Merlin Shoesmith is the former Assistant Deputy Minister of Manitoba Conservation.

"Well, the annual conference for the Wildlife Society was something that we had thought about for a long time of hosting here as the Manitoba chapter. I've been a longtime member of the Wildlife Society. And it's always been a bit of a dream of mine to see growth in Canada for this professional organization. And so this seemed to be an opportunity that we could bring a spotlight on Canada for the wildlife profession, as well as grow that society here in Canada. Some of the major benefits of hosting a conference here is location, location, location, because it's a central part of North America and the Wildlife Society is largely a U.S.-based organization.

So it's easy to drive here, it's easy to fly here, or even bus here if so desired. There's also the fact that we have a first-rate convention center here and the fact that I believe that there's quite a nice core of restaurants, hotels that are all within a five-minute walking distance. I must say that it's been a very rewarding experience for my part. It did seem to go very well as four days here in Winnipeg, and we were able to provide a first-rate event for people in the Wildlife Society."