Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is recognizing a dedicated volunteer from Dawson Creek who’s been named DUC’s National Volunteer of the Year, as well as DUC’s Volunteer of the Year in BC.
DUC has more than 480 volunteers in BC and 3,950 volunteers who serve in communities across the country, and James Soutar has been given special recognition for going above and beyond.
Soutar has been volunteering with the organization for 27 years.
He was first introduced to DUC in 1992 through a small banquet in Dease Lake in northern BC, not far from the Yukon border. Soutar began volunteering with the Dawson Creek committee when he and his wife moved to the community in 1996.
He started the famous pyramid raffle, which is a pyramid piled high with prizes, and year after year it has become his way of bringing people together in the name of wetlands and wildlife.
Soutar says it’s the relationships he’s made and the important support and awareness he’s generated for conservation that represent his true impact and his ongoing legacy.
“James has been a leader in our chapter for many years and continually brings new ideas and provides inspiration to other committee members,” says Dawson Creek volunteer Wanda Maundrell. “He always promotes DUC values and ideas on wetland enhancement throughout our community.”
In recognition of Soutar’s outstanding volunteer service, leadership and passion for conservation, he was named DUC’s Volunteer of the Year in BC. Soutar also earned the honour of DUC’s National Volunteer of the Year, selected from a pool of outstanding nominees hailing from across the country.
Despite the well-earned recognition, Soutar is quick to re-direct the spotlight to others.
“The community’s generosity and support amaze me,” he says, noting that Dawson Creek’s population is fewer than 20,000 people. “The banquet is an incredibly sought-after event, and we’ve always sold out over the last 10 to 15 years.”
Over and above the sell-out crowds and record-setting revenue (the committee raises between $80,000 to $100,000 gross each year), the greatest accomplishment for Soutar continues to be what he and his fellow volunteers do for the cause—and the fun they have together.
