Matt Jacques is a professional photographer with a unique focus on community and conservation. He is based in Battleford, Saskatchewan on Treaty 6 territory, the ancestral and traditional home of First Nations and Métis people. After spending nearly twenty years living across Canada, he’s proud to have returned to his prairie roots in late 2018.
He is passionate about creating images that both captivate the imagination and foster a greater sense of connection to our planet’s remaining wild places and species. Matt’s work has been recognized via national and international awards, and through multiple accreditations from his peers at the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC).
Matt began his photographic journey 15 years ago, but it was his move to the Yukon in 2015 that first sparked a major shift in how he approaches his craft. In awe of the vast wilderness, he quickly learned that even north of 60, iconic species and untamed landscapes face enormous threats from development and a rapidly changing climate. Matt saw the impact that his friend and mentor, International League of Conservation Photographers fellow Peter Mather, was able to achieve through CPAWS-Yukon’s Protect the Peel campaign, and decided to re-orient his own work toward more purpose-driven projects.
While living in the Yukon, he worked on several stories for The Narwhal. These included features on the remediation of two of Canada’s most contaminated industrial sites: Faro Mine in Faro, Yukon and Giant Mine in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; multiple stories on renewable energy transitions being led by northern First Nations communities; as well as several articles on the Porcupine caribou herd – whose calving grounds are threatened by a seismic shift in oil and gas development policy regarding Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
His photographic assignments and adventures have taken him to many destinations, yet he’s a firm believer that local action can be the most impactful way of addressing globally-relevant issues like climate change and biodiversity loss. Now that he’s living on the prairies once again, he’s eager to learn more about local species and ecosystems, in the hopes of drawing attention to their protection.
With his 2020 Calendar and selected fine art prints, we’re excited that Matt has decided to partner with CPAWS-SK, and will be directing 15% of all proceeds toward our local conservation efforts. You can buy his calendar here.
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