Bio for Don Nelson – Class of 1969
I took one year of science and then transferred to Agriculture. In second year I became interested in Entomology and during the next summer I worked in that department assisting graduate students with their Apiculture programs. It was the first time I had worked with honey bees and as one might say “I caught the bug” for honey bee work. I graduated in with a BSA in 1969 and went straight into a masters program in Apiculture and obtained my MSc. in 1971.
I married Barbara McKibbin of Winnipeg in January 1970 and we lived in Winnipeg until August of 1971 when we moved to Beaverlodge AB. At this time I became an employee of Agriculture Canada in charge of the Honey Bee Management Programs as a biologist. In 1972 a daughter, Margo joined our household and in 1974 son Tim arrived.
In 1977 we returned to Winnipeg for a year on a work transfer so I could do research on indoor wintering of honey bee colonies in a facility just constructed at the University by a grant from the Manitoba Research Council. During this year we had a great time visiting and reconnecting with University friends and Barbara’s family. I had also been contemplating returning to school and was granted Education leave in 1978 for two years to do course work and initiate research for my PhD at the University of Manitoba with Dr Jay. In August of 1980 we returned to Beaverlodge where I continued my research programs on honey bee management, wintering and bee diseases and to complete my thesis. Finally, in 1985 my PhD was complete and life returned to ‘near’ normal. In 1995 I had a six month work transfer to Kentville, NS to cooperate on a blueberry pollination program. We lived in Wolfeville and enjoyed travel every weekend and had a hard time leaving in the fall. During my career with Agriculture Canada I was fortunate to travel to several international meetings including Australia, Belgium, China, Mexico and the US. I was also on the organizing committee for the international beekeepers meeting (Apimondia) held in Vancouver in 1999. There were 2500 people that attended from around the world. We received accolades for the program and organization and post congress tours that were provided. A great feeling for a committee that took six years to plan for the event. We also made some money that was donated to the Canadian Honey Council and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists.
In 2003 I retired after 32 years and spent the next year as a Visiting Scientist at Beaverlodge to complete some papers and clean out my office and transfer files to my successor. Since then things have been great; no health problems and I am still able to enjoy my favorite activates of hunting, sporting clays and photograph. Barbara and I remain in Beaverlodge, but our families are spread out now with daughter, husband and two grand children in Ottawa and son and wife in Edmonton. So any extra money is being spent travelling to visit them and also my mom, brother and sister who still live in the Ancaster, ON area.
Sports and outdoor activates:
As sports were always a big part of my life and probably kept me in school, they also played a big part in my life since then. At the University of Manitoba I played one year of collegiate basketball and several years of intramural. I played basketball in Grande Prairie (near Beaverlodge) in a men’s league for several years and we won the city title twice. In the late ’70 I played in a men’s league for the 3 years back in Winnipeg and ran into a few players I had known when paying intramural. Back in Beaverlodge in 1980 I again played in the men’s league but now it was an ‘old timers’ league. In 1983 I quite the men’s league to initiated a mini basketball program in Beaverlodge for boys and girls in grades 3 to 6. This program continued for 15 years under my leadership and then for a few more after I decided to stop; when I could no longer beat the young kid in wind-sprints.
I continue to hunt and fish each year. I am an avid duck, goose and upland game hunter and do some fly fishing. Each Year I plan a trip to hunt with long time friend Ray Harris (high school friend) and Ron Pettitt who I met at University in 1966.
I continue to carve a decoy or two for friends and am active as a 27 year plus volunteer with Ducks Unlimited Canada, and chair of the Monkman Fish and Game Association. However, most of my extra time is now spent as an instructor for the Alberta Hunter Conservation and Education program and the Canadian Firearms Safety Courses. I also play golf during the summer and can say I haven’t improved since I was in high school. But as one of my team mates says “if you couldn’t smoke, drink or swear, why would you golf?” I don’t smoke but am familiar with the other two.
Cheers. Don Have a great reunion! Sorry I can’t be there! dlnnel12@gmail.com
I took one year of science and then transferred to Agriculture. In second year I became interested in Entomology and during the next summer I worked in that department assisting graduate students with their Apiculture programs. It was the first time I had worked with honey bees and as one might say “I caught the bug” for honey bee work. I graduated in with a BSA in 1969 and went straight into a masters program in Apiculture and obtained my MSc. in 1971.
I married Barbara McKibbin of Winnipeg in January 1970 and we lived in Winnipeg until August of 1971 when we moved to Beaverlodge AB. At this time I became an employee of Agriculture Canada in charge of the Honey Bee Management Programs as a biologist. In 1972 a daughter, Margo joined our household and in 1974 son Tim arrived.
In 1977 we returned to Winnipeg for a year on a work transfer so I could do research on indoor wintering of honey bee colonies in a facility just constructed at the University by a grant from the Manitoba Research Council. During this year we had a great time visiting and reconnecting with University friends and Barbara’s family. I had also been contemplating returning to school and was granted Education leave in 1978 for two years to do course work and initiate research for my PhD at the University of Manitoba with Dr Jay. In August of 1980 we returned to Beaverlodge where I continued my research programs on honey bee management, wintering and bee diseases and to complete my thesis. Finally, in 1985 my PhD was complete and life returned to ‘near’ normal. In 1995 I had a six month work transfer to Kentville, NS to cooperate on a blueberry pollination program. We lived in Wolfeville and enjoyed travel every weekend and had a hard time leaving in the fall. During my career with Agriculture Canada I was fortunate to travel to several international meetings including Australia, Belgium, China, Mexico and the US. I was also on the organizing committee for the international beekeepers meeting (Apimondia) held in Vancouver in 1999. There were 2500 people that attended from around the world. We received accolades for the program and organization and post congress tours that were provided. A great feeling for a committee that took six years to plan for the event. We also made some money that was donated to the Canadian Honey Council and the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists.
In 2003 I retired after 32 years and spent the next year as a Visiting Scientist at Beaverlodge to complete some papers and clean out my office and transfer files to my successor. Since then things have been great; no health problems and I am still able to enjoy my favorite activates of hunting, sporting clays and photograph. Barbara and I remain in Beaverlodge, but our families are spread out now with daughter, husband and two grand children in Ottawa and son and wife in Edmonton. So any extra money is being spent travelling to visit them and also my mom, brother and sister who still live in the Ancaster, ON area.
Sports and outdoor activates:
As sports were always a big part of my life and probably kept me in school, they also played a big part in my life since then. At the University of Manitoba I played one year of collegiate basketball and several years of intramural. I played basketball in Grande Prairie (near Beaverlodge) in a men’s league for several years and we won the city title twice. In the late ’70 I played in a men’s league for the 3 years back in Winnipeg and ran into a few players I had known when paying intramural. Back in Beaverlodge in 1980 I again played in the men’s league but now it was an ‘old timers’ league. In 1983 I quite the men’s league to initiated a mini basketball program in Beaverlodge for boys and girls in grades 3 to 6. This program continued for 15 years under my leadership and then for a few more after I decided to stop; when I could no longer beat the young kid in wind-sprints.
I continue to hunt and fish each year. I am an avid duck, goose and upland game hunter and do some fly fishing. Each Year I plan a trip to hunt with long time friend Ray Harris (high school friend) and Ron Pettitt who I met at University in 1966.
I continue to carve a decoy or two for friends and am active as a 27 year plus volunteer with Ducks Unlimited Canada, and chair of the Monkman Fish and Game Association. However, most of my extra time is now spent as an instructor for the Alberta Hunter Conservation and Education program and the Canadian Firearms Safety Courses. I also play golf during the summer and can say I haven’t improved since I was in high school. But as one of my team mates says “if you couldn’t smoke, drink or swear, why would you golf?” I don’t smoke but am familiar with the other two.
Cheers. Don Have a great reunion! Sorry I can’t be there! dlnnel12@gmail.com
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