Thank You to Our Seasonal and Part-Time Staff

August 26, 2022

As the end of the 2022 spring and summer field season is upon us, I would like to thank all our seasonal and part-time staff for their dedication and help with advancing TRCA’s mission, programs, and projects.

Throughout this spring and summer, I have had the opportunity to speak to many of our staff about their passion for the work we do, their educational backgrounds and interest in TRCA, as well as their interest in pursuing future opportunities with TRCA. I appreciated learning about how many of our seasonal and part-time staff were applying their education, background and training, and leveraging TRCA resources and networks, including our Scientific Knowledge Sharing Platform, to conduct and inform their work.

TRCA summer camp staff receive training at Black Creek Village.

I was also pleased to find out about the interest of seasonal staff I met with in participating in our TRCA Youth Council and future events to make a difference in the community and to advance their career objectives. I was thrilled to hear that based on work experiences from last year, some of our seasonal workers completed academic research and major papers (e.g., Elly’s work on Toronto Island Flood mitigation) with input from TRCA subject matter experts.

I hope that all our summer students enjoyed their placements within TRCA and gained valuable knowledge and job skills that support their career moves and inform their academic work for those continuing to pursue their studies.

On my visits across our jurisdiction, I was thrilled to see great work being undertaken across our sites, parks, trails, and conservation lands, including Black Creek Village. On these visits I enjoyed being able to connect with many field staff and to see firsthand the different types of work being conducted on so many fronts.

The Meadoway and Invasives Management Teams: Sisley Irwin, Sylvia Beda, Marek Toporowski, Aaron McQuaid, Dane Somogyvary, Victoria Papuga, Emily Weatherston, Matea Burkart, Mitchell Walker, and Pascale Bider

I appreciate the efforts of all our TRCA team to educate the public, to ensure safe visitor experiences, and to conduct vital maintenance, restoration, and research work on our properties. It is rewarding to see this important work being delivered by our highly skilled, diligent, and passionate workforce. I hope all our staff, including our seasonal and part-time staff, see the positive impact of their contributions over this spring and summer for years to come.

Thank you again, and I encourage all our seasonal and part-time employees to stay involved with TRCA throughout the year and to consider TRCA for employment in the future.

Sincerely,

John MacKenzie, M.Sc.(Pl) MCIP, RPP
Chief Executive Officer
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)