to fish, but there are no fish in the lake,” Deptuck said. “I’m thinking of putting a fake fish on the ice next week, it’s the little things that get conversations going with the kids and brings it to life.”

The activity is geared toward elementary school students and prizes include educational games from local toy stores.