Dominion of Canada Rifle Association

The Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA; French: Association de Tir Dominion du Canada) is a Canadian shooting sports organization governing Fullbore target rifle disciplines. The Association was founded in 1868 and incorporated by an Act of Parliament 63-64 Victoria Chapter 99, assented to July 7, 1900, to promote and encourage the training of marksmanship throughout Canada.[1]

Not to be confused with National Firearms Association.
Dominion of Canada Rifle Association
FormationApril 1, 1868
TypeShooting organization
HeadquartersOttawa, Ontario
Official language
English
AffiliationsInternational Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations (ICFRA)
Websitewww.dcra.ca

History

On April 1, 1868, Adjutant General of the Militia General MacDougall called a meeting in Ottawa, where it was decided to form the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association, bringing together thirty three disparate associations.[2]

The first Annual Prize Meeting was held just outside Montreal. In excess of 900 competitors turned up to compete for $5,500 in prize money (equivalent to nearly $200,000 in 2022). The DCRA has continued to hold prize meetings every year since, except during the two World Wars. The Rideau Range near Ottawa served as the national range until 1897. In 1898 the Meeting moved to Rockcliffe, which permitted shooting from 200 to 1000 yards with room for extension back to 2000.

The DCRA erected a plaque in 1906 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Ottawa which is dedicated to Lt Colonel John MacPherson (1830-1906), who served as its treasurer for 36 years.[3] In 1921, the Association moved again to Connaught Ranges, which they were granted the use of in perpetuity. The DCRA erected a memorial plaque at the DCRA building at the Connaught Ranges (Shirley's Bay) which is dedicated in memory of the members of the DCRA who gave their lives in World War II.[4]

Macdonald Stewart Pavilion
Canada House, National Shooting Centre, England

In 1896, the DCRA ran a competition for the construction of a pavilion on Bisley Camp, England. This was to serve as a residence for the Canadian national team when competing at the UK National Rifle Association's annual Imperial Meeting.[5] The contract was awarded to the firm of C J Saxe and R M Rodden of Montreal, who completed "the Macdonald Stewart Pavilion" in 1897 (more often known at Bisley as "Canada House"). Aside from providing a comfortable accommodation for the team, the specification called for extensive use of Canadian woods and show off the versatility of the materials to all visitors. In 2003 the building became Grade-II listed by Historic England and has since been used as a filming location for Netflix series The Crown, as a stand-in for period locations in North America.

Provincial rifle associations

The provincial rifle associations are:[6]

  • Alberta Rifle Association[7]
  • British Columbia Rifle Association[8]
  • Manitoba Provincial Rifle Association[9]
  • Nova Scotia Rifle Association[10]
  • Ontario Rifle Association[11]
  • Prince Edward Island Rifle Association[12]
  • Province of Quebec Rifle Association[13]
  • Royal New Brunswick Rifle Association[14]
  • Saskatchewan Rifle Association[15]
  • National Capital Region Rifle Association[16]

See also
Canada
International

References
  1. "Dominion of Canada Rifle Association - History". Archived from the original on October 20, 2007.
  2. "About Us". Dominion of Canada Rifle Association. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  3. "MacPherson memorial: Memorial 35059-139 Ottawa, ON". National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  4. "Dominion of Canada Rifle Association memorial (Second World War): Memorial 35062-006 Ottawa (Nepean), ON". National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  5. "The Macdonald Stewart Pavilion". Historic England. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  6. "Shooting Links: Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA)". www.dcra.ca.
  7. "Alberta Provincial Rifle Association". June 26, 2007. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007.
  8. "British Columbia Rifle Association". www.bcrifle.org.
  9. "Manitoba Provincial Rifle Association". Manitoba Provincial Rifle Association.
  10. "Index of /nsrifle". August 1, 2001. Archived from the original on August 1, 2001.
  11. "Ontario Rifle Association – Welcome".
  12. "Prince Edward Island Rifle Association". Archived from the original on 2013-01-15. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
  13. "ATPQ — Association de Tir de la Province de Québec". Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  14. "Royal New Brunswick Rifle Association". rnbra.ca.
  15. "Saskatchewan Provincial Rifle Association".
  16. "National Capital Region Rifle Association | Under Construction". July 8, 2007. Archived from the original on July 8, 2007.
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