There are now three fish and wildlife officers working in the Sundre and Olds area.
Darren McInnes, 44, transferred from Calgary to the Sundre branch in July and is glad to be back in his home territory.
He grew up in Olds and hasn't lived in the area full time since the late 1980s.
“It's great to be here and I'm looking forward to re-meeting all the people that I knew in the past and all the new people that are out there to meet,” said McInnes.
“It's just great to be back to my old stomping grounds.”
He worked as a fish and wildlife officer in Calgary for six years prior to taking on the Sundre position. He has also worked in Red Earth Creek, Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House.
“It's a nice place to work around here. It's a beautiful area,” he said. “It's a way different atmosphere in Calgary than it is here, and when you're not a city person like me it's nice to get back out into the mountains.”
He went to school to become a fish and wildlife officer when he was 29 years old.
“It's a cause I believe in. I've always been a conservationist. And like everyone else, if you spend time outdoors and you like to protect it and you want to see it for future use, it was a logical step to go to school to do this job.”
He is living on an acreage in the Olds area with his wife Trish Tweddell, along with their dog, cats and several horses. Tweddell works from home training horses on their property.
Outside of work, McInnes enjoys martial arts, fitness, gardening and cooking.
