For International Women’s Day today, the TheGunBlog.ca is recognizing Canadian women and girls who shoot or who help the shooting community. See the partial list below.
TheGunBlog.ca estimates Canada is home to about 6 million shooters, of whom about 750,000 are female. Despite the numerically unfavourable odds, for years women gunnies have distinguished themselves from the target range to academia to the board room.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Team Canada had two shooters, both women. The managing director of the country’s main gun-industry group is a woman. The chairman of our newest gun-rights group is a woman.
Guns, Gear, Education
Industry professionals say that women are flocking to the shooting sports, driving demand for new guns and gear.
“Women are the fastest-growing segment of participants in the Ontario Hunter Education Program,” the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters said in a tweet.
Family and Friends
About 250,000 women have firearms licences. The number of women and girls who shoot is much higher (two, three, four times?) if we include girlfriends, wives, mothers, daughters, grand-daughters, sisters, nieces, cousins, friends and others who don’t have licences, but who still shoot guns, whether for two hours at the local firing range or for two weeks hunting in Africa.
Then there are the women who don’t shoot, but who assist, defend and promote shooting. They speak up for gun owners in conversations at work, volunteer for a shooting association or keep score at matches, help teach firearms courses or work at the local gun store.
Here’s to You!
Prominent Women
Below are a few prominent women in the Canadian shooting community, listed alphabetically by last name.)
Pat (Patricia) Boulay
- Based in Kingston, Ontario
- President of the Shooting Federation of Canada.
- Won the Canadian Air Gun Grand Prix in 2009.
- Has represented the Canadian national shooting team and the Canadian Military Shooting team.
Alison de Groot
- Based in Ontario
- Managing Director, Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association, the main organization for the country’s firearms industry.
Lynda Kiejko
- Based in Calgary, Alberta
- Named by the government last month as one of two vice-chairs of the Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee.
- One of two women, with Cynthia Meyer, shooting for Team Canada in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
- Won gold in both 25 metre pistol and 10 metre air pistol at the Pan Am Games in Toronto in 2015.
- Won bronze in 10 metre air pistol with her sister, Dorothy Ludwig, at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
- Began shooting as a child with her father, also an Olympic shooter.
- Click here to see TheGunBlog.ca’s in-depth interview with Kiejko.
Dorothy Ludwig
- Based in Langley, British Columbia
- Represented Team Canada in women’s 10 metre air pistol in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
- Won bronze in 10 metre pair pistol with her sister, Lynda Kiejko, at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
- Began shooting as a child with her father, also an Olympic shooter.
Cynthia Meyer
- Based in Bowen Island, British Columbia
- One of two women, with Lynda Kiejko, representing Team Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
- Also competed in trap and double trap at the Summer Olympics in 2004 in Athens, 2000 in Sydney and 1996 in Atlanta.
Linda Miller
- Based in Minden, Ontario
- Chief Executive Officer and Coaching Specialist, Milcun Training Center.
- Has been on Canada’s national shooting team, winning medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1994, Cuba World Cup in 1995, and Mexico World Cup in 1994.
- Has won sniper championships individually and with her husband.
- In 1999, became the first woman to win the Ontario Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for shooting.
- In 2002, was the top female in F-class rifle shooting provincially, nationally and at the world championships.
- Author, with her husband Keith Cunningham, of Secrets of Mental Marksmanship and The Wind Book for Rifle Shooters.
Susan Nattrass
- First woman trapshooter to compete at the Olympics, in 1976.
- Shot for Team Canada in six Olympics: 1976, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2008.
- Won gold at Women’s World Trapshooting Championship seven times, silver four times and bronze four times.
- Won gold in women’s trapshooting in 2007 Pan American Games, after carrying the flag for Canada in the opening ceremonies.
- Competed in most World Cups since 1986, winning gold in women’s double trap in 1993, silver in trap in 2000, bronze in 2000, 2001 and 2010.
- Named to the Order of Canada in 1981.
- Captain of All American women’s trapshooting team 1974-1978.
- Earned her Ph.D. in 1987.
- Daughter of a world-class trapshooter. Brothers also competed.
Marian (Mary) Patrick
- Based in Cornwall, Ontario
- Teenaged air-rifle shooter
- Hoping to compete in 2020 Olympics in Tokyo
Tracey Wilson
- Based in Ottawa, Ontario
- Chairman of the Board, Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights.
- Featured as Ottawa’s “Gun Goddess” by the Ottawa Citizen.
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