Contemporary Club History (2005 – Present)
The saga of a dedicated and innovative group of people continues
by Richard Wale
Between 2005 and 2020 the Salmon Arm Fish and Game Club continued with major improvements to the shooting ranges. Attracting new members as we developed, over the past 10 – 15 years, the club grew from approximately 200 members to a yearly high of 849 members in 2019.
The long rifle range was re-oriented and extended from 200 yard to 300 yards (270 metres). Many additional volunteer hours went into pouring the foundation, building a covered shooting bay, metal and wood targets. We members in this club owe a special debt of gratitude to long time members Peter and Anne Rizzi, and Jim Zappone, all of whom put many additional hours into the project that they charged for. Over five summers Rizzi Enterprises and Zappone Brothers Contracting completed the long rifle range in 2015 also building a new 75-metre summer archery range. Always willing to help the club, they excavated and moved a tremendous amount of sand and gravel to build what the shooting ranges we enjoy today.
As a result of shooting range scheduling conflicts between law enforcement agencies and club members, the Salmon Arm Fish and Game Club decided to build a separate tactical range for their training. The club started planning in 2016, and between 2017 and 2018, Rizzi Enterprises and Zappone Brothers Contracting again did the heavy moving and lifting. Law enforcement agencies now train on a 100-metre carbine range and a 35-metre handgun range dedicated for their use. As a club member that reloads you are more than welcome to collect 9mm pistol brass, 223 Remington brass or 300 Blackout brass; just give agency personnel priority to the tactical range.
In his early history our departed member Bruce Lamb noted that some things never change. People continue to illegally dump garbage, car bodies, and animal carcases and leave “shot-up” trash in the bush, on back roads or in the countryside. We hope to continue our relationship with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) who the club partnered with to clean-up Shaw Road by removing 19 metric tonnes of illegally dumped and shot-up rubbish during 2018.
Starting in 2017 the club undertook to modernize its constitution, bylaws and operations. The Board of Directors, and groups of members, met frequently and worked hard to produce a new constitution and bylaws, a dozen plus policies, and a new mandatory range safety orientation. This modernization was completed in 2018 and brought the Salmon Arm Fish and Game Club into compliance with federal and provincial laws, and the shooting regulations governing our clubs. In order to meet shooting regulation information requirements, between 2019 and 2020, the club planned, built and implemented a new LiftMaster electronic gate complete with key FOB access. The club’s neighbours are appreciative of the additional security at the entrance to the club on the cul-de-sac we share with them.
Safety, Safety, Safety is very paramount at a shooting facility. Members who have the same understanding of the safety rules and expectations is equally important. Between 2018 and 2019, the Board of Directors worked extremely hard to develop new range safety rules and a mandatory range safety orientation. Starting in 2019 all people, whether you were a new member or a long time member, were required to complete the range safety orientation prior to accessing the shooting ranges.
March 2020, Canada and British Columbia experienced the start of the Corona Virus (COVID) pandemic. All club social gatherings and indoor meetings were cancelled, local events, restaurants and businesses closed down and people were asked to stay two metres apart to minimize the spread of this virus. Our club’s outdoor shooting ranges remain open. You as a member can maintain the social and physical distancing ordered by the provincial health officer.
