Pincher Creek Voice: South Country Trappers hold 2014 AGM and Banquet

Thursday, October 23, 2014

South Country Trappers hold 2014 AGM and Banquet

SCTA President Brent Sinclair
T. Lucas photos

Toni Lucas

"It is our Annual General meeting and Banquet that is for the South Country Trappers Association (SCTA), explained new SCTA President Brent Sinclair just before the banquet. Over 100 people attended the banquet. The AGM was held earlier in the day. "It was started about three years ago, and is a community event to get people involved and more exposure out there about what trapping is all about," Sinclair continued. We formed for wildlife management reasons, fur management reasons, regulation changes that can be implemented through associations with the government, to put people in the management position aware of what land owners interests and trappers interests are down here." Sinclair said he recognizes in a changing society there has to be education to the general public, and those that have an interest in pursuing trapping. "We get kids involved," said Sinclair. "We are trying to improve membership and get more young people involved with education of the industry itself."

Luke Legault

One of those kids is 15 year old Luke Legault. He has heavily invested in traps and talked about how the SCTA helped pay for education, made sure he was aware of trapping legislation before he ever went out on his line. He has caught over 65 muskrats in two days, the pelts selling at auction between $10 and $15 a pelt. Although many young trappers have someone close to them that traps, Legault's mother said that this was something he pursued on his own after meeting a trapper and learning more about what was involved.

Ben and Jessica Crane

The evening unfolded with dinner, live and silent auctions, and the headlining performer musician Ben Crane, along with his daughter Jessica adding fiddle and harmony and his wife Sharmon running the lights, slideshow and soundboard. "I'm a picker, singer, songwriter, and western cartoonist," he explained. He said it was a family friendly show, "Lots of clean, rural humour. I'm not known to be serious for very long. I love seeing joy on people's faces. It's all about the audience."

Kelly and Jim Simpson

The Alberta Trappers Association Rendezvous is scheduled to be held in Pincher Creek in the summer of 2016. "It usually takes a lot of years to be able to build up a membership, or have the facilities where a local is located that can accommodate that big of an event," said Sinclair. "It is a big event. It is basically like Cowboy Poetry, or larger." It is difficult for a local chapter to stage this event, and that the South Country Trappers have managed to secure the event within three years of their inception is remarkable.

Alex Wight, Russell Graham, Sandra Unrau at the peg-pull table

The current membership contains roughly 60 members and the new board of the SCTA is President Brent Sinclair, Vice President Ken Hildebrand, Secretary Lisa Unrau, Treasurer Sarah Graham, and Directors Rod Graham, Bruce MacKintosh, Peter Pemberton and Mike Unrau. Past President Jim Simpson and his wife Kelly have stepped down from the board indicating that they believe the South Country Trappers Association is in good hands that will make it thrive. During the AGM the SCTA earmarked $5,000 to go to the Alberta Trappers Association and $1,000 to go to the Tanner Sinclair Memorial Fund. The first SCTA Member of the Year Award was presented to Mike Unrau. All in all, a very lively and successful evening.