Doug Deans has been an active member and volunteer with Ducks Unlimited for more than 45 years. On Thursday, he was honoured with a bench dedicated to him in Vermillion Park, just a small token of Ducks Unlimited's appreciation for his dedication.
James Montgomery is Ducks Unlimited Canada's Manager of Volunteer Relations. Taking the role last year, one of the first things on his plate was to find a way to honour one of their most active and most appreciated volunteers.
"[Doug] did actually come out last fall in November 2025 to the Men's Dauphin Dinner and he was our Emcee, so he's been volunteering right up to today...the amount of people that showed up here today, to be here with Doug for this bench dedication, is a testament to the amazing work that volunteers do from right across the country, and Doug definitely stands out as one of the more exemplary volunteers that we've had with Ducks Unlimited over the last hundred years," said Montgomery.
45 years is a long time to be volunteering with an organization. In speaking with most of the people in attendance at Thursday's dedication ceremony, it's clear that Doug Deans had an impact on most of them. His longtime commitment to bettering his community speaks volumes as to what kind of person he is. In his words, Doug didn't do it for himself.
"I never started or finished doing what I was doing for any reason other than it was a good cause. You've heard about Ducks Unlimited, the name is a little deceiving. You think that what they're doing is just looking after ducks, which they do, but they preserve water and control water, and protect all of us," said Deans.
The location of the bench wasn't just a random point in the park. It's at a beautiful overlook of the Dead River in Vermillion Park, home to lots of wildlife, including turtles, and of course, ducks. That part of the park is still around today largely because of one man. Can you guess who?
"I had this idea to stock the Dead River with Jackfish, so kids would have a place to fish. I kind of pointed out, by stocking it, we're helping young ducks. And boy, these good size Jackfish, you'd probably thing we're doing [the ducks] a favour by providing food for them, kind of like a lure crop," said Deans.
After a bit of lobbying and conversation, Ducks Unlimited stepped in to help preserve the Dead River, and the rest is history. History you can see for yourself by taking a seat at Doug's new bench and simply enjoying the view.
