Celebrating Achievements
Former ORCA Manager Named
Conservation Pioneer
Hal Hooke, former General Manager of the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority, was awarded the prestigious Conservation Pioneer Award by Conservation Ontario in 2002.
"We are all very delighted that Hal Hooke was selected by his peers to receive the Conservation Pioneer Award," remarked Paul Crough, Chair of Otonabee Conservation (2002). "Most of us in the conservation field have inherited from those before us. Without their enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to the cause of conservation, our inheritance may have been significantly different."
Hal grew up in rural Ontario and early on developed a passion and appreciation for the out of doors and respect for the natural environment around him. His post-secondary studies earned him a professional designation from the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Toronto in 1954.
Hal worked with several Conservation Authorities including the Lower Thames, Catfish, Saugeen, Ausable and Maitland before moving to Peterborough, with his wife Kathy and their three children, in 1963. Hal was responsible for planning and development within the Ouse and Ganaraska watersheds along with his primary position of Field Officer with the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority.
In 1965, Hal was seconded to the provincial government's Select Committee on Conservation Authorities. When the report was duly presented to the legislature in 1967, Hal chose to stay in Peterborough rather than move his family to Toronto. Hal then spent nine years in the position of Director of Part-Time Studies at Trent University.
In 1977, Hal returned to the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority as General Manager, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. During that time, Hal guided the Authority in its advancements in conservation through programs and services such as tree planting and forest management, flood and erosion control, floodplain management, wetland conservation, recreation and outdoor education. Hal is respected for his knowledge of the conservation field, his integrity and his skill in listening to all sides before making a decision. Hal honors the grassroots principles that established the conservation authorities program in Ontario. He loved his work, for he knew that, by and large, the results were what the people wanted.