Vince Crichton wins Conservation Award of Manitoba Chapter of The Wildlife Society

Dr. Vince Crichton has been awarded the Conservation Award of the Manitoba Chapter of The Wildlife Society,

 

Dr. Crichton, one of Canada's leading wildlife biologists was born and raised in Chapleau,, graduated from Chapleau Public and Chapleau High Schools and earned his BSc and MSc from University of Manitoba and PhD from University of Guelph in wildlife diseases.   

 

Vince is the son of the late Vincent and Dora (Morris) Crichton. His father is  the author of "Pioneering in Northern Ontario".

Until retiring recently Vince was a wildlife biologist with the government of Manitoba. Since retiring he has been spending time as a consulting wildlife biologist and sent the news of his award win almost while heading out the door for Fairbanks, Alaska.

 

An article about the award says that his principal interest over the years has been big game, primarily moose and woodland caribou. He has won numerous awards at the local, provincial, national and international levels for his work on management and research on activities on moose.

 

"Grampy" with granddaughter

Much of his work is in documented reports and peer reviewed journals.

 

Despite Vince's busy schedule, he has managed almost each year to make time to return to Chapleau and spend time at the Crichton camp at Mulligan's Bay. 

 

As a matter of interest, I went to an article about his family that Vince wrote for 'Chapleau Trails' edited and published by Dr. William R. Pellow to see when the camp was built.

 

His grandfather, also Vincent, arrived in Chapleau in 1911 from England, and the camp at Mulligan's Bay was built in 1917.

 

The article notes that Vince takes every opportunity to speak to the public about moose and contemporary wildlife issues in Manitoba and Canada. He is one of the original "moosers". On occasion Vince had made presentations in Chapleau.

 

Interestingly, Vince made a film about moose as they live in summer and fall, called 'Moose Closeup'.

 

While shooting it, he was a frequent visitor to Riding Mountain National Park where he spent "many hours mountain biking to favourable viewing sites in the park".

 

Vince with friends at CHS reunion 2012

He has also guided groups including one from National Geographic who were doing photo shoots on moose.

 

In 1983 he became a Certified Wildlife Biologist and has served as associate editor of The Wildlife Society Bulletin.

 

 He conducted scientific reviews for papers and wrote two chapters of 'The Ecology and Management of the North American Moose' which won The TFW Editorship award in 1998.

 

In presenting him with the Conservation Award, it was noted that few other biologists bring the "passion and commitment to the knowledge about and management of any species as Vince does with moose.

 

"He has unquestionably played a major role in Manitoba wildlife management during his career."

 

Congratulations Vince. My email is mj.morris@live.ca