Our Programming

The SFGA seeks to provide its members with a wide range of educational programming throughout the year. Some are shorter duration evening presentations, whereas other are full or multi-day training courses. Make sure to take advantage of these excellent learning opportunities.

Our History

In 1914 the Canadian Armed Forces leased land from the Sarcee Nation to be used for military exercises to train soldiers for WWI. It became the largest training base in Western Canada. For several years, there were no permanent buildings, just tents, and it was simply called “Sarcee Camp”. Eventually it became more permanent, with buildings for offices, staff, and equipment.  The name became Canadian Forces Base Calgary at Sarcee. The base remained as a military base until 1998, when the use of the land was returned to the Sarcee Nation. The Sarcee Nation, however, has since, changed its name to the Tsuu T’ina Nation. 

Sarcee base was the perfect place for a fish and game club. It had shooting ranges for firing every type of hunting and target shooting gun. It had older buildings very suitable for a club house, and it had many military people who loved to hunt and fish. Although the oldest fish and game club in the province, the Calgary Fish and Game Association was very active in the city, the facilities at the base were not open to civilians. For a group of military people at the base, organizing their own club appeared to be a good idea. The Sarcee Fish and Game was formed in 1956 by members of the Canadian Army serving at the Sarcee base. The club became part of the Provincial organization, the Alberta Fish and Game Association. The founding members were Barry Connatty, Percy Faith, Pete Bacon, Ken Mohr, Ken Yank, Vic Johnson, Ken Urge, Ed Swan, and Fred Morris. Membership was restricted to Armed Forces personnel and to civilians in the employ of the military. 

Sarcee Fish and Game evolved over the years. Because many of the early members were frequently transferred to different bases, it became difficult for the early club to keep continuity, so the military eventually allowed the club to include civilians. Finally, when the military became more concerned about security, and the club house was needed for another person, in the late 1970’s the Sarcee Fish and Game Association moved off the base and became a strictly civilian organization. Calgary became the city with two Fish and Game clubs, and they have both continued to this day.