Please read the enclosed information sheet on the upcoming provincial election. It is part of the mandate of "The Sporting Clubs of Niagara" to support the political party or parties which are willing to stand up for the rights of firearms owners at the local, provincial or federal levels. To date, only Mike Harris of the Progressive Conservatives has been willing to do so. Bob Rae and the NDP have consistently come out against gun owners during their term in office and Lynn MacLeod's policies are virtually identical to those of Allan Rock and the federal Liberals.

What Are "The Sporting Clubs of Niagara"?

Following the pro-gun information meeting at Alexander's Restaurant in St. Catharines in November 1994, interested attenders met to discuss what could be done on a local scale to protect the rights of firearms owners. The result was the formation of "The Sporting Clubs of Niagara".

From those simple beginnings just a few months ago we have grown, thanks to your support, into an organization of nearly 400 members consisting of hunters, target shooters, collectors, plinkers and even non-gun owners who share the common belief that the rights of law abiding citizens need to be protected, something many levels of government in Canada don't seem to care about.

Meet Your Executive

The following people are presently serving as your Executive. For the past 5 months they have been meeting on a weekly (or more) basis to plan and implement the strategies necessary to counter threats to our rights as citizens. Please call them if you have any questions, concerns or ideas.

            President               - Ron Penfound
            1st Vice-President      - Jim Finley
            2nd Vice-President      - John Gayder
            Secretary-Treasurer     - Gerry Gamble
            Membership Chairman     - Ivan Chamberlain
            Directors               - Paul Blushak
                                    - Barry Devereux
                                    - Tom Duggan
                                    - Dennis Dunbar
                                    - James Houlden
                                    - John Kellaway
                                    - Robert Lockhart
                                    - Rick McConnery
                                    - Dave Miller
                                    - Bill Staff
                                    - Bill Wagner

There are 25 positions on the Executive. If you would like to serve as a Director please call any member of the Executive for more information. The main requirements are regular attendance at the meeting (usually Wednesdays) and a willingness to pitch in and help wherever needed.

All members are welcome to attend the Executive meetings. Please call any member to confirm the date and location.

CLUB ACTIVITIES

Since our last mailing club members have continued the pro-gun fight on the following fronts:
- written numerous "Letters to the Editor" of local papers
- made a pro-hunting proposal to Niagara-on-the-Lake town council
- started a letter writing campaign to the Senate of Canada (we have mailing labels and postage is free. Contact us for more information if you would like to join this activity).
- made a presentation to the Police Services Board to counter the anti-gun newspaper article in "The Standard" by Deputy-Chief of Police Frank Parkhouse
- collected $101 dollars toward the Korpus Defence Fund (to assist in a case of unlawful firearms seizure by the police)
- continued contact with local Members of Parliament

HAMILTON GUN RALLY

Please see the enclosed flyer for this rally. It is critical that we get a huge turnout for it. Get your club to charter a bus or car pool with friends. If we get 16,000 people in Copps Coliseum it will send a serious message to Ottawa. HUNTERS TAKE NOTE!!! The following are quotes and comments from Darryl Davies, personal assistant to Allan Rock:

"Nobody in a civilized country needs a gun...The very existence of guns in private hands makes murders and suicides more likely."
"I don't see wildlife as a renewable resource...if hunters want to eat deer meat, let's set up a deer farm."
... on hunting: "a barbarous, murderous activity," and he recommends banning hunting "so we can follow the lead of Britain, making Canada culturally distinct from the lurid example of the United States."

With advisors like this do you really think Allan Rock is going to leave hunters alone in his quest to ban firearms? Not likely!

BILL C-68 HEARINGS CONTINUE Opposition to Bill C-68 continues to grow. Three provincial governments and the Yukon Territory have come out against Bill C-68 as well as the New Brunswick Game Wardens, the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. The Canadian Police Association has said that tougher border control measures are needed for the firearms legislation to work and that "This bill is quite empty, quite frankly, without it." Keep up the pressure. Contact your MP and the Senators and tell them to scrap the bill and have a Royal Commission review the entire gun control situation first.

To see the effects of Bill C-68 on you, read the enclosed "Backgrounder" from Garry Breitkreuz MP.

1. Join the Sporting Clubs of Niagara. For as little as $10 per year (the cost of 1 or 2 boxes of shells) you can aid the fight to protect your property and recreational activities. As a member you receive the following:
- a quarterly newsletter with interesting articles and useful information
- an opportunity to win draw prizes
- free classified ads in the newsletter
2. Encourage your family and friends to join. The more voters we represent the more influential we are. 3. Volunteer your assistance. We need people to submit articles, deliver newsletters, organize local rallies, etc. This is going to be a long, hard battle. To find out how you can assist in any way please call any member of the Executive. 4. Make an extra donation. Advertising, hall rental, postage, etc. all cost money. Any amount you can spare helps in the battle to achieve the goals of the organization.

Enclosed you will find a membership application. Fill it out or pass it on to a friend if you are already a member. Call any member of the Executive if you need more applications. Please make any name or address corrections and send the membership card in with your remittance to: