Staff and board

Michael was born in southern Ontario and raised just north of Barrie in a small community called Eady, Ontario. He has always enjoyed nature, either learning about it or just playing within it. Michael has camped at a number of Ontario parks during his childhood and currently enjoys mountain biking or hiking on his spare time. He hold a honours degree from Nipissing University in Physical Geography and European History and continued his education in Geography by completing a post-secondary certificate degree in GIS Technologies at Algonquin College.

Michael’s work with CPAWS – Ottawa Valley began as a co-op placement with his studies at Algonquin College. Upon completion of that co-op project, he have been working with CPAWS – OV since January of 2011 on various GIS projects centered in southwestern Quebec. Current projects include the Dumoine River, Opemican, Mont O’Brien and Mont Saint-Marie Biodiversity Reserves as well as Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt of Ottawa. Although Michael have no formal experience dealing with Park conservation and management, he am learning a great deal from CPAWS about how the process operates and unfolds.

Ken has been president of the Ottawa Valley Chapter since 2006, following a number of years serving on the chapter’s board of directors. Over the years he has also volunteered on various chapter committees, including those involving park management, park legislation, the Algonquin to Adirondacks (A2A) Conservation Initiative, the Boreal forest and Algonquin Park. A great deal of his time is spent in the outdoors, paddling and hiking in the parks and wilderness areas of the Ottawa Valley, as well as elsewhere across Canada.

Ken became a CPAWS volunteer out of concern for Canada’s diminishing wilderness and species diversity. He is keenly interested in protection of natural areas near Ottawa/Gatineau, such as Gatineau Park and the Ottawa Greenbelt, as well as larger wilderness areas, such as the Dumoine River watershed and Algonquin Park. In addition, he has helped to develop the Algonquin to Adirondacks Conservation Initiative. For Ken, volunteering for CPAWS is a way of helping to ensure that our rich heritage of woods, rivers and wetlands is reserved. It has also provided the opportunity to work with many other dedicated CPAWS volunteers and staff.

Doug Anions has always been interested in working in the field of conservation. One of his first ideas was to become a conservation officer, leading him to join Parks Canada as a Park Warden in 1975. Later in his career he became a biologist for Parks Canada, and was able to enjoy some amazing experiences. One special memory was the joy of standing on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island looking at the North Pole, while accompanied only by two work mates and the helicopter pilot. He describes this as the best moment of his career.

Doug has been a CPAWS supporter since the organization was created, and a member for over 30 years. He joined the OV board about 9 years ago and is currently serving as the Vice President, while his primary role remains organizing campaigns and events. His most rewarding and frustrating experience as a CPAWS-OV volunteer has been working on the Gatineau Park campaign, especially the struggle to get legislated protection for this important landscape. Over the years he has learned the importance of patience and respect and holds hope that the truth with prevail, and big wins are just around the corner. He has always believed CPAWS should be primarily dedicated to protecting large landscapes, and this is why he remains interested.

Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Allison moved to Ottawa in 2005 to complete her Master of Arts degree in English Literature. Thrilled by the National Capital Region’s green spaces and wildlife, she started working with CPAWS in March 2010 to get a better understanding of the issues that face Canada’s wild spaces and to learn more about what she (and everyone) can do to help protect them. Admittedly an outdoor adventure rookie, Allison is passionate about wilderness conservation and lends a hand for many of CPAWS-OV’s communications activities.

Allison is a public servant by day, but is a writer by night, on weekends, and during any spare moment she can find. She has published articles in Canadian magazines and has put her writing skills to use in a volunteer capacity for CPAWS and other non-profit organizations. Over the last two years, Allison has been bitten by the volunteer bug and has also become an Ambassador for the Power of Movement yoga fundraiser for arthritis research, a volunteer for the Ottawa Food Bank’s annual “Thanks-for-Giving” campaign, and a member of the Communications Committee for Friends of Temagami.

Stephen is currently retired after 35 years with the public service. He has worked for Parks Canada and the Procedural Service of the House of Commons. Among his many assignments was an interesting position as the Clerk of the Standing Committee on Environmental and Sustainable Development. It is through his work at Parks Canada that he discovered his affinity for the outdoors and the natural environment. Stephen enjoys canoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking and volunteer as a patrol for Gatineau Park. He lives with his wife Christine in Aylmer.

Stephen has been actively involved with CPAWS since its inception. In 1983, he joined the Ottawa Valley (Chapter’s) Board of Directors serving for six years as Secretary and Vice-President. After retirement he rejoined the Board in 2006 as Secretary. Stephen brings to CPAWS his knowledge of Parliament and governmental procedures and his interest in Quebec issues. Stephen is immensely proud of the work and achievements of CPAWS, and of the dedication of staff members and supporters.

Jay Morrison is a retired former senior manager in the federal public service specializing in performance management and accountability issues. He has been on the CPAWS Ottawa Valley Board for a dozen years and has been responsible for the Dumoine River campaign since 2005. Jay is also a board member of the Friends of Temagami and is the Environment committee chair for Paddle Canada and has extensive links to the outdoor recreation community. Starting in 2006, Jay paddled 8,000 km across Canada, from Les Escoumins, Quebec to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, to raise awareness of the threats facing Canada's wilderness. Jay lives in Ottawa.

Rick has 26 years experience as a software developer and currently works at Corel Corporation. His interest in the outdoors began as a child watching wilderness shows and birdwatching and recording their songs at his parents’ cottage in the Laurentians which later led to his involvement with the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and the David Suzuki Foundation. Rick and his family enjoy roadtrips through various parts of Canada, camping, canoeing, kayaking, and hiking. One such trip to Cape Breton glimpsing whales and near close-up encounter with a moose provided an unforgettable and impressionable experience.

Rick has been on the CPAWS-OV board of directors for the past year and is currently serving as Chair of the Eastern Wolf Committee. Motivated by having seen the impact of humans on our environment, Rick enjoys participating in activities that promote the protection of our wilderness areas, such as meeting people at outreach events to discuss local conservation issues, and that involve preserving our natural heritage.

Ian is an enthusiastic outdoors person and feels best when in some wild place. He enjoys hiking, cross country skiing, canoeing, and kayaking. Flower watching, similar to bird watching, is his passion. Ian is married to Karen, and is the father of two, the stepfather of two, the grandfather of seven [and almost a great grandfather!]. He also lives with his cats Lily and Cassit.

Ian has been involved with the CPAWS- Ottawa Valley board for over twenty years, and has served in most executive positions. He currently serves on the A2A, Eastern Wolf and Parks Management Plans committees. He brings to CPAWS his life experience, historical knowledge of CPAWS, philosophical defense of nature, enthusiasm and dedication as well as an unabashed love for the wild.