In the late 1970's a few anglers who were interested in the conservation & betterment of the Nova Scotia's St. Mary's River started an informal committee. Membership quickly grew from the few individuals to a few hundred, and the committee was formally incorporated under the Societies Act on November 9, 1979, as the St. Mary's River Association (SMRA).

Through the 1980's, the SMRA evaluated salmon enhancement methods and participated in the St. Mary's River Forestry/Wildlife Project, assisted in a St. Mary's River Management Plan, and funded a dependency survey of the local communities on the St. Mary's River. Between 1990 and 2000 the Association developed a community-based management plan for the salmon fishery, began habitat enhancement within the basin, and assisted with fish and environment monitoring in the watershed. Since 2000 we have been active with habitat restoration, land protection and stewardship and continued monitoring and participating in management of the fisheries of the river.
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​Our vision: "Health for the river, the Atlantic salmon, and our community".

Learn more about our work on our website: https://www.stmarysriverassociation.com/