Officers who protect the environment have converged in the Saskatchewan resort community of Candle Lake.
The Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy began in 2007, when the western provinces and the Yukon teamed up to offer conservation officer training.
This is the first time the 16-week courses will be hosted in Saskatchewan; Saskatchewan will have that role for the next two years, and possibly longer. Twenty-six conservation officers – some from as far as the Yukon and Ontario – are taking part in the training, which will see two months on, followed by two off.
“I think Candle Lake will be really great,” said Sargeant Rich Hildebrand. “Some of the training involves being out on the lake, or out in the forest or on the trails to do certain things.”
Hildebrand said people usually think conservation officers only deal with hunting and fishing regulations, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
“Some of our officers are involved with arson investigation with forest fire in the summer. Boy, the job has changed lots since I started. It probably used to be just more fish and wildlife but it’s spread a lot more into” dealing with companies to ensure they aren’t violating regulations surround natural resources, Hildebrand said.
He explained the courses are designed for new officers who have already been through college, who plan to become “full-fledge” conservation officers.
The courses cover off operating all-terrain vehicles, ice rescue, emergency vehicle operation, investigative methods, how to handle wildlife, and firearms training, among other things.
Bryan Kettles drove all the way from Ontario for the training. He, like many of the other trainees, are lifelong nature lovers.
“My family was pretty influential with taking us camping when we were young and fishing with grandpa and stuff like that, and kinda taking it to heart that when I have children down the road that this is something that I want to protect for them as well,” Kettles said.
Holding the academy in different provinces gives the trainees a chance to see some of the different environmental challenges other provinces face, but also gives them a chance to see the similarities.
Brock Houndle comes to the program from Manitoba.
“People, when they think of Saskatchewan, they think it’s just all grain fields and then to come up to a beautiful place like Candle Lake here, it actually reminds me of home,” he said.
He explained what course he’s most looking forward to.
“Probably the investigator course going out there, looking at a scene, trying to piece together all the clues, figure out what happened, where, and figuring out some suspects,” Houndle said.
Some poaching cases that have stood out to him include people shooting polar bears without permits.
The $460,000 cost of the training for the next two years will be shared by the participating provinces and territories.