Environmental Science Alum connects UM to the Gateway of the North

When Michel Leclaire (BEnvScHons/13, MSc/17) was working through his Bachelor of Environmental Science degree at UM, he was able to speed through the first two years by transferring in his Diploma in Natural Resources Management Technology from the University College of the North. Leclaire felt that something would eventually draw him full-circle. From being a student at UCN, to teaching the in the same program 8 years after graduating, Leclaire was drawn back to the gateway of the North.

Leclaire first made the move from Winnipeg to The Pas to pursue UCN’s diploma program as a start to his post-secondary education. As he contrasts life between Winnipeg and The Pas, he gives praise to the latter for being the “gateway to the north and adventure country." UCN’s program is designed to show students what remote life is like and the reality of environmental work: it might take sacrifices in the form of leaving your hometown to follow a passion.

After a couple of years working in The Pas, Leclaire moved back to Winnipeg to complete a formal bachelor’s degree, which he found many employers wanted. He ended up in the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, where he could incorporate his UCN diploma into the Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) degree. Eventually he pursued a Master of Science with a focus on fisheries, involving trophic hierarchies in Great Bear Lake.

He credits his UM professors for planting the idea in his head about teaching. After completing his M.Sc., he gave occasional guest lectures for courses under Dr. Rick Baydack while working on consulting projects in wildlife and fisheries. His desire for more teaching arrived around the same time that UCN had an open Instructor position in the Natural Resource Management Technology diploma program. Now, Leclaire gets the best of both worlds: teaching to inspire the new environmental workforce at UCN and working part-time as a consultant on projects like species diversity monitoring and impacts of climate change. 

Updated Articulation Agreement

Working with Leclaire and UCN, the Riddell Faculty is proud to add to the articulation agreement to now include the Bachelor of Environmental Studies. Graduates of the 2-Year Natural Resource Management Technology Diploma from the University College of the North may apply to either the Bachelor of Environmental Science or Bachelor of Environmental Studies program, and be granted 60 credit hours upon admission, which will be a half-way point to completing either 120 credit hour degree program. With this “two-for-two agreement”, Leclaire says the program marries UM’s academic exploration with the flexibility and experiential learning opportunities of UCN, and it opens even more doors for students to lead change in diverse paths.