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WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE OF THE ALBERTA
GAME WARDEN ASSOCIATION
The Alberta
Game Warden Association, (AGWA), is a non profit organization registered
under the Societies Act of Alberta. Its membership is made up of
field Fish and Wildlife Officers, (Regular members), officers that have
transitioned into management, (Associate members), and retired officers
and certain individuals with special recommendation, (Honourary
members).
AGWA,
initially named the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officers Association, was
formed in 1973 by a group of officers that had a vision to improve the
many facets surrounding the unique game warden career. Much of this can
be summarized in the following excerpt from the present day governing
by-laws that state the objectives of the Association.
2. OBJECTIVES
2.1 To
maintain a professional association of Fish and Wildlife Officers, and
their supporters, within the Province of Alberta.
2.2 To
endeavor
to secure a greater degree of recognition in the vocations of members of
the Association.
2.3 To
encourage and promote the professional development of Fish and Wildlife
Officers within the Province of Alberta.
2.4 To
encourage and promote high standards and application of natural resource
law enforcement and natural resource management.
2.5 To
encourage and develop camaraderie and “esprit des corps” among Fish and
Wildlife Officers, and their supporters, within the Province of Alberta.
2.6 To
encourage and support personal and professional liaison and cooperation
among natural resource law enforcement officers and others involved with
managing the natural resources of Alberta.
2.7 To
encourage and provide opportunity for discussion of common and unique
problems facing Fish and Wildlife Officers, and their supporters, within
the Province of Alberta.
2.8 To
promote and enhance the image and professional standing of Fish and
Wildlife Officers within the Province of Alberta.
2.9 To
provide encouragement and support to all members in their professional
endeavors.
2.10 To
educate the public at large regarding the issues facing resource law
enforcement, the management of natural resources, and/or health of the
environment.
So, how are these objectives accomplished? Well,
some are fairly black and white, while others meld and are carried out
together. For example, although we resist the label of being a “social
club”, the AGWA generally holds several events each year focused on the
objective of developing that camaraderie and “esprit des corps”.
Being true Canadians, hockey tournaments and
campouts are regular. We also have had other events such as curling
bonspiels, golf and base ball tournaments, sent teams to the
International Police and Fire Games and Inter-Provincial hockey
tournaments, and we hold Annual General Meetings and Banquets
However, that camaraderie and esprit des corps also
is achieved in many other circumstances, such as when groups of officers
gather, proudly wearing their dress uniforms at a Policeman or RCMP
Regimental Ball, or at the funeral of an officer, or at the graduation
of new recruits. It is achieved when officers celebrate the successful
takedown of a poaching operation. It is achieved when we assemble at
the annual North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association, (NAWEOA)
conference and spend a week together with game wardens from all over
North America. It is achieved when we realize that the young group of
hunter education students we just gave a talk to look in awe at you in
your uniform. This profession itself is truly self inspiring, and makes
one proud to belong to an elite group tasked with such a high
responsibility.
As you can see, some of the other objectives have
already been flowed into such as educating the public, providing
opportunity for discussion of common and unique problems, encouraging
and promoting professional liaison and cooperation among natural
resource law enforcement officers. Let’s expand on the educating the
public.
A game warden essentially has a very distinct focus
of being an educator to the users of natural resources. Talking to
school groups, hunter education classes, Fish and Game clubs, industry,
and all the various stakeholders that exist is an obvious and successful
approach. However, we also regularly educate folks one at a time in
compliance checks. That is simply ensuring those out in the field
follow their local resource laws. If violations are encountered, some
people can be educated with an explanation or verbal warning, some with
a written warning, and some need to be charged and given a fine or sent
to court. Many different factors influence the decisions made by the
field game warden, but in the end, the goal is still education for the
individual and consequently educating others to comply as well through a
deterrence factor.
One of the most successful tools the AGWA has had
in education is the Alberta Game Warden Magazine.
Click here to read the very first issue of the Alberta Game Warden
published in 1986
From its humble beginnings the Alberta Game Warden Magazine was
published for over 20 years! This Provincial magazine was published with
the hard work of many volunteers that made it very successful, and all
of the contributors did so on their own time and for the sake of the
resources this Province is blessed with. AGWA has now joined forces with our counterparts in
Saskatchewan and transitioned into a larger endeavour, a new magazine
called the Western Canadian Game Warden Magazine.
The new magazine is an amalgamation of the former
Alberta Game Warden, and the Saskatchewan Game Warden magazines. We are
also joined in this venture by other jurisdictions that include
Manitoba, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and the Yukon. The
magazine’s main function is to promote public awareness of environmental
and natural resource issues affecting all outdoor enthusiasts that make
their home in Western Canada. This magazine presents a forum for
discussion of local, national and international environmental issues
including government policies, regulations, conservation law
enforcement, forensics, case files, and resource management issues.
This new magazine like its past magazines (Alberta
and Saskatchewan Game Warden) also acts as a line of communication
between western game wardens and the public they continue to serve.
Readers will continue to learn how these officers strive daily to
protect our fish and wildlife resources. You will find the information
in this magazine to be very similar in nature to our past magazine;
however it will contain a variety of topics and issues from all corners
of the western Provinces. You are encouraged to go to the website,
check it out and become a subscriber!
Thank you for visiting our site. If you have any
questions or comments please contact us and we will do our best to
assist!
The Alberta Game Warden Association
Western Canadian
Game Warden
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