Television show to be filmed in Rainy River this September

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Every September the Rainy River Walleye Tournament puts on Rainy River’s biggest show of the year. Well this year it will likely be the biggest ever as the community welcomes the television show Dimestore Fisherman.
The popular outdoors television show has seen the host Jim Hoey travel all over Canada producing shows on some of the best fishing in the country.
Rainy River Community Coordinator Andrew Hartnell said he was searching other communities’ websites a month or so ago to see what kind of promotional videos they had. On Schreiber, Ontario’s site he clicked the video and it was a promo put together by the Dimestore Fisherman. So he contacted Hoey and co. and began a dialogue.
As it turned out Hoey was interested in coming here and coincidentally had the week free beginning on the RRWT weekend. Last week Rainy River town council passed a motion making it official for Dimestore to come to Rainy River Sept. 23-29th.
“He will watch and possibly film some of the RRWT and then will shoot an episode on the Rainy River fishing,” explained Hartnell.
Hoey will also be talking to locals, and producing a promotional piece on the community that the town can use on its website and in other promotional ways.
The cost to bring the Calgary based show here is $10,000 plus accomodations and meals. The Rainy River Future Development Corporation has agreed to pay $5,000 and the Town of Rainy River has kicked in the other five, which Hartnell hopes to recoup through sponsors. Sponsors logos will be put right on the show, so it is a great opportunity for local companies to get national and internation exposure, explained Hartnell.
“The town needs this. It is going to be big coverage for us,” said Hartnell.