Bio: Daryl Jessop

Bio: Daryl Jessop – 2024

I and Valerie are both retired and live at Emma Lake where we have called home for the last 30 years.

After graduating in 71 I worked on the farm for the summer and then attended U of S, Saskatoon taking Arts and Science. By the end of the year, I had enough schooling at the time. I worked on the farm for the summer and harvest and played fastball with the Leask Hornets, then worked on construction of the new Leask skating arena and played hockey with the Leask Flyers.

Spring 1973 I moved to Edmonton with Robert McHanson and Don Hubbard where we lived in a basement suite in St. Albert. I worked at Bapco Paint warehouse as an order clerk and played fastball with the St. Albert team. Accepted to college that fall I began the two-year Renewable Resources Technology program at Kelsey Institute in Saskatoon. In the summer of 1974, I worked on the wildfire crew at Hudson Bay and played ball with the Hudson Bay Loggers. That fall and winter I played hockey with the Kelsey Amaruks in the Valley senior league plus a college league going to west finals in Trail BC.

Following graduation in May 1975 I began my career as a Conservation Officer stationed at Fishing Lakes District/Narrow Hills Provincial Park. Ross Duncan, another Leask lad was the officer in charge. In 1976 a sports highlight for me was winning the provincial fastball championship with the Leask Hornets at a tournament in Esterhazy. In 1977 we experienced three large fires joining and at midnight burning up to our headquarters and recreational subdivision at Lower Fishing Lake. With back burning and dozers we saved all infrastructure. That was my initiation to large fire management which can be thrilling but also nerve racking.

In 1978 I moved to Weyakwin District. That summer Valerie McKersie and I were married at Estevan and began our lifelong journey. Members of the Hornets attended the wedding and went to a ball tournament east of Estevan next day after good times were had by all. No, we did not attend and began our honeymoon travelling to Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks.

Our oldest son Ryan was born in 1979 at the now history Holy Family Hospital in Prince Albert where I too was born. In 1981 we moved to Cumberland House when I accepted the District Manager position. Our youngest son Mark arrived at Nipawin Hospital. In 1984 I accepted a transfer to Christopher Lake District where we lived in government housing behind the office. Val continued with her teaching career at Christopher Lake School. I started recreational hockey with the Christopher Lake Lakers.

1992 attained the Regional Field Supervisor job for Prince Albert Region. We moved to our current residence at Emma Lake and commuted to Prince Albert for 25 years. In 1997 with department reorganization, I moved to a provincial manager role in the Wildfire Management Branch in the Ministry of Environment. I then attained the Director of Corporate Services Division in the Branch and retired in 2016 after 42 years.

I was fortunate to have traveled and seen almost all the province by vehicle, helicopter, airplane,

airboat. snowmobile, boat, quad, waterbomber, bombardier, dog team, hiking, etc. I also met many wonderful people while leading public consultations on a new wildfire management policy and new Wildfire Act where we visited all communities in the north and along the forest fringe, also consulting with industry and First Nations Grand Councils. I experienced every aspect of environmental and resource management and had the opportunity to work with executive government and politicians alike. I met many people in the now Ministry of Environment at work, at meetings and conferences who have become like a second family. I continue to maintain my professional association as a retired member of the Saskatchewan Association of Conservation Officers.

Some of my work travels for training, meetings and conferences were to: Boise, Idaho; Tucson, Arizona; Missoula, Montana, Helena, Montana, Yellowstone, Canmore, Edmonton, Calgary, Kananaskis, Winnipeg, Halifax, Victoria, Vancouver, Churchill, Hinton, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Ottawa.

As a family we enjoyed several summer vacations to the Okanagan including Shuswap Lake and Salmon Arm, Vancouver, Victoria, Vancouver Island, Seattle and Riding Mountain National Park. Winter skiing at Table Mountain, Wapiti Valley Regional Park, Banff, Sunshine and Lake Louise. We would spend at least one week camping and fishing at Besnard Lake which Val and I continue to do with our camper trailer.

Some of our favourite trips have been to: Banff, Mayan Riviera, Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, Cabo San Lucas, Hawaii, Maui, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Las Vegas, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon National Park, tour of Nova Scotia, many Puerto Vallarta and area (our favorite with Hawaii). We continue to return to PV.

Retirement is volunteering on local environmental issues, yard work, renovations, fish, hunt, camper, boat, snowmobile, quad, skate, 6-year-old granddaughter (Mark) visits many weekends and all holidays.

One bucket list item is to tour Britain, meet relatives and see the family farm where my grandparents first lived and where my father was born. There is still a Jessop farm to this day. The same trip would be to take in parts of Scotland which are Val’s heritage on her father’s side.

I feel very fortunate to have grown up on the farm and in the community where Leask and area will always be my original home where I have family, relatives and friends.