The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Flin Flon native Roger Cross has been named Manitoba's Conservation Officer of the Year for 2003-04. Now stationed in Neepawa, Cross has built up a solid reputation in his field of choice. That's to be expected when you bust more than 100 poachers and tirelessly battle numerous forest fires over a 35-year career. "I've been in a couple of situations where the only way to protect yourself was to burn a patch of grass around you, and let the fire go by," the 57-year-old relayed to the Winnipeg Free Press. "It sounds like a train going by." While there have been plenty of highlights, Cross has also seen an unfortunate trend develop during his career. "When I first started, the public had a lot more respect for authority," he told the newspaper. "All you had was your flashlight. If necessary, that was also your defence weapon." Cross has served in nearly a dozen communities, including Snow Lake, Lynn Lake, Swan River, and his hometown of Flin Flon. In talking with the Free Press, Rick Klein, head of Manitoba Conservation's district office, observed that "Roger was always the last one out of the bush when it came to catching poachers."
