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Sgt. Steve Ackles named Conservation Officer of the Year
VICTORIA—Sgt. Steve Ackles is the 28th recipient of the Conservation Officer of the Year award.
Awarded posthumously, Ackles’s son Kyle Ackles accepted the award in Victoria on his behalf. The 2020 award presentation was delayed due to pandemic restrictions. Ackles passed away in March 2021 after a lengthy battle with an illness.
“He grew up with a passion for the outdoors, which I think led to him ultimately becoming a conservation officer,” said his son, Kyle Ackles, who was inspired to follow his father’s footsteps and is an inspector overseeing the COS General Investigations Section. “He went into his career later in life after working a lot of very hard manual labour jobs. It gave him a bigger appreciation for the job itself. He would often say, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this.””
Ackles changed career paths in his 40s after a lifetime of working in logging and construction. He returned to university to train for his new role and became an officer in 2005. He wore the badge with pride and was passionate about protecting the environment, fish and wildlife.