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On Tuesday, February 14th, 2023, OFAH Manager of Policy Mark Ryckman provided testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. Below is a transcript of Ryckman’s testimony.     Good afternoon, Mister Chair, and members of the committee. On behalf of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, thank
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For years the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Conservation Lottery supported many provincial conservation efforts and even provided specific support to those OFAH clubs who sold tickets on our behalf. Prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the OFAH was already shifting toward online fundraising through new initiatives like the I Am
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The Parliament – Ottawa City – Canada
1: A ‘no ban’ plan   It may seem counterproductive to the government’s agenda but banning firearms by model or type has been the means, not the stated end goal of these policies. It is supposed to be for public safety. Bans aren’t a prerequisite for enhanced public safety, and a ‘no ban plan’ was
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Car with black plastic rooftop cargo box or roof carrier for traveling. Removable storage container mounted on car roof rack
BrokerLink Insurance has been a proud partner of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for over 20 years. As an OFAH member, you qualify for preferred rates on your home and auto insurance. Our expert insurance advisors offer outstanding service and options to meet all your insurance needs   Planning on installing a roof
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Premier Doug Ford and his entire pre-election cabinet  — at least those who ran —  are returning to Queen’s Park, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see some changes in the look and feel of his executive council.   Elections create an opportunity for change, even when the incumbent political party is re-elected. A post-election
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It’s election eve in Ontario. Tomorrow, many will go to the polls to cast their ballots in the provincial election. Although a short campaign period didn’t leave much time to get responses back from political parties to our election questionnaire, we did receive three responses – from the Ontario Liberal Party, the Ontario Party, and
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After 46 weeks in the game, we need to acknowledge something special about Catch the Ace. Tickets sales are motivated from the stories of our winners, not just the promotion of the pot.   Yana Z. for example buys her OFAH tickets every week but only after she takes time to read the profile of
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Cozy winter night
BrokerLink Insurance has been a proud partner of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters for over 20 years. As an OFAH member, you qualify for preferred rates on your home and auto insurance. Our expert insurance advisors offer outstanding service and options to meet all your insurance needs.     Many individuals will receive
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White Tailed Deer Bucks (DT-Michael Shake)
Update: two new studies published in February 2022 provided additional insight into the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in deer and the potential risk to hunters. As part of our commitment to keeping our members informed on this evolving issue, we have updated this article to reflect this new information.    The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines,
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The following is an English transcript of the Radio-Canada interview with former OFAH student grant winner Christian Therrien, which was featured on the December 21, 2021 edition of Apres-Midi dans le Nord. The interview was titled “a bursary to study trout in Northern Ontario”.   This is a literal translation. Some nuances will be lost
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The sport of archery does not care about your age, size, or athletic ability. It truly is what many would call a “universal sport”.   Educators are always looking for new ways to enrich the lives of their students and it can often be a significant challenge for schools to find activities that every student
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Fishing on a lake at sunset. Fishing rod with a reel in hand.
While COVID-19 may have put in-person TackleShare fishing events on hold, the program has gone full steam ahead with virtual fishing instruction.   TackleShare is reaching out to anglers young and old, new and experienced, to virtually “Fish Along with TackleShare” at their leisure. Anglers can join three ways: watch and learn from online fishing videos;
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Attention elementary teachers across Ontario – our new Conservation Crates are officially ready to borrow! Thanks to funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund grant, we’ve assembled a total of 20 brand new crates, filled with hands-on resources and curriculum-linked lesson plans. They are free to borrow through the OFAH|Mario Cortelluci Hunting and
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There are more than 1.4 million anglers in Ontario and 60 to 80% of them use baitfish; however, overcoming ecological risks associated with baitfish is inherently challenging. Unwanted introductions via the baitfish pathway of invasive and non-native species, pathogens and diseases, threaten our fisheries.   So how can we protect our fisheries while maintaining the long-standing ability to use baitfish?   In 2022, Ontario’s Bait Management Strategy will be implemented, which will divide the province into four Bait Management
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A beautiful landscape of the nature
Last week, Sherry Chambers let her daughter in on a nice opportunity she’s been chasing online.   “So, I’ve been playing this (Catch the) Ace game every week,” Sherry explained to her second-oldest, Brandy. “Give me $20 and I’ll buy 200 tickets for $40 for the next draw, and if I win, we’ll split it.”
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Wild Deer In The Colorado Great Outdoors – White-tailed Deer Buc
Every Wednesday, the OFAH Catch the Ace winner’s announcement tells a story about people like you – kind and caring supporters of nature and our outdoors way of life.   It’s a story that underscores outstanding loyalty!   In both CTA series, about 60 lucky winners so far have shared their wonderfully diverse outdoors backgrounds
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Wild Deer In The Colorado Great Outdoors – White-tailed Deer Buc
UPDATED on Monday, October 25, 2021 The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has confirmed that samples taken from three dead deer (an adult buck and a doe fawn from Wolfe Island and an adult buck from Gananoque Lake) have tested positive for epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD). According to the CWHC, dead deer were also reported
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For me, my grouse gun has always been a hinge action Remington 28-gauge or Cooey .410. My go-to turkey gun has always been a pump-action Remington 870 Express 12-gauge. In recent years, I use a semi-automatic Browning Gold Hunter 12-gauge decked out in marsh camo for waterfowl. The gun I take to the deer woods
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Conservation Area, Thunder Bay
Author’s Note: There is a critical need for conservation funding in Ontario. Most of our readers are anglers and hunters who contribute a large percentage of the funds Ontario currently uses for fish and wildlife management, so we encourage you to provide thoughts on how to address this funding crisis. Please e-mail us at: policy@ofah.org
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Community hatcheries have weathered the many challenges of operating during a pandemic, continuing to raise and stock fish into Ontario waters. In 2021 the Community Hatchery Program (CHP) is focused on helping hatcheries get through this unprecedented time while continuing to recruit new volunteers and improve their aquaculture practices.   MNDMNRF and OFAH funding arrives
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The Parliament – Ottawa City – Canada
E-day is here.   This federal election has been one for the ages. A pandemic, a polarized nation, and plenty of campaign noise. So where has the dust settled for anglers, hunters and trappers on election day?   You may have more than fishing and hunting on your mind these days, so what the parties
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Over the past few weeks, OFAH promotional posts for National Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Heritage Day have been a look back. But on actual Heritage Day, we look ahead.   Nostalgic photographs pulled from old family albums should make us wonder what photos our outdoors future will someday post. We believe that the new-age portrayal
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Across Canada, on the third Saturday of September, our great outdoor traditions are saluted with an official “Day.”   That Day is National Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing Heritage Day.   In the outdoors community, everyday is Heritage Day. Indeed, this particular national Heritage Day unites those who fish, hunt and trap, but it was also
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White-tailed deer buck in rut in the forest
In late June, the Ontario government announced a cabinet shuffle that resulted in profound changes for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Out went incumbent minister John Yakabuski and in came Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora Rainy-River. But it wasn’t a straight swap. While Minister Yakabuski had a singular portfolio with a sole focus
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Fishing on a lake at sunset. Fishing rod with a reel in hand.
Alexandra Percy, of Bowmanville, is always one touch away from her favorite way to support conservation. Last fall, she added the OFAH Catch the Ace link to the home screen on her phone. It seems her conservation touch worked. Alexandra was our week 16 winner, drawing card #25, which was the 2 of hearts, and
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Outside of pandemic years, the OFAH staff grows significantly every summer, often with more than two dozen students, interns, or seasonal staff hired for our programs like the Invading Species Awareness Program (ISAP), Tackleshare, Get Outdoors summer camps, and the OFAH|Mario Cortelucci Hunting and Fishing Heritage Centre.   ISAP actually hires many students hosted by
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Find an organization that tells you they have over 77,000 active members and you will find an organization that people care about. Find an organization that tells you 11,000 of those members have been loyal for over 25-years, you will find an organization that people cannot live without. 11,000 OFAH members have been faithfully paying
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UPDATE: Crown land camping and Ontario Parks camping will re-open as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 11, 2021. The prohibition on Crown land camping is one of the few remaining barriers for people wanting to get out fishing and hunting right now. If you fish and hunt solely in southern Ontario, the needle on your
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This week’s CTA winner carries a badge. Ryan Hamersma, 37, of Brantford, is an Enforcement Officer for Environment Canada and Climate Change. However, Ryan’s enforcement badge was earned long after he earned the OFAH volunteer badge of conservation dedication. He made his first OFAH donation (to the former wild turkey fund) when he was just
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A lone large Black Bear
May 1st marked the full return of the spring bear hunt in Ontario. While the immediate benefits to bear management, bear hunters and northern businesses and communities are obvious, there is a much bigger picture to consider behind the saga of Ontario’s spring bear hunt. At its core, this is about what drives wildlife management decisions in Ontario.  The rebound of wildlife populations across North America from
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Hey, I am Jonny Nene. For the last four months, I have been the OFAH Fitzsimons Financial Group Inc. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Intern. My love for fishing is one of the main reasons why I chose to pursue a career in fish and wildlife, but the road that led me to my internship with
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The OFAH has developed a series of resources to challenge myths with facts and help better inform the general public, media, and decision-makers about how firearms policy changes and proposals are impacting Canadians. These resources will also help firearms owners share important messages with elected officials in Ottawa, Toronto, and their local Municipal Councils. The
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Caution Poison Ivy
On Sunday April 25, Roxanne Pickering, of Sudbury picked up on a special sign. “Signs, signs everywhere there’s signs” – was the actual song lyrics playing on Roxanne’s Spotify playlist as she was scrolling through her Facebook newsfeed. That is when she stopped at the OFAH sponsored ad for Catch the Ace. “The logo made
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Wild Pig Photo 2
An extremely adaptable fugitive is on the loose and is posing a serious threat to Ontario’s natural resources and agricultural industries. Last seen causing widespread problems in Canada’s prairie provinces and many American states, wild pigs (Sus scrofa) have been reported in central, southern, and eastern Ontario in small, localized groups, but their ability to reproduce quickly,
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An inspired outdoors day is thanks to a conservation volunteer who always looks upstream. The quiet leadership and vision of the unselfish environmental achiever sees a meandering creek and a sleepy meadow as a place for otter slides and bluebird houses — not parking lots and plazas. Throughout my conservation career, I have worked with
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Rob Hare has been named the most recent recipient of the prestigious OFAH/Jack O’Dette Conservation Leadership Award, which is given each year to an OFAH director in recognition of their hard work and dedication in the name of conservation. The award is named in Honour of Jack O’Dette, a former OFAH president and board member,
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For many years, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has recognized the dedication of conservationists throughout the province through the Gord Blake Memorial Conservation Award. The 2020 recipient is Jake van Rooyen, a past president and current life member and Board of Director with the Bluewater Anglers Hatchery in Point Edward, Ontario. He currently
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