The Fur Institute of Canada's (FIC) 2025 Annual General Meeting in Edmonton, Alberta, started with a bang! Five days of meetings, from June 10-14, were scheduled to be held at one venue, but at the eleventh hour an electrical fire knocked out half the conference centre, forcing everything to be moved next door! Thankfully, the staffs of both venues, and of the FIC, were equal to the task, and made the huge upheaval look like nothing.

Meanwhile, the AGM took place against the backdrop of the Stanley Cup Final of the National Hockey League, between the local Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. Needless to say, Oilers fans were out in force, but sadly there was no fairy tale ending. On June 17, the Panthers clinched their second-consecutive Cup in game six of the best-of-seven series.

As for the comparatively undramatic meetings themselves, the focus was on provincial / territorial collaboration, both amongst regulators and trappers. Regulations were the purview of the Canadian Furbearer Management Committee, made up of government wildlife managers, while updates on the latest developments in humane trapping fell to the FIC's Trap and Research & Development Committee.

The week also featured a long-anticipated and well-overdue meeting of Trappers’ Associations from coast to coast. The meeting was well attended, with the majority of provincial trappers’ associations in Canada in attendance. Stay tuned to Truth About Fur for a future piece centred on this meeting.

"Provincial and territorial governments and trappers associations are essential to guiding the work of the Institute," said FIC Executive Director Doug Chiasson. "It was great to have so many of them represented here in Edmonton, and we look forward to even more attending our next AGM."

Social Events

Day three was given over to socialising, combining an afternoon at Beaverhill Sporting Clays shooting range followed by dinner at Fort Edmonton Park, hosted by the Alberta Trappers Association and Canadian Coyote Company.

As the organisers of any such event will tell you, a little fun and games is an essential part of team-building. And if it involves firearms (no animals were harmed!), a spectacular historical setting, some of the best steak many could remember, listening to a cowboy balladeer beside an open fire, and cheering on the Oilers on a tablet in their victorious Game 4, so much the better!

"The FIC AGM is always a great chance to get together with the FIC membership from across Canada, handle some serious business and have a good time as well,” said FIC Chairman Jason White.

Banquet and Awards

Following the conclusion of the AGM, the FIC hosted a banquet with keynote speaker the Honourable Todd Loewen, Alberta's Minister of Forestry and Parks. As a dedicated trapper and outdoorsman himself, Todd was certainly among friends.

Also present to greet the banquet was another outdoorsman, MP Blaine Calkins. Blaine is currently chair of the Conservative Hunting and Angling Caucus.

Then came the Awards ceremony, with FIC Board member Serge Larivière, of the Cree Hunters Economic Security Board, acting as master of ceremonies. Awards were given to five recipients.

The Neal Jotham Award, sponsored by the Saskatchewan Trappers Association, went to Bryant White, a wildlife biologist and Furbearer Research Program manager with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Bryant's work focuses on coordinating projects involving US state and federal wildlife agencies, especially research related to Best Management Practices for the conservation of furbearers.

SEE ALSO: People of the fur trade: Bryant White. Truth About Fur.

The Jim Bourque Award, sponsored by the International Fur Federation, went to Patricia Dwyer, a director of the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Long a proponent of humane trapping, the career of this Métis resident of northern Alberta has included positions with the Federal and Provincial Committee on Humane Trapping and the Department now known as Crown-Indigenous Relations, and over 20 years of experience as the Chief of Aboriginal Affairs and International Wildlife with the Canadian Wildlife Service.

SEE ALSO: Bringing Indigenous perspective to the future of Canadian Wildlife Federation. Say Magazine, September 2024.

The North American Furbearer Conservation Award went to biologist Dr. Tim L. Hiller, founder and executive director of the Wildlife Ecology Institute in Helena, Montana. Tim also heads a team of editors now undertaking the daunting task of updating the 1,150-page Wild Furbearer Management and Conservation in North America, considered the key reference in its field. Colloquially known as "the bible for furbearer management", the tome has not been updated since it was published in 1987.

The Lloyd Cook Award, sponsored by Fur Harvesters Auction, went to Ross Hinter, Public Liaison and Program Development Coordinator of the Alberta Trappers Association. Together with wife Deborah, Ross also operates North Trapping & Bushcraft, teaching trapping, traditional hide tanning, resolutions to human / wildlife conflicts, and other workshops. Ross has been teaching for more than three decades, throughout Alberta and British Columbia.

SEE ALSO: Alberta trapper Ross Hinter teaches about wildlife habitat. Truth About Fur.

The Fur Institute of Canada Lifetime Achievement Award went to Gordy Klassen. A past president of the Alberta Trappers Association and FIC Board member, Gordy has put his time, effort and money into helping educate trappers about the importance of furbearer management, and has hosted countless meetings at his own homestead.

SEE ALSO: People of the fur trade: Gordy Klassen. Truth About Fur.

Our Sponsors

The FIC would like to thank all the sponsors who were essential in supporting the AGM: our host sponsor, the Government of Alberta; our Gold (Wolverine) Sponsor, the Alberta Trappers Association; our Silver (Wolf) Sponsor, the Canadian Shooting Sports Association; and our Bronze (Lynx) Sponsor, Canadian Coyote Company.