The 2023 Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Conservation Officer of the Year is North Bay Staff Sergeant Tim Caddel.
Officials say inspiring, dependable and compassionate are just some of the words used to describe Caddel in the more than 50 letters of support that came with his nomination.
“I’m a firm believer that these aren’t individual awards,” he says. “They’re all about the people around you and being around you to influence and mentor you and work for you. I share this with my staff, my friends and my family. It’s very humbling.”
Caddel also says being a Conservation Officer is more than just a job.
“Being a Conservation Officer, we always say it’s a lifestyle,” he says. “It’s something that’s ingrained in you at a young age and it’s something you always want to do. It’s a part of your everyday life including your family.”
After starting his career as a summer student, the Ministry says Caddel excelled in a variety of roles, received his badge in 2002 and rose quickly in the ranks.
He arrived in North Bay in 2013.
According to the ministry, Caddel has led several complex and successful investigations, but his most significant accomplishment was helping establish the 2016 Lake Nipissing Commercial Fishery memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Nipissing First Nation.
The MOU helps protect declining walleye populations in the lake with Caddel’s research, consultation, monitoring and enforcement said to be instrumental in its development.
“I’d like to congratulate Tim and thank him for his dedication to protecting our natural resources while keeping the public safe,” says Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. “This achievement marks the pinnacle of his 33-year career with the ministry.”
Officials say Caddel’s most important role is that of husband, father and grandfather, but he also devotes time to being a country music performer and farmer.
