Patrick O’Connor – Ducks Unlimited Canada’s President

Patrick O’Connor is Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) 46th president, bringing with him over three decades of dedicated service and a profound commitment to environmental stewardship. His extensive experience includes financial expertise and the establishment of successful initiatives like the Ride to the Lake in Manitoba, which has inspired similar events across the country.

Throughout his career, Pat has been focused on building relationships, being strategic to achieve a vision, and creating accountability to deliver results. These skills will be invaluable as he guides DUC’s activities over his two-year term. Pat’s leadership aims to expand DUC’s reach, attract new members, and continue diversifying the organization’s world-class board. He emphasizes the urgency of addressing environmental challenges, noting that Canada loses approximately 80 acres of wetlands daily, leading to severe weather events and biodiversity loss.

Pat’s dedication to conservation, fundraising, and community engagement began was born from his love of the outdoors. He is an avid angler, hunter, hiker, and cyclist.

Born in the Toronto area, Pat developed a deep affection for the west, spending most of his life between Winnipeg and Calgary. He met his wife, Jenny, in Saskatchewan and maintains strong connections to the province. His family resides in Winnipeg, enjoying down time at their cabin on Lake of the Woods, Ontario.

As the founder of Blackwood Family Enterprise Services, Pat has over 25 years of advisement experience to family enterprises, specializing in governance, succession planning, and conflict resolution. His business acumen will be instrumental in forming and maintaining key partnerships across Canada, furthering DUC’s mission to conserve, restore, and preserve North America’s wetlands and grasslands.

Ducks Unlimited Canada is a leader in wetland conservation, collaborating with government, industry, non-profit organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and landowners to protect critical habitats for waterfowl, wildlife, and the environment. Under Pat O’Connor’s leadership, DUC is poised to make significant impacts for today and future generations.