President’s Note – April 2024

With the 2024 AGM now behind us, I would like to thank all those that attended for doing so and taking an active part in our discussions, decisions, and community as a whole.  For those that were not able to attend, there were a few motions passed that I would like to bring to your attention:

MOTION:

The following membership rate fee increases for 2025 are hereby proposed by the Directors, as the costs of services and utilities to ensure day-to-day operations of the range have gone up.  These new rates are a 5% increase, rounded up to the nearest $5.

For many years the VFGPA has absorbed the GST attached to all of our membership fees.  Functionally, this increase in membership fees simply ends that practice. Motion Carried.

IN MEMORIAM:

It is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you all of the passing of Mike King.  At our 2024 AGM Mike was awarded a VFGPA Life Member in recognition of his long and extraordinary service to the Association. To highlight his substantial contributions to our community, one can easily generate a long list including, but not limited to:

• Serving as Trap Director for a decade
• Serving a full term as Vice President on the VFGPA Executive
• Providing outstanding support to the Victoria Women Shooters and other disciplines
• Providing outstanding coaching to first time trap shooters
• Organizing and managing special events for charities, including the Legion
• Developing a business relationship with a key business partner (i.e., the Villa Eyrie) which resulted in a revenue stream for the VFGPA and trap discipline
• Years supporting the Legion through numerous charity matches at the VFGPA, in addition to his long standing direct service to the Legion

Mike is survived by his wife Debra King.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

There have been a few changes within the Executive.  Bruce McAllister (our Treasurer since the 2023 AGM) has stepped down and George Ambeault (our VP Member Services) has taken on the mantel of Treasurer, and our new VP Member Service is Tina Clark.  Tina is new to the Executive but is our long time Director of Women Shooters.

My personal thanks to each of you for stepping forwards in service of the VFGPA.  It is greatly appreciated.

We have an excellent, strong Board and our VFGPA Staff has been widely acknowledged as being the best we have had in many years.  With a team such as this, 2024 cannot help but be an excellent and exciting year.

Lastly, as I’m sure you are all keenly aware; the current Liberal/NDP coalition government is working very hard to remove your right to own property.  In this instance they are focused on removing your right to own legally purchased firearms; however, several members of this same government are on record stating that “Canadians do not have property rights,” which implies far more than an interest in removing legal firearms from licensed law-abiding Canadians.  In direct opposition to the values being asserted by the current government, we have donated $10,000 to the CCFR legal fund again this year to support them in their efforts and role as the defense for legal firearms ownership in Canada, and we are now happily seeing multiple provincial governments join us in support of both the CCFR and this fight in general. The CCFR has publicly thanked the VFGPA for the support we have provided, link below:

https://youtu.be/loXYmEKun14?si=UBUA1a6wZBypU6Kg

As I stated at the AGM:

The government has the power to make anything they want legal or illegal.  This is simply done by writing words on a page and pushing it through as a Liberal/NDP majority coalition government; but, they cannot change what is lawful and unlawful.  What I mean by this is simple.  Each of us know and feel what is right and wrong and what is rightfully ours.  As the adage goes “possession is 9/10th of the law”, and no government can change this natural Law any more than they can change the Law of Gravity.  You know what you know and feel the truth of the matter.  When you buy something it becomes your property.  You own it.  Anyone taking away, or trying to take away what you legally purchased and lawfully own is wrong – be it a car, a house, or a firearm.  What they print or declare doesn’t change that.

In the year ahead, we will continue to fight for your right to own property, together, and our numbers are growing.

My best to each and every one of you in the year ahead,

Andrew

Andrew Lemon
President
Victoria Fish and Game Protective Association