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Hunters want to change image

BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW [email protected] The Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association (SGAF) is all about changing the image that hunters and anglers only exploit natural, renewable resources.
BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW

The Sudbury Game and Fish Protective Association (SGAF) is all about changing the image that hunters and
anglers only exploit natural, renewable resources.

?Our organization can best be described as conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts dedicated to preserving our fish, wildlife and their habitats, so following generations can enjoy those riches,? said Esko Kalviainen, president.

?Our goal is to build a better future that includes plenty of fish and wildlife. A future where your children and mine can enjoy our hunting and fishing heritage.?

SGAF is one of the most proactive organizations in Northern Ontario.

SGAF has spearheaded numerous campaigns over its 90 years of existence in Sudbury. From restocking local lakes with strong, vibrant fish to participating in the Adopt A Road program to planting trees and funding biology bursaries at Laurentian University, SGAF has established itself as an important cornerstone of the community.

?Not all people actively contribute to utilizing and preserving our natural environment,? said Kalviainen.

?Educating people is the key to helping people understand and contribute to our natural environment.?

The club holds monthly meetings on their 80-acre waterfront property located off Long Lake road where the general public can hear lectures on topics such as outdoor photography to wild turkey management.

?We?re constantly looking for volunteers that want to make a difference,? said Kalviainen. ?One way people can make a difference is to join SGAF and be heard.?

SGAF also helps the Ministry of Natural Resources to catch poachers.

Besides the obvious benefits of making a difference, SGAF offers a host of activities and programs for people to enjoy.

The property includes a rifle range, archery ranges, nature and hiking trails, a campground, wetlands, sauna and a clubhouse.

Activities include the family fishing derby, the annual fish pond in the New Sudbury Centre, archery contests, animal relief programs and educational seminars among others.

The club is committed to teaching youth about conservation.

?We have all kinds of activities for kids and we?re involved with the Tackle Share program with Ramakko?s,? said Kalviainen. ?We focus a lot of attention on kids because they?re the future of sustaining conservation.?

Kalviainen believes people shouldn?t be ashamed to be hunters or anglers.

?In reality, it?s everybody?s heritage from way back,? said Kalviainen.

?Enjoyment of the hunt isn?t about killing the animal, but being out there and enjoying the surroundings.?

SGAF will be hosting a free rifle sight-in day Sept. 6 on their property at the rifle range.

?We promote the safe use of firearms,? said Kalviainen. ?We?re providing a safe place for hunters to sight in their rifles.?

Kalviainen is proud to be the president of an organization that does so much for the community and asks for so little in return.

?I love to see animals running around our forests and seeing fish swimming in our lakes,? said Kalviainen.

?Development and mishandling of natural resources will destroy habitats and we?re here to promote them and
keep them safe.?

SGAF has also been recognized for all their hard efforts in conservation. The club is a former winner of the Mary Pickford Award for the Ontario conservation club of the year.

?It?s a great feeling knowing you?re part of a large group of people all dedicated to helping the environment and the
natural resources.?

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