Good evening, welcome to all,

My name is Norman Chevrier, I am the president of the Saint-Lazare friendly hunting and fishing club.

Allow me to introduce to you our association.

The Saint-Lazare friendly hunting and fishing club is a non-profit organization that was founded by a group of Saint-Lazare friends in 1985 who enjoyed hunting and fishing. The Club will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2010. Back then members organized different competitions and met at each others homes to exchange trophies and enjoy various hunting and fishing activities.

Years have passed and today the club counts over 400 members, who include original members and friends, children, women and men who enjoy hunting and fishing.

Our club organizes all sorts of different activities throughout the year so members can meet each other and enjoy their common passion.

Our activities include:

·	Three ice fishing tournaments, one of which is held during the Saint-Lazare snow fest;
·	Sugar shacking
·	Clay pigeon shooting tournaments;
·	Three summer fishing tournaments;
·	Lam roast and horseshoe tournament;
·	Hunting tournament (small and larger game);

1	The purpose of our association is to organize various activities to promote respectful hunting and fishing according to the best practices and rules of conduct.
2	We therefore have the opportunity to practice these activities with friends and family members.
3	As a member of management, I wish to mention that we do not have the authority or the mandate to enforce the law. We rather work as volunteers with older and newer hunters, fishermen and women to encourage them to follow adequate training and be respectful of other people and properties while practicing their passion.
4	As president of this association and as an employee of a distribution company based in Montreal, I cannot control over 400 members, no more than the president of a Mustang fan club has control over those members who modify their engine or decide not to respect the Highway Code. Several of you tonight, as motorists, will probably exceed the speed limit while driving back home. The same principle applies to hunters! There are good, respectful hunters while some are less respectful.
5	I would also like to mention that our club encourages our local businesses when they organize competitions and hand out prizes.
6	I would like to close by saying that hunting is not a crime and hunters are not criminals. They practice a passion that is legitimate and legal. Many people in Saint-Lazare have different passions, some horseback ride, some play hockey, some ride ATVs or snowmobiles; it doesn’t make them bad people because they don’t share the same passion. We understand that firearms are more impressive than a hockey stick, and so I do encourage you to come talk to me once all presentations are over so we can introduce you to the unfamiliar tools we use and demystify them together.
7	I would also like to encourage those who are concerned about their physical safety (although no incidents have been reported in Quebec between hunters and non-hunters) to wear, like hunters do, a reflective vest. I know the town subsidized them at a low cost. You can even win one tonight if you fill-in your ballot.