Section 2 EO C306.01 – IDENTIFY CIVILIAN MARKSMANSHIP ORGANIZATIONS

Civilian marksmanship organizations and rifle associations are popular throughout the world and are found in many countries. Traditionally formed to augment the military, marksmanship organizations now have become governing bodies for civilians interested in marksmanship.

Local civilian marksmanship organizations exist in most major cities in Canada. These organizations can include the city or regional rifle associations or local rod and gun clubs. These organizations usually have a small calibre rifle range available for their members’ use. To find local civilian marksmanship organizations, refer to the Internet or the local telephone listings.

Select the rifle association for the province in which the cadet squadron is located.

Civilian marksmanship organizations assist people interested in marksmanship to advance their skills in marksmanship. These activities are not supported by the Cadet Program.

Provincial rifle associations are the provinces’ governing bodies on fullbore and smallbore target shooting. These associations exist to promote marksmanship within the province by organizing events and competitions. Provincial rifle associations also provide competitions for cadet units within their province. Provincial associations include:

Alberta Provincial Rifle Association. The Alberta Provincial Rifle Association (APRA) was created in 1902, as the Territorial Rifle Association, before the Province of Alberta was created. The objectives of the APRA are:

The APRA can be found on the Internet at www.albertarifle.com

British Columbia Rifle Association. The British Columbia Rifle Association (BCRA) was created in 1874, incorporated in 1910, and is one of the oldest members of the British Columbia Societies Act. The objectives of the BCRA are:

Through the Department of National Defence, members are permitted to participate in shooting events held on military rifle ranges in British Columbia.

The BCRA can be found on the Internet at www.bcrifle.org

Manitoba Provincial Rifle Association. The Manitoba Provincial Rifle Association Inc. (MPRA) was created in 1872, for the purpose of encouraging rifle shooting among the militia and citizens of Manitoba. The objectives of the MPRA are:

The Honourable D.A. Smith (Lord Strathcona) was a patron of the MPRA for 40 years. He took an interest in shooting and donated many prizes, especially to cadets.

The MPRA can be found on the Internet at www.manitobarifle.ca

Newfoundland Provincial Rifle Association. The Newfoundland Provincial Rifle Association can be contacted through the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA).

Nova Scotia Rifle Association. The Nova Scotia Rifle Association (NSRA) was created in 1861, and is the oldest provincial rifle association. The objectives of the NSRA are:

The NSRA can be found on the Internet at www.nsrifle.org

Ontario Provincial Rifle Association. The Ontario Provincial Rifle Association (ORA) was created in 1868. The objectives of the ORA are:

The ORA can be found on the Internet at www.ontariorifleassociation.org

Prince Edward Island Rifle Association. The Prince Edward Island Rifle Association can be contacted through the DCRA.

Province of Quebec Rifle Association. The Province of Quebec Rifle Association (PQRA) was created in 1869 and supports various shooting clubs and associations. The objective of the PQRA is to teach and promote marksmanship in competitive and recreational environments, where safety is first and foremost.

The PQRA can be found on the Internet at www.pqra.org

Royal New Brunswick Rifle Association. The Royal New Brunswick Rifle Association (RNBRA) was created in 1866 to serve all shooting and related disciplines in New Brunswick. The objectives of the RNBRA are to promote:

The RNBRA can be found on the Internet at www.rnbra.ca

Saskatchewan Provincial Rifle Association. The Saskatchewan Provincial Rifle Association (SPRA) is the governing body for fullbore target rifle shooting in Saskatchewan. The objectives of the SPRA are to promote:

The SPRA can be found on the Internet at www.saskrifle.ca

The DCRA

The DCRA, headquartered at Connaught Ranges Primary Training Centre, Ottawa, Ont., is Canada’s national governing body for fullbore and smallbore target shooting. The DCRA was founded in 1868 and incorporated by parliament in 1890, to encourage marksmanship training in response to the departure of the British military and the Fenian Raids in 1866.

The Fenian Raids were attacks on British targets in Canada between 1866 and 1871, to pressure Britain to withdraw from Ireland. Most of the raids were successfully repelled by British forces and local militias.

The DCRA continues to promote excellence in civilian and military marksmanship.

The DCRA works with the CCM by organizing events and competitions including postal championships held for cadet units across the country and summer matches for the National Rifle Team (NRT) and Canadian and British army cadets on CSTC courses at Connaught NACSTC.

The DCRA can be found on the internet at www.dcra.ca

Section One of the DCRA postal championships are matches that are restricted to sea, army and air cadets. Section Two is open to any junior team and cadets are encouraged to enter.

The Shooting Federation of Canada (SFC)

The SFC, headquartered at Connaught Ranges Primary Training Centre, Ottawa, Ont., is Canada’s national sport governing body for recreational and competitive target shooting in Canada. The SFC is the authority for the marksmanship technical training portion of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).

The SFC can be found on the internet at www.sfc-ftc.ca

Biathlon Canada is the governing body for the sport of biathlon within Canada. Biathlon Canada organizes many events, competitions and programs, including the Biathlon Bears Program, which is a community program, offered across Canada. The Biathlon Bears program is open to novices and the training is tailored to the athlete’s skill level. This program offers training to develop both skiing and marksmanship skills. As skills are learned and mastered, the biathlete progresses to the next Biathlon Bear level.

Divisions of Biathlon Canada are located within many of the provinces and territories. These division offices run training and offer support to the local resorts/clubs. These divisions include: