Kevin Guenard named Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Alberta Volunteer of the Year

A lifelong fisherman, Guenard has a strong connection to the waterway ecosystems in southern Alberta, which only deepened when he joined Ducks Unlimited Canada. “Growing up, my dad was a milkman and had Wednesdays off. In the summer, we’d head down to the Sheep River near Okotoks and go fly fishing with my grandfather,” he recalls. “I would watch my grandfather roll a cigarette with one hand and land a fish with the other.”

After attending his first Ducks Unlimited Canada dinner at the invitation of a co-worker, Guenard was hooked. In the decades that followed, he established himself as a leader and mentor within Ducks Unlimited Canada. He has served as chair for the Ducks Unlimited Canada Chinook Drakes since 2001 and he’s also been on the Alberta Provincial Council for nearly a decade, stepping up to chair the Council two years ago. During his tenure, Guenard connected the Ducks Unlimited Canada MarshKeeper program with the local Scouts Canada group to install and monitor over 100 nesting boxes to support the population of wood ducks along the river over the course of 10 years. During his working years, Guenard got his employer to sponsor programming for Grade 5 students, taking them out to Frank Lake, Alta. to teach them about waterfowl and the importance of wetlands.

Guenard is also working to inspire conservation collaboration with our neighbours south of the border despite the current economic and political climate. “Waterfowl and wildlife don’t recognize borders or countries. They recognize a safe place to winter and nest, and taking care of those places is our true goal,” he says. “It’s not just about the waterfowl, it’s about the blue herons and the 900 species that visit the wetlands, including us.” In recognition of the initiative he’s taken to champion DUC and bring conservation education to youth, we’re honoured to name Guenard Alberta Volunteer of the Year for the second time.

Currently, the Chinook Drakes are getting ready for their upcoming dinner at the end of April. They’ve orchestrated a Back to the Future-themed event — dubbed “Quack to the Future” — and commissioned a local artist to create a custom colouring book featuring Marty McFly and Doc as ducks. But Guenard has many more irons in the fire, with plans for a golf tournament and a clay shoot in the fall.

Looking ahead, Guenard is dedicated to inspiring even more interest and involvement in Ducks Unlimited Canada events and conservation initiatives. “I want to get the committee excited and the volunteers excited. To do that, you have to keep them engaged and give them that sense of making a difference — you have to include them in lots of different projects, mentor them and get them involved with other groups,” he says. “I think it’s an exciting time to get involved with Ducks.”

There are approximately 590 Ducks Unlimited Canada volunteers in Alberta and 3,030 across Canada. Ducks Unlimited Canada is proud to recognize each of them — including leaders like Kevin Guenard — as volunteer champions and conservationists who make waves and together, create ripples of change by serving with generosity, passion and dedication.