Profile: Logan VanImschoot - Red Deer District

Logan grew up around the Provincial Park system. He spent most of his time fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing, canoeing, dirtbiking and enjoying the outdoors of the Hinton area. It was this history and the love for parks that led Logan to become a Conservation Officer.

Logan graduated from Lethbridge College with a Bachelor of Applied Conservation Enforcement Degree in 2004. After his first year in College, Logan worked in the Edson District with the Alberta Conservation Association as a Fisheries Technician. Logan started with Parks as a Seasonal Conservation Officer in 2003; he spent his first two summers in the Spirit River District, then transferred to Rocky Mountain House District in 2005. Throughout these years he also took advantage of other wage positions such as; a Maintenance Service Worker with Parks and as a Seasonal Fish and Wildlife Officer with Sustainable Resource Development.

In June 2007, Logan was hired on permanently at Pigeon Lake and Buck Lake Area in the Red Deer District.
In October 2008, Logan and his wife moved to an acreage west of Sylvan Lake when Logan transferred to the south portion of Red Deer District. Working out of Aspen Beach Provincial Park, Logan patrolled and worked in Provincial Parks such as; Aspen Beach, Jarvis Bay, Sylvan Lake and Red Lodge. Logan also enjoys being an Instructor with the Parks Division Water Safety Committee.

Logan gained a lot of experience in his role as a Conservation Officer II; which led him to accepting his current position in May 2011, as the Red Deer District Team Leader.

Logan a proud father of twin girls continues to love his career as a Conservation Officer and the associated lifestyle. He is always looking forward to his next shift, and the surprises that come his way while on patrol in the Red Deer District.

Profile: Steve Cooney - Cold Lake District

Steve was raised as an Air Force “brat” and born in Grostenquin, France. He had to move around a fair bit as a kid due to my father’s career spending 2 years in France, 7 years in Quebec, 2 years in Alberta and 8 years in Nova Scotia.

He attended Lakeland College in Vermilion in 1978 and graduated in 1980 with a Diploma in General Renewable Resource Technologies. Steve spent his first summer with Alberta Parks in Gregoire Lake PP working on the capital construction crew in 1980. He then returned to Lakeland College in the winter of 1981 and completed his diploma in Fish & Wildlife Technologies. In the summer of 1981 Steve returned to Gregoire Lake Provincial Park as a Seasonal Ranger.

He started working at Whitney Lakes Provincial Park in December of 1981 with Rick Johnson being his immediate supervisor. Unfortunately, due to a serious knee injury that required surgery and a summer of physio-therapy he was let go at Whitney in June of 1982. He changed careers slightly and worked as a Fish Technician Assistant in St. Paul during the fall/winter of 1982/83.

Steve then returned to Parks in March 1983 and was posted at Cold Lake where he became the Senior Seasonal Ranger . He worked in this 11 month ‘super wage’ position until winter of 1987 when he became Ranger-In-Charge of operations at Moose Lake Provincial Park (still on wages). Finally in 1990 he became the Ranger III in charge of the Cold Lake operations in a permanent/salaried position. Since the separation with NRS, Steve has been working with Kerry Hope out of the Cold Lake District.

Steve has become very involved in community sports, which includes volunteering as a baseball coach for 12 consecutive years and co-ordinator of the local Jack Rabbit cross-country ski program for kids for a 5 year stretch. Steve has also helped out several of the Parks training crews such as the Control Tactics core, Water Safety Core and has been involved in seasonal hiring.

Profile: Kerry Hope - Cold Lake District

Kerry’s Parks career started in the summer of 1979 at Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park. Kerry worked a summer and fall at Notekiwin Park, north of Manning and was then fortunate to get on temp-salary for a year and then permanent in 1981. A posting to Wabamun Lake happened in the Spring of 81 where he stayed for 2 years. In 1983 Kerry was moved a little west to William A. Switzer, where he stayed approximately 7 years. In 1990, Kerry was relocated to Whitney Lakes where he stayed until 1999 when the NRS amalgamation happened. Since then Kerry has worked out of the Cold Lake Office. Some of the Parks in Kerry’s control includes Cold Lake, Moose Lake, English Bay and Whitney Lakes

Family is a very important part of Kerry’s life. His recreational time is usually shared with his wife or other people in his family. He is a regular cross country skier, hunter, hiker and canoe paddler. He has always had an interest in how people respond to challenges and enjoys reading or watching accounts of expeditions and outdoor adventure through history.

His Parks career, and even to an extent, his personal development has been influenced by some very good Park People who he came to respect and emulate. A passion for protected areas and a sense of connection to the people of Parks continues despite the ups, downs and changes to organizations. He was at the first meeting of the Alberta Park Rangers Association in the early 80s and has been a member in various capacities ever since. Kerry was and still is a part of the establishment of our new association, ANROA and served the membership as president for the first two-year term.

Kerry plays a large part in training our officers in Control Tactics and has become one of the well versed instructor core.

Kerry's Quote: “The many hats that Park Rangers and Conservation Officers have worn over the years and continue to wear, as well as the training that has been provided in so many disciplines has been exceptional. Being able to do the right thing for people, to be able to protect wild places and to pursue over-lapping personal interests reminds me how fortunate I am to be part of it all.”

Profile: Doug Pilkington - Red Deer District (Retired)

In 1963, Doug worked for Imperial Oil as a Process Operator in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories. After 6 years of freezing cold temperatures and hords of bugs a new career was in the works and the direction was back down to the Prairies. Doug started his main career with Provincial Parks in 1969 at Entrance Park (now W.A. Switzer). The next spring he moved to Thunder Lake to cover off for a Ranger that had fallen ill.

Doug's next move came as a shock. A cement worker from the Bon Aventure shop came to repair the foundation on some gas pump and ended up informing Doug he was moving. A few days later Doug was off to Taber Provincial Park. Doug was stationed there for 3 years but spent two of these three years repairing the park as it was lost to yearly flooding. Due to the flooding and another illness, Doug spent part of a year at Writing-On-Stone. Even though Doug enjoyed shovelling mud and living in a hotel, it was time to move on and join the RCMP.

Several years later due to a shoulder injury, he was unable to continue with the RCMP. In 1976, thanks to their loss and Parks gain, Doug returned to Parks and was placed at Jarvis Bay/Sylvan Lake, just about the same time the Beach at Sylvan Lake was made into a Provincial Park for the second time. Doug remained there for 14 years as the Ranger-in-charge. In 1990, Doug was given the District Ranger position for the David Thompson District. Three years later, in 1993, he was moved over to Pigeon Lake as the Park Ranger IV. Doug remained at Pigeon and area through all the Ministry changes, till his retirement in May of this year (2008).

Doug was instrumental in the success of the Alberta Parks Water Safety Program and has become widely known throughout Alberta and several other Provinces. During his career, Doug also filled his boots as a Firearms Instructor, as a co-chair for the NRS Provincial Volunteer Committee, seasonal hiring co-ordinator and largely involved in the success of Peaceful Valley Provincial Recreation Area.

Some of Doug's noted achievements include the: Federal/Provincial Award, Community Service Award, Lifetime Volunteer Award, Duncan and Craig Award, Unsung Hero Award (ANROA) in 2007 and the National Parks Merit Award among others.