Highland Gun Club, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
August 28 - 31, 2025
Report by: Andrea Bassan
Photo credits: Andrea Bassan, Janine Blades, Doug Blades and many others.
The Highland Gun Club hosted another great Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot. Club volunteers had the club in tip top shape to welcome shooters for the 4 day 800 target competition. In attendance were shooters from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, New Jersey, and Florida.
The weather cooperated nicely this year with near perfect shooting conditions throughout the shoot. The days would begin on the cooler side but would warm up nicely as the day went on.
The APTA Board welcomed shooters to the club and got shooting started with the Sponsor's Challenge Warm Up Shoot on Wednesday, August 27.
The shoot got under way on Thursday, August 28 with the Memorial Singles - an event held to remember shooters that were once a part of our shooting community but are no longer with us. Nicholas Amirault (NS) was shooting in his first Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot and posted a personal best singles score of 99 tying Clyde d'Entremont (NS). Clyde won the Champion award after the carry over. Nicholas also earned his 50 straight and 75 straight patches.
The second event of the day was the APTA Class Singles and the start of the 700 target HOA. There were some more great scores posted and many carryovers required to finalize the results. Andrew Chambers (ON) tied with 3 others with a 98 in the APTA Class Singles. Andrew won Champion with a carry over win.
Day 2 started with the APTA Class Doubles and was followed by the APTA Preliminary Handicap. Bob Morphy (ON) posted the high score in the Doubles to take the Champion award and his first of many trophies at this year's shoot. Bob and wife Darlene have attended a number of Atlantic Provinces shoots and keep coming back. Maybe it's the food, shoot atmosphere, or the people that keep them coming back but this year Bob convinced his son Tim and family to plan an extended holiday to the east coast. Tim is also an ATA shooter and made the most out of the holiday and registered for the shoot.
Amirault shot a 90 in the preliminary Handicap to take the Champion award and also earned his first handicap yardage punch. Luke Malone (ON) and Gary Nickerson (NS) tied for second place with 89s. Nickerson won the shootoff to take Runnerup. Malone placed 3rd and won his 3rd trophy in 2 days. Jim Lavelle, visiting from New Jersey, won 4th place.
The SOS Clays Silver Bar Shoot Out generated a lot of interest. At the end of Day 1 and 2, anyone that entered the Option had the opportunity to win silver bars. The Day 1 Shoot Out was singles targets and Day 2 was handicap. Shooters that were drawn shot 10 targets until winners were decided. Both Shoot Outs required extra rounds to determine winners. After the 2nd shoot off round, the trap was switched over to wobble targets for fun. The targets were challenging! Thanks to SOS Clays for sponsoring the event.
In the Atlantic Provinces Singles Championship, Doug Blades (NS) and Greg Carr (ON) tied with 196. Doug took the Atlantic Provinces title and Greg took the Open Champion. Troy Coldwell was one target behind and claimed the Runnerup place.
Amirault continued to shoot well and won A Class.
Ben Barteaux (NS), Duncan Coldwell (NL),and Zach Eustace (NB) were all attending their first Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot and won awards. Barteaux won C Class and Duncan and Zach won the Junior and Junior Gold category awards. Luke Malone, another first time shoot attendee, won B Class Open, after a class advance from his preliminary day wins, and his fourth trophy of the shoot.
Troy Coldwell (NL) won the Atlantic Provinces Doubles Championship with the high score of 94. Jim Wood (ON) won the Open Champion. Jim has attended many Atlantic Provinces shoots and encourages a contingency of Ontario shooters to also attend our shoot. This year Jim also convinced son Josh, wife Sheena, and grandson Logan to attend. Sheena also competed but Logan decided to wait another year before shooting in a "big shoot."
The scores were competitive overall in the Doubles Championship with just 5 targets separating the top 5 scores. Doug Blades claimed the Runnerup spot with a 92, Andrea Bassan claimed the AA Atlantic Provinces Class Champion with a 91 and Jim Hannah was close behind with a 90 to claim the AA Class Open Champion. Janaya Nickerson had an 89 for the Lady I category win.
Troy Coldwell (NL) and Jamie Leblanc (NB) tied for Handicap Champion with 92s. Coldwell claimed the Atlantic Provinces Handicap Championship after a shoot off win. Leblanc took Runnerup. Coldwell and Leblanc both earned 1 yard. The earned yardage also put Coldwell back on the 27 yard line.
Quebec's Stephane Benard and Marie Josee Perron represented la belle province nicely in the Handicap. Stephane actually had the high score (94) in the Handicap and took the Open Champion. Marie won 4th Place Open with her 85. Stephane and Marie are also married and regularly attend shoots together. Both are very competitive shooters.
Janaya Nickerson claimed her third Lady I Award of the shoot with a 91 and Ben Barteaux (NS) continued shooting well winning 4th place with a 25 straight in a shootoff win over Doug Blades (23). The win was Ben's third trophy for the shoot. A very good performance for someone attending their first ATA Provincial Shoot.
In the Atlantic Provinces High All Around Around, Troy Coldwell won Champion with a 381. Doug Blades took Open Champion with a 375. In the High Over All it was Coldwell again for Champion and Bob Morphy (ON) for the Open Champion.
The Highland Gun Club is a well run facility. Doug Blades is in charge and is very thankful for a group of volunteers that can be counted on. No fuss, no complaining. Everyone knows what needs to be done and it gets done.
It's impossible to mention all the volunteers but there are some key members that are largely responsible for keeping the club looking respectable and making it possible for the shoot to happen. Janaya Nickerson, Aubrey Spinney, Clyde d'Entremont and Kenny d'Eon are just 4 of the valued volunteers that all gun clubs need to be successful.
The volunteer trap help at the Highland Gun Club are also some of the best. Justin, Cathy, Nancy, Ron, Philip, Shawn, and club president Louis were kept busy scoring and loading traps for the duration of the shoot. And thanks to all the shooters that stepped in to relieve the scorers for a round or two and to jump in to load a trap.
It's also a family affair for Doug. His dad Brian is a long time club member and wife Janine, daughter Claire and son James kept the shoot rolling along. Claire has also became the official shoot baker bringing fresh cookies and muffins each morning. She's also known for taking, and agreeing to, special requests for peanut butter cookies. You don't get that at every shoot.
New Jersey shooters Jim Lavelle and Kolleen Adams expressed an interest in attending our shoot but were a little uneasy about attending due to the ongoing political issues between Canada and United States. However, after a great experience at the Canadian Trapshooting Championships at the Hamilton Gun Club earlier in the summer, and some reassuring that politics won't get in the way, the pair decided to attend.
Jim and Kolleen were so appreciative of the hospitality and friendliness, they wrote a letter thanking Canadians, the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association, the shooters, and everyone they interacted with for such a great time. Sometimes it's the little things that most of us take for granted that makes all the difference. You're welcome Jim and Kolleen. We were honoured to have you spend a few days with us. Come back anytime.
Here's the letter Jim wrote.
Thanks to all our sponsors that help make our shoot possible. We appreciate your support.
The 2026 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot will head back to the St. John's Rod and Gun Club in Holyrood, NL from September 1 - 4. See you at the shoot!
Shoot Results
Photos