Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus Day at the Range
On Tuesday, June 5, Director of Membership and Chapter Services Jason St Michael and SCI Canada staff Chris Everett attended the 12th Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus Day at the Range. This is a great opportunity for Members of Parliament, Senators and their staff to learn about firearms, and the laws and regulations that law-abiding firearms owners in Canada must follow. SCI Canada was happy to once again be one of the sponsors for the event.
There were lots of smiles and laughs as staff who had never been around firearms before learned how much fun and safe the shooting sports are. Some mentioned that they felt they had a new way to relieve stress, as they found the challenge of hitting the bullseye had them so focused that it cleared their minds. Many mentioned their interest in taking the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, the first step to getting a firearm license in Canada, and then applying for their Possession and Acquisition License that would allow them to purchase and own firearms legally.
The Members of Parliament and Senators worked as teams to compete against each other for three trophies: Top Individual, Top Team, and Top Party. Former SCI International Legislator of the Year MP Blaine Calkins won the Top individual score, with his team also winning best team. He captained his team also consisting of MP Dane Lloyd, MP Ted Falk, and MP Scott Anderson. The Conservatives also won the best political party, which is calculated as an average score of all participants with Independent Senators coming a close second.
During the awards ceremony, Jason St. Michael was honoured to become an Honourary Member of the Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus for his decades of service to Canada’s outdoor heritage and conservation efforts. Only 10 other Canadians have had this honour before.
SCI Canada also presented Linda Conley, owner of the Stittsville Shooting Range, with a print of the year from 2024 as a thank you for hosting the Day at the Range every year. Her and her staff work tirelessly to ensure a safe and fun atmosphere, and work with manufacturers to provide the stations that maximize everyone’s exposure to various types of firearms.
Overall, it was a wonderful and important day of education for those who are legislating and regulating our outdoor lifestyle.
