Decades in the
G R E AT O U T D O O R S
F
rom seasonal park patrol to a full-time conservation officer, Kurt Henry has seen it all in his 30-year career with Manitoba Conservation.
“I’ve never thought I was going to work. Yes, I put on a uniform and strap on my duty belt, but every day is different. I’m not sure what I’ll encounter – that’s what kept me going,” Henry says. The ’87 alumnus signed on with Manitoba Conservation after graduating from Lakeland College’s fish and wildlife program, now called wildlife and fisheries conservation. He chose the environmental sciences program for its "great track record." “Lakeland stood out. The instructors were wonderful, knowledgeable mentors and I liked that it was a small school.” During his Lakeland experience, he and Robert Boos won gold in two-man canoe at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference championships in 1986/87. He’s also maintained lifelong friends from college. In 2013, they fundraised $2,013 to plant a tree in memory of Sharie Cousins, classmate and ‘87 alumna, as part of Lakeland’s Centennial Campaign. “This might be a strong phrase, but I think (Lakeland) was life changing.” Henry started his career in a park setting as a seasonal enforcement officer or park patrol officer. He covered big game and fisheries enforcement alongside conservation officers, and was responsible for park security. After a year, he was promoted to park patrol captain. Henry was also a fire ranger, a special officer, and a supervisor in a program warehouse until 1997. His progression in the field and wellrounded experience made him eligible for a full-time conservation officer position.
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LAKELAND COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINE
“Then, it was harder to get a full-time position, unlike today. But once I had six years with Manitoba Conservation, my seniority helped me stay in longer-term jobs. If I had moved, I’d have started from scratch.” He was stationed in Manitoba’s central region for seven years which he called a busy district for wildlife violations and heavy wildlife enforcement. In 2003, he transferred to Thompson, the “Hub of the North," where he previously worked during his seasonal career. “I took an acting role as the district supervisor and was heavily involved with the hunting and trapping seasons, interacting with many Indigenous communities, fire programs, budgets, overseeing other officers and patrol planning.” Henry also accepted a district supervisor position in God’s Lake Narrows. He travels by plane to oversee fishing lodges in the summer. In the winter, he watches over crown land, trapping patrols, monitored mineral respiration, and site inspections. “I didn’t want an office job. The majority of my time is in the field and I think that’s an important aspect of what kept me in this line of work. The access to the outdoors, interacting with people, exploring multiple districts and the equipment – snowmobiles, boats, ATVs and aircrafts – are huge contributors to why I chose and still enjoy this career,” he says. He added everything he learned from Lakeland, he was able to “carry throughout my career and life." “College was like a screening process. If you were successful in completing tasks and assignments, and showed responsibility, you’d have a successful career.”
