Participants of the 2024 Parliamentary Day at the Range were graced with beautiful sunny skies and 26 degrees thanks to the box of rain ponchos that sat – unused again – at this year’s event.
That box of rain gear – superstition would have us believe – guarantees good weather for the annual day-long shooting session.
Parliamentary Day at the Range is presented by the Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus, the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, and is hosted at the Stittsville Shooting Ranges.
It’s the greatest firearms advocacy initiative in the history of Canadian gun ownership. Nothing else even comes close.
Media is not permitted, so every attendee can relax, ask questions, and learn how to safely handle a wide variety of firearms.
This year, 116 Members of Parliament, Senators, and their staff (representing Conservative, NDP and Liberal parties) attended this non-political, non-partisan event where politicians and their staff – often for the very first time – experience our long-standing culture of safety in a way they will never forget.
Without exception, participants leave with smiles on their faces and a new appreciation for Canada’s 2.3 million licensed firearms owners, as well as the high legal bar we must pass to enter this cultural fraternity.
“What do you mean this gun isn’t legal for me to buy? Why not?”
We hear this question many times over the course of the day every year.
It’s the perfect opportunity to explain how Canada’s firearms control legislation functions (more accurately, doesn’t function).
Every attendee of The Parliamentary Day at the Range event walks away with a newfound appreciation for our culture of self-reliance and safety, our heritage, and our way of life.
This positive experience gives them new appreciation for our community as they deal with the firearms issue when they return to Parliament Hill.
We’re immensely grateful to Linda, Lisa and Ken, and rest of the wonderful staff and volunteers at the Stittsville Shooting Ranges for hosting this event.
We are grateful for the participation of Stoeger Canada, Browning Canada, Savage Arms, Federal Ammunition, Weatherby, Eastern Outdoors, Compass Safari, Hornady, Korth Group, Drake Sales, Mossberg, and of course, our dear friends at SCI Canada and CSAAA.
Special CSSA thanks to Ellwood Epps Sporting Goods, O’Dell Engineering, Green Peak Wholesale, and South Frontenac Rental Company (SFRC) for their generous donation of the thousands of rounds of ammunition used by the CSSA’s Handgun and Black Rifles lines at this year’s event. Thanks for helping us bring the message home.
The Parliamentary Outdoors Caucus Assn is headed by co-chairs MP Bob Zimmer (Conservative) and Ken McDonald (Liberal). Its president is Phil Morelock, and its vice-president is Tony Barnardo.
We’re also grateful for the CSSA Crew of Board members, Staff, Regional Directors and volunteers and the over one hundred volunteers who generously donated their time and expertise. Without them and their hard work, this event would not be possible.
We apologize if there is anyone we missed. We appreciate you all.
Historical Backdrop
The all-party Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus was founded in 2006 by Garry Breitkreuz, former Conservative MP for Yorkton–Melville (SK) and current board member of the CSSA, Larry Bagnall, former Liberal MP for Yukon and Peter Stoffer, former NDP member for Sackville–Eastern Shore (NS).
Parliamentary Day at the Range was created by the Outdoor Caucus Association of Canada (OCAC) and is operated by the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), the Stittsville Shooting Ranges, Safari Club International and the Parliamentary Outdoors Caucus to educate Members of Parliament, Senators and their staff about lawful firearm ownership and use by experiencing firearms for themselves.
The mission of the Parliamentary Outdoor Caucus is to preserve and promote fishing, hunting, trapping, and shooting sports as acceptable, traditional, environmentally sustainable outdoor heritage activities with their credo of safety and a conservation ethic.
