President’s Message

Changes & The Road Ahead

Greetings. I hope everyone is well and enjoying the warmer weather. It is the time of year to get back onto the ranges, participate in shooting competitions and enjoy the many gun shows across the country. I would like to take this opportunity to share some recent NFA news and update you on the work that lies ahead.

First, the NFA’s 2022 annual general meeting took place in a virtual format on Saturday, May 7. I have been elected to take on the role of national president. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to work on behalf of the NFA membership in this new role and I am privileged to work alongside an exceptional and experienced board of directors. A big thank to Blair Hagen, who took the helm as interim president and kept our agenda on course. Blair will be resuming his previous position as executive vice-president, communications.

For the coming year, the executive secretary position will be held by Donald Feltham from Newfoundland. Donald is taking over from Jerrold Lundgard, who had served in this role for many years. Jerrold will continue being a strong voice on the board. Bill Rantz will remain in the position as treasurer. A big shout out to Bill and Jerrold for their many years of service to the NFA. Their experience and wisdom make them valuable members of the board. Jordan Vandenhoff will remain as the executive director, digital, social, managing all NFA social media platforms and creating content that informs and engages members and the public.

The remainder of the board is composed of individuals from across the country who are passionate about firearms and dedicated to working for the rights and freedoms of gun owners. The board of directors are as follows: British Columbia: Blair Hagen and Hardy Staub (interim); Alberta: Jerrold Lundgard and Dwayne Gorniak; Ontario: Rick Igercich and Jordan Vandenhoff; Quebec: Chuck Cote and Joe Esteves; Atlantic provinces: Donald Feltham and Robert Bracken.

We know that the months ahead will be filled with challenges for gun owners. As of this writing, the Liberals have implemented specific sections of Bill C-71, specifically those that will require sellers of non-restricted firearms to call the Canadian Firearms Centre to obtain a transfer authorization number to complete a sale. The process for obtaining this authorization number is nothing short of ridiculous. Businesses will be required by law, upon sale, to keep a detailed record and description of all non-restricted firearms sold, along with the buyer’s license information. Those records can be requested at any time by the provincial CFO.

Private sellers of non-restricted firearms will be asked for the buyer’s and seller’s license information to initiate a transfer. The seller, by law, must keep a detailed record of the firearm sold and the buyers license information, which can also be requested by the provincial CFO at any time.

In effect, the Canadian government is resurrecting the long-dead long gun registry into what will be a digital format, making businesses and individual sellers keep records for them. This is simply a subversive way to create a firearms database, which will inevitably lead to a permanent record of firearms owned by law-abiding firearm owners. The NFA is carefully monitoring government attempts to undermine our rights and will work tirelessly to reverse these unreasonable laws.

By the time you read this, the Ontario provincial election will have happened. The Liberals have announced that, if elected, they will be seeking a provincial handgun ban. If this happens, know that the NFA is fully prepared to lobby officials and file legal proceedings against the province. We are a strong, well-supported voice and will not be ignored.
The federal Conservative Party of Canada is also looking to place someone in the leadership position. We will be providing members with information about every candidate so that firearm owners can be well informed in deciding who would be the best candidate for the job. The hope is that the new CPC leader will reflect on the missteps of Erin O’Toole and put an end to some of the preposterous legislation that has been dropped on legal gun owners over the past few years.

In closing, I would like to thank you, our members, for your continued support. Along with your board of directors, I am committed to never giving up the fight for the rights and freedoms of gun owners. We at the NFA are in this for the long run and, with your generous support, we will make a difference.