Volunteers

Bringing the local community together through conservation

Darcy McWilliam named Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Ontario Volunteer of the Year

By Keagan Perlette April 23, 2025

Darcy McWilliam, Ontario Volunteer of the Year

When you meet Darcy McWilliam, the first thing you’ll notice is her enveloping warmth and enthusiasm. McWilliam is a true community builder with a talent for bringing people together and inspiring others to get involved. Her spirited attitude and passion for keeping people connected to the rich ecosystems that surround her hometown of Long Point, Ont. has made her a go-to leader not only for her local Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) volunteer fundraising chapter, but for neighbouring chapters as well. We’re honoured to name McWilliam as Volunteer of the Year in Ontario for her outstanding contributions.

McWilliam joined the Long Point Ladies chapter in 2016, having attended Ducks Unlimited Canada events with her mother over the previous 25 years. “In our small town, it was a girls’ night out for me and my sister,” she recalls. Her father’s participation in the National Wild Turkey Federation also influenced her investment in local conservation. Over the years, McWilliam got to see firsthand how the Federation’s efforts helped revive the local turkey population. “Back in 1991, there were no turkeys here,” she says. “Now, they’re everywhere.”

For McWilliam, joining Ducks Unlimited Canada as a volunteer gave her the perfect opportunity to carry on her family’s conservation legacy and pass it on to future generations. “I tell my grandkids, ‘Without Ducks Unlimited, these ducks would be extinct like the dinosaurs!’” she laughs.

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There’s such a big community of wildlife here, there are so many wetlands. And that’s because people cared enough to protect them.

Darcy McWilliam

McWilliam serves as treasurer for both her chapter and the Ontario Volunteer Council (OVC). Beyond handling cash and managing the credit card machine at events, McWilliam is an all-star door knocker. Her background in sales, close ties with the Long Point community and infectious friendliness give her an edge when it comes to drumming up donations and welcoming new volunteers. “I’m a go-getter and I love talking to people,” she says. “I already know so many people from working in the industry here, it’s easy for me to go out and ask for donations.”

When McWilliam joined the Long Point Ladies chapter, their dinners attracted just over 100 people. Today, the dinners are completely sold out at 250 people — with a significant waitlist to boot — pushing their venue to its limits. “We had to turn our volunteers’ money table into a dinner table so that we could open up the seats for 14 more people to attend,” McWilliam says.

She’s also helped the chapter significantly grow their donation contributions. Eight years ago, the chapter would bring in about $15,000 per year. Last year, the chapter collected an impressive $54,000.

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I’m so proud of how these ladies have helped take this whole thing from just a small dinner, to a huge dinner. People will stop me on the street to tell me how much they enjoyed the dinner. It’s wonderful to see everyone come together and have fun.

Darcy McWilliam

Outside of Ducks Unlimited Canada, McWilliam is currently facilitating a playground fundraiser. She also started a kids’ skating program this winter, gathering over 100 pairs of skates and 50 helmets so that everyone can enjoy the ice. On top of it all, she’s raising her two young grandsons. Despite her packed schedule, McWilliam shows no signs of slowing down. “Once you get volunteering, it becomes a passion,” she says. “My husband says, ‘Don’t put your hand up for anything else, we’re stretched to the max with the boys!’ But I always want to get involved, I always try to fit more in somewhere.”

There are approximately 490 Ducks Unlimited Canada volunteers in Ontario and 3,030 across Canada. Ducks Unlimited Canada is proud to recognize each of them — including leaders like Darcy McWilliam —as volunteer champions and conservationists who make waves and together, create ripples of change by serving with generosity, passion and dedication.

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