Clayton Altares

Class of 2020

“The Desire to Serve, Courage to Act.”

Born-and-raised in Fort McMurray Clayton Altares is a man of many hats who credits his parents’ influences on his attitude on life.

“They taught me the importance of selflessness, hard work, and giving back to the community,” he said.

Clayton can be found at MacDonald Island Park and volunteers for various organizations in the community. He is the Sport and Fitness Coordinator of the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo (RRCWB) and a Team Lead, Liaison Officer for the Fort McMurray Search and Rescue Society (SAR).

Working at the RRCWB part-time shortly after high school solidified his passion for sport and recreation, which paved the way to his 13-year career in the organization. He has worked in just about every department, as he joked.

“I’ve been in maintenance, worked as a Zamboni operator, made curling ice, personally trained, instructed group fitness classes, and coached youth programs,” he said. “I now help coordinate leagues, programs and sporting events for all ages. I’ve always had a passion for sports as I was raised in a competitive sport-oriented family.”

While he was working part-time at RRCWB, he was also in school and finished his Emergency Medical Technician program at Keyano College and with the Fort McMurray Fire Department in 2001. This experience sparked a passion for serving the community and worked in a part-time capacity while at the RRCWB.

His desire to serve the community led him to volunteer with the Fort McMurray Search and Rescue Society. He sits on the board as the SAR Liaison Officer, and operationally he is an on-call 24/7 Team Lead on their Swiftwater, ice rescue and off-road teams.

Volunteering has always been part of his life. When the spring flood came, he assisted with the rescue and evacuations of people and their pets from their homes. During the recovery, he helped businesses and homeowners clean out their shops and houses with the SAR team.

He has sat on the board for the local WBKids committee, which focuses on providing children with financial support to play sports. In 2015, Clayton was the Director of Medical on the Northern Kickoff committee for the historic CFL games, which occurred at Shell Place.

He has also volunteered for Santas Anonymous over the years. He is currently the Fort McMurray Fish and Game Association Youth Chair, a Range Safety Officer and a volunteer on the 2022 Arctic Winter Games’ Education Committee.

When not working one of his two exciting careers or volunteering throughout the Wood Buffalo region, he loves spending time with his family. He is also an outdoor enthusiast who loves to camp, hunt, fish and competitively shoots in the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC).

“I know and work with a lot of individuals who have a desire to serve, and the courage to act in this community, people who do everything to help it flourish. To be amongst the other individuals nominated for this recognition is a huge compliment and one that I am honoured to receive.”