Brewery helps volunteers keep Cottonwood Island ducks fed over winter

Photo: James Doyle

Volunteer Brock Bailey fills buckets with grain to feed the ducks

For the past five winters, Brock Bailey and Paul Cailleaux have been feeding the local ducks at Cottonwood Island Park during the long winter months.

Both Paul and Brock are long time members of the local Ducks Unlimited chapter and are strong advocates for the conservation of local wetlands and the waterfowl, wildlife, and habitats.

In the past they have continued to rely on the generosity of donors in the community, and largely from dollars from their own pockets to keep the ducks fed, but a manager at Pacific Western Brewing (PWP) heard their story and pledged to help.

“I heard what they were doing to help ensure the local ducks could survive our tough winters and thought it would be pretty great if PWB could step up to support them,” said Kelly Olson, Brewmaster of Pacific Western Brewing, and employee for nearly 40 years.

“One of our core company values is giving back, and we always have a significant supply of malted barley on hand here at the brewery as it’s one of our key ingredients for making beer, so I reached out to Brock to see how we could help.”

When Olson first raised the idea of supporting these two volunteers the idea was met with enthusiasm and support from CEO Taizan Komatsu as PWB has regularly contributed to fundraising initiatives of Ducks Unlimited over the past couple of decades.

“Getting the call from Kelly was a really exciting moment for Paul and myself. As you know, we can have harsh winters here in Prince George, and one of the greatest difficulties for the ducks that over winter is the unpredictability of when the winter will begin or end, and then of course trying to source food when supply is naturally short,” said Bailey.

PWB will be storing about 3000lbs of grain the volunteers can access as they need on an ongoing basis until natural food sources start to return for the ducks again.

“This is Brock and Paul stepping up on their own to ensure the important work is being done towards wildlife conservation, and we at PWB are just happy to support them in a way that they are not financially burdened by this endeavour personally,” adds Olson.

The volunteers say PWB’s contribution won’t cover 100 per cent of what is needed, but it will ensure that they are not left stranded without a regular supply to take care of the birds.

“PWB’s support will go a long way and will guarantee we get through the winter months until the weather turns, and we see natural food sources return and we hope this exciting new partnership between us, and Prince George’s Brewery will continue for years to come!” adds Bailey.

He says continued support from the community is also appreciated and if anyone else would like to contribute they should reach out through Ducks Unlimited n Prince George and they will pick up any donations that are made available at Spruce Capital Feeds.