Kelti Baird <[email protected]>

Received Oct 7, 4:26 PM

Hello Scott & LFGA Folks!

Thank you so much for spending the time to send these questions along. I have included my answers below. Thanks for your ongoing service to our community!

LFGA City of Lethbridge By-Election Candidate Questions.

1) Do you support the continued operation of the Lethbridge Fish & Game Shooting Sports Facility in the current location in Pennaquim Park?–

Yes! I know the hard work the LFGA and stakeholders have put into making that range functional and safe, and support the continued use of the current location in the River Bottom. If the LFGA was interested in relocating, I would be more than happy to have that conversation, but until the organization determines the surroundings are no longer appropriate to their needs I see no reason to relocate the range. Yes, I’m aware that there have been several instances of rounds leaving the range in the past, but I am impressed with how proactive the LFGA has been in ensuring safety of members as well as the community.

2) The Federal government has said it will place the choice of banning handguns in the hands of municipalities. Lethbridge has an extremely active handgun sport-related community and culture. Would you support banning handguns in Lethbridge? Why or why not?

I’m not a sport shooter myself, but I do have friends who often engage in sport shooting with handguns and I appreciate how responsible the vast majority of gun owners are with their weapons. My view on hand-guns is that often the guns used in crimes are not registered fire-arms anyway, the vast majority of them being acquired illegally. Properly registered fire-arms owners take great care and pride in the security and handling of their weapons. I see no reason to punish law-abiding restricted fire-arms licensed owners when they haven’t done anything wrong.

3) Do you believe a ban on so-called ‘assault-style weapons’ that were legally owned by law-abiding people involved in the shooting sports makes our communities safer?

The current ban, as written by the Federal Government, is a load of hot garbage that doesn’t make our communities safer. Punishing law-abiding citizens doesn’t keep our communities safer, nor does a blanket restriction on fire-arms that doesn’t account for how illegal firearms are acquired.

4) Do you understand the process of becoming a licensed firearm owner in Canada? Do you have a PAL or RPAL?

I do! I have taken the firearms safety course through the LFGA and would have a PAL if I ever bothered to actually submit my paperwork. 

5) Have you experienced sport shooting or ethical hunting yourself?  What do you think are the key points to ethical hunting?

I have done a little sport shooting down at the range with friends, and I do have friends who hunt ethically. We rely on some of our friends to provide us with venison and seasonal meats, and even help butcher the animals that are taken each year. I believe that ethical hunting is at the heart of conservation and living gently on the land. The practice is significantly less detrimental to wilderness populations than say factory farming and the destruction of natural habitat that happens through industrialization and urban sprawl.

6) Have you used the Lethbridge Fish & Game Associations Shooting Sports Facility or been involved in any of our many conservation projects or activities?

Yes! I have shot at the LFGA range both firearms and archery and have enjoyed having the facility available in the community.

7) Do you support the City’s financial support of facility upgrades at the LFGA Shooting Sports Facility? 

I believe in publicly funding facilities to enhance equitable access for the general public to enjoy these facilities and would include the LFGA shooting facility in that support.

8) Do you support the statement that the Lethbridge Fish and Game Association Shooting Sports Facility and related organizations represent an important community sport and recreation resource in our community?

I do! The LFGA is an extremely responsible local organization that promotes conservation and firearms and hunting safety. With a hunting and sport-shooting culture as rich and diverse as ours, I believe the LFGA is an important community organization in Lethbridge. Not only for the access to the range, which is a very well-used and well-cared-for facility, but also for the educational component your organization, and partner organizations, provide to our citizenry.

9) Do you believe that the LFGA Shooting Sports Facility should be treated differently than other sporting venues by the City of Lethbridge. If so, how?

With each sport facility, I do think there is a certain amount of specialization that is required. Obviously in the realm of sports venues the Shooting facility has very different needs and expertise, which is why it is important to ensure the City has knowledgeable people at the table when decisions are being made about the facility.

10) The LFGA on behalf of its members donates thousands of dollars, and thousands of hours into conservation and habitat yearly. Do you feel this is important at the municipal level and are you involved in any of these activities or do you support wildlife conservation and habitat protection in other ways?

Yes! And your efforts are very appreciated! I believe there is an opportunity for the municipality to benefit even further from your work by actively engaging your organization in habitat regeneration efforts and planning. Unfortunately I’m more of a policy-focused person and don’t spend as much time on wildlife conservation and habitat protection in the physical-involvement sense, however I do appreciate and support these efforts in the community and you and your members have my ongoing thanks for your dedication to these activities!

Thank you so much for these questions and the opportunity to serve the community.

All the best,
Kelti Baird

• Kelti submitted her responces with the questions bolded and her answers in normal font, we have left this format to remain authentic as it seperates the two componenets clearly. – Scott