Here is Chad on one of his many outdoor adventures.
Our next Wildlife Warrior is Chad A. Parent, Vice President of the Golden District Rod and Gun Club. As well, we would like to give special recognition to all the members of the Golden District Rod and Gun Club. We are recognizing Chad and the Golden District Rod and Gun Club for their hard work they do in the name of conservation, specifically the powerful letter they wrote to Minister Donaldson on Wildlife and Habitat Management.
Chad grew up fishing and hunting small game. As he grew older and entered adulthood, he left hunting behind and focused on his career and raising a family. It has only been in the past few years that Chad has brought hunting back into his life.
“I have a wife and three children, and I wanted to educate them about conservation and teach them the importance of providing for themselves.”
Chad also came to a point in his life where he wanted to get more involved in his community and do more for conservation. Just in the past 19 years, he saw the decline in wildlife populations in the Kootenays. The more research Chad did, the more he realized there are a lot of declines happening all over BC and he wanted to do more to help. It was two years ago that Chad joined the Golden District Rod and Gun Club, hoping this would be a way for him to do more for conservation and to get more involved in the community.
A little under a year ago, Chad attended a meeting at the club on the proposed Grizzly Bear hunt by the government. He heard that someone was going to write a letter to the government and wanted to be involved in the discussion. Unfortunately, the individual did not write the letter. Chad took it upon himself to pick up the pen and write the letter. He has been writing letters ever since.
Chad and the members of the Golden District Rod and Gun Club try to stay active in their community, “We try our best to get people involved and informed.”
The Golden District Rod and Gun Club are working on getting back to their roots of conservation. In doing so, they have formed a conservation committee who come together to hammer out questions and answers and form responses to various issues, such as Wildlife and Habitat Management.
In an aim to educate the community and get them more involved, the club hosted their first semi annual film night at a local theatre. Admission was free, and they showed a powerful film by Donnie Vincent on hunting. Chad says the club is also working on putting a dock at Susan lake and they are looking into wildlife management initiatives in their private woodlot. A portion of the club’s revenue comes from their woodlot, where they harvest timber. The club has hired a wildlife biologist to develop a management plan for the timber lot, so they can enhance wildlife habitat.
“The club and I, we are working to make positive change. We want to do something good for fish and wildlife and our community. If the next generation doesn’t care about fish and wildlife, then we are in trouble. We need to put pressure on the government to take wildlife seriously. There are cracks in the system, and we need to work to fix them and work towards making wildlife important to all.”
Chad says a year ago he was stumped at trying to figure out what he could do for fish and wildlife. But he found inspiration in others.
“Rob Chipman was a huge influence, and through conversations with him, he was able to lead me down the right path of what I could do to give back. I also have a lot of respect for Alex Johnson, the previous Wildlife Warrior. He does a lot. When I read his article, I wondered if one day I would be a Wildlife Warrior…and here we are. I couldn’t believe it.”
Chad and the Golden District Rod and Gun club will continue to do their part to educate the community to help the conservation of fish, wildlife and their habitats, and most of all to write to the government so they understand how important fish and wildlife are to the people of BC.
“I do this for my children and for my family. I am a hunter because I want to be able to provide healthy food for my family and educate them on conservation. I just hope that my kids will be proud of their dear old dad.”
Read Chad’s letter for the Golden District Rod and Gun Club to Minister Donaldson: