Trap and Field's Around the ATA article from the Atlantic Provinces ATA Delegate
January 2018
Hello from the Atlantic Provinces - Canada’s four most eastern provinces and part of the ATA’s Eastern Zone. We are the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the first Around the ATA article for the Atlantic Provinces, so I thought that in this and upcoming articles I would provide you with some information on who we are, where we are located and provide some historical information on us that you may find interesting.
Our ATA Provincial Shoot alternates between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. The Atlantic Provinces shoot often hosts many shooters from across Canada and the US, and we are always known to show all visitors (or “Come From Aways” as they’re called here locally) a good time both on and off the trapfield. The Highland Gun Club located near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia will host the 2018 Atlantic Provinces Shoot for the first time and we are extending an open invitation to all shooters across the ATA. For more shoot information feel free to contact me.
Our shooter profile is similar to other ATA States and Provinces with shooters of all ages, various competitive levels and shooting aspirations. Our shooters also include Canadian Champions and Grand American trophy winners. We have dedicated trapshooters who compete at the local level and also have a number of shooters who regularly attend the Satellite Grands, the Eastern Zone and other ATA State / Provincial shoots.
The ATA history of the Atlantic Provinces is not well known among local shooters. My research has uncovered that we had at least one ATA shooter from Nova Scotia in the early 60s, and then sometime in the early 70s the Atlantic Provinces was listed in the ATA Average Book. We also know that US-born shooter Harry Willsie played an important role in getting the Atlantic Provinces into the world of ATA shooting. I was fortunate to win the Harry Willsie High All Around Canadian Award at the 2013 Grand and was not aware of his contribution to the world of trapshooting until doing some research on the guy who was memorialized in Grand American High Canadian trophies.
According to the ATA Hall of Fame, Harry was born in Missouri and moved to Canada in 1953 to work in television, public relations and then the sporting goods industry. He won many Quebec provincial, Canadian, Eastern Zone and Grand American trophies and from all accounts was a great contributor to the ATA and the clay target shooting sports on both sides of the border. Harry attended his 43rd Grand American and shot the 2002 Grand American Handicap. Harry passed away in 2003 the same year he was inducted into the ATA Hall of Fame. Thank you, Harry, for all your efforts.
If anyone has any information that they could provide on the inclusion of the Atlantic Provinces in the ATA, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.
Historical tidbit: In 1949, the cod fishery collapsed and the then country of Newfoundland went bankrupt. The British colony had a referendum with options to join the United States, remain a sovereign country or join the dominion of Canada on the ballot. The latter option won and we became Canada’s 10th province merging with the territory of Labrador. Some people still say the vote was rigged and still consider themselves proud Newfoundlanders first, Canadians second.
For more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association visit www.aptrap.com.
Regards, Andrea
Andrea Bassan
ATA Delegate - Atlantic Provinces
www.aptrap.com