About the New Ontario Shooters Association (NOSA)

Thunder Bay, Ontario

We are a family-friendly Thunder Bay shooting club, for pistol and/or rifle. (See our Range Schedules web page for current details.

NOSA members are happy to be helpful to new persons joining whether experienced or just starting in this sport. Ladies thinking of trying target shooting will be comfortable with the assistance provided by our very proficient lady members. NOSA Junior Shooters will receive the benefit of training by some extremely competent instructors (see the Junior Shooters page).

The "New" in our name relates to the once popular term of New Ontario for this portion of the province. Our shooting club started in 1909 as a rifle long range target shooting club, and incorporated several other local clubs over the years as we expanded our interests to other types of rifle and pistol target shooting.

NOSA's Aim

The goals of the New Ontario Shooters Association Inc. (N.O.S.A. or NOSA) shall be to promote and perpetuate small arms shooting and proficiency in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.

NOSA Specific Objectives

To actively introduce recreational shooting as a safe and enjoyable sport to the general public in the Thunder Bay area.

To train individual members to safely and efficiently handle and fire any small arms that they wish to become familiar with.

To become involved when appropriate in shooting programs or events sponsored by Provincial Rifle Associations or the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association.

To work with our affiliated organization, Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance (a.k.a. Team NOSA, who adopted their full name and NOSA acronym long after our NOSA already existed).

NOSA Membership

Members of the public who have an interest in taking up this shooting sport are encouraged to contact one of the NOSA Club Executives (see the Club Contacts link at left).

Potential members must be legally eligible to own or operate firearms in Canada.

All NOSA members owning firearms shall have a valid Firearms Licence: namely the appropriate Possession Acquisition Licence or PAL for the classes of firearms held. Every firearm in the restricted or prohibited class must be accompanied by its Firearm Registration Certificate.

New and existing NOSA members wishing to obtain an A.T.T. certificate (Authorization To Transport a restricted or prohibited class of firearm) must receive and pass a mandatory firearms training course taught by an appointed NOSA Club Instructor. New members undergo a three month probationary period. NOSA members must remain in good standing and attend an approved number of shooting sessions annually. Any member of the New Ontario Shooters Association with an A.T.T. based upon membership in our NOSA Club must surrender the A.T.T. on leaving this club; non-renewal of membership will likewise result in A.T.T. cancellation.

NOSA's Membership Fee Structure

NOSA Memberships for 2025 are due December 31st in 2024 and in each year afterwards. Fish and Game Memberships are also due December 31st in 2024 and, if not paid by then, the member's F&G range entry key fob will be turned off by F&G on January 1st 2025.

All new adult members joining both NOSA and Fish and Game will be subject to Fish and Game's new member protocols and must complete an SOS -- Safety Orientation Session -- which is a TBFandG-conducted safety briefing and tour of their ranges. This joint membership allows those members holding both NOSA and TBFandG Memberships to access Fish and Game Ranges seven days per week all year, plus the Nolalu Range seasonally (weekly on 3 days per week on Thursdays and Saturdays and Sundays from mid May to mid October -- see the exact start and end dates on the Range Schedules page -- link in left column).

The fee structures for NOSA Memberships in 2025.

In order to shoot rifles and handguns on the Fish and Game ranges, NOSA Club Dues for adults will be $100.00/year individual (or $130.00 Family) PLUS Thunder Bay Fish and Game Membership Fees which include CSSA Insurance.

Fish and Game Membership Fees are subject to change by their organization and their current fees are found on the Fish and Game website: https://thunderbayfishandgame.com/about/

NOSA Junior Shooters' Annual Membership will remain at $60.00, unless their parents already have a Family Membership with NOSA.

NOSA Nolalu Range Membership Only: $180.00 for a single Adult Membership, or $280.00 for a Family Membership including all children under 18, for one year to shoot at Nolalu Ranges 1 and 2 weekly on 3 days per week, on Thursdays and and Saturdays and Sundays, from mid May to mid October (see the exact start and end dates on the Range Schedules page -- link in left column).

A current agreement has been made with the Thunder Bay Combat Club, which normally books the same Nolalu Ranges for Saturdays during this same period, to share these same Ranges with NOSA Members weekly on both Saturdays and Sundays.

The following will apply for NOSA Memberships effective 01 January 2025.

Effective January 1, 2025, Membership Dues shall be paid by the NOSA Annual General Meeting in January of each year. Unless prior arrangements have been made and approved by the NOSA Executive, a late payment penalty will be applied for Renewals paid after January 31st of each year.

After April 30th, no Renewals will be accepted until January of the following year. This does not apply to new people applying for a first time NOSA Membership.

We expect members might have some further questions on the new fees and structure, which will be answered by Bob and Dana at their contact phone numbers (See link to Club Contacts in left column), and then the website will be updated regularly if, and as, clarifications are made to the NOSA protocols regarding these changes.

NOSA Club Lanyard Must Be Worn By Adults To Shoot On Our Nolalu Ranges

No adult member is permitted to shoot on any Nolalu Range, unless they are clearly displaying their current NOSA membership card in the provided card case on the club lanyard, which is to be worn around the neck.

Similarly, adult guests shooting with NOSA on its Nolalu ranges must wear and clearly display the official NOSA club guest lanyard.

Adult persons not wearing the above proper NOSA identification will be removed from the firing area.

TBFandG Club Lanyard Must Be Worn By Adults To Shoot On the TBFandG Ranges

Starting from 2023, the NOSA lanyard and NOSA membership card must also be worn when shooting on NOSA reserved sessions at TBFandG Ranges.

Information on this website may include partial extracts (but not necessarily exact wording) from the Constitution and By-Laws of the New Ontario Shooters Association Incorporated.

The complete current version of the NOSA Constitution and By-Laws may be viewed here.

Thanks to Gerry K., we have some now fascinating historic material about NOSA.

To view some very old and historic materials from our archives, just click on this.

To view the the announcement for our first match in 1985, just click on this.

Warning and Disclaimer. Only the most current printed Shooting Rules and Range Standing Orders and Match Standing Orders as issued by the N.O.S.A. Executive are official and they should be read, understood, and followed. If there is any question as to interpretation of a rule, or safety of a practice, immediately ask a member of the Executive or a Range Safety Officer before placing yourself or anyone or anything else at risk. Any activity involving firearms has inherent dangers. Some contents on this website may include personal opinions and experiences or practices that should not be emulated. Everyone viewing this website, or any other website or book or magazine or pamphlet or media source, is cautioned to seek professional advice first about anything written or implied or inferred. Your safety is your personal responsibility.

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