ESTEVAN - Up to 200 delegates from across the province will be in Estevan from Feb. 23-25 for the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation’s (SWF) convention.
Most of the activities will be happening at the Estevan Comprehensive School, but there will also be some functions at the Western Star Hotel.
In a press release, the SWF said each year it brings together conservationists from around the province to discuss fish and wildlife issues impacting Saskatchewan. There will be program updates, information from the Ministry of Environment, the opportunity to vote on resolutions and the chance to hear from keynote speaker Randy Nelson.
“The annual convention is an opportunity for dialogue between researchers, program managers, and resource users on issues that matter to the people in this province,” said SWF executive director Darrell Crabbe.
This will be the first in-person convention for the SWF since 2020, and the organization is anticipating a great turnout.
Delegates wishing to attend this event must have purchased a 2023 SWF membership.
The convention will start with registration and hospitality at the Western Star on Feb. 22. Opening ceremonies will be on Feb. 23 at 1 p.m., with speeches, including Nelson’s keynote address, and various reports.
Crabbe noted Nelson is an author and a former conservation officer in Saskatchewan and B.C.
“He’s really a well-written fellow who writes about a lot of the various interesting takedowns and whatever else that he participated in during those years,” said Crabbe.
There will be a reception and awards banquet that night for branches and individuals that met certain goals.
The 24th will feature the report from the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, among others.
“It’s one of the favourites of our attendees,” sad Crabbe. “The conservation officers come in and make presentations on a number of the cases that they’ve had over the year.”
A fundraising banquet that night will include an auction.
“We end up with hundreds of people there,” said Crabbe. “We’ve got lots of unique, interesting things being auctioned off for that event.”
Activities on Feb. 25 will include more reports, the election of the next SWF president, the announcement of the host branch for the 2025 convention, and a presentation with conservation officer enforcement dogs. SWF branches will be saluted for donations to the SWF’s various programs.
The president’s banquet will occur the evening of the 25th, with several awards being handed out. The keynote speaker for that night will be Environment Minister Dana Skoropad.
Fisheries, habitat and education will be among the topics covered at the convention, Crabbe said.
Estevan was chosen to host in 2021, but those plans were scuttled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
“Estevan put forward an application in 2019 to host in 2021,” said Crabbe, who is looking forward to seeing all of the delegates again.
“It’s like many other conferences or conventions where the camaraderie is very much there, and a lot of these people only see each other once or twice a year, and have had a hiatus for three years now. There’s a lot of catching up to do … and it’s gong to be a great event,” said Crabbe.
Virtual conventions were held for 2021 and 2022.
With the number of delegates expected to be in Estevan for the convention, and with some of the other events happening, Crabbe expects it to be an event that carries a big economic impact for the community. The SWF has 123 branches across the province.
Registration forms can be found online at swf.sk.ca, and submitted to the Estevan Wildlife Federation.
