A conservation officer and a wildland firefighter from Northern Manitoba were recognized for their efforts by the conservation an water stewardship minister Sept. 30, the same day that the province proclaimed an act recognizing conservation officers as law enforcement officers.
Dwayne Strate, who has served as a natural resource officer in Snow Lake, Norway House, Brandon, Grand Rapids and finally in Swan River before his recent retirement, was recognized with the 2014 Conservation Officer Community Service Award. Strate mentored staff by sharing his experience and helping to train many junior officers, said Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Tom Nevakshonoff in a press release. Strate also volunteered in the communities where he worked as a hockey and softball coach and by serving on community boards.
Dennis Hatch, who has worked in the Sherridon/Cold Lake area as the Cold Lake Fire Ranger since 1981, was presented with the 2014 Manitoba Wildland Firefighter Award. The minister noted that Hatch often helps natural resource officers in the fall and winter months after fire season is over and that he had built many of the patrol cabins used by officers in the region. Hatch has also served as mayor and councillor and as a deputy chair of the Cold Lake School committee in addition to being a volunteer firefighter for 36 years.
“Every day, throughout Manitoba, our employees work hard to make our province a better place to live and work,” said Nevakshonoff. “Today, we are honoured to recognize two of those public servants whose contributions have gone above and beyond the call of duty, both on the job and in their communities.”
The Conservation Officer Act that the government proclaimed gives conservation officers the powers of peace officers by changing their designation from natural resource officers to conservation officers and also sets out provisions to develop formal training and qualification requirements to meet legislated standards. It also creates a formal complaints process. Officers have enforced regulations related to wildlife, forestry, parks, Crown lands and wildfires since the 1940s and their duties include finding poachers, issuing summonses, conducting investigations and giving testimony in court.
“The protection of people and the environment is a big responsibility, and conservation officers deserve to have their jobs clearly defined,” said the conservation minister. “The proclamation of this legislation will support officers in their work across the province.”
