Stop land divestment and renew lease
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to stop divesting the federal land occupied by Penticton Shooting Sports Association and renew its lease to preserve community, public‑safety and family recreational use. The government responds that Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada deems the parcels surplus and has notified the Association of lease termination effective December 31, 2025.
Why we would sign this petition
- Keeps a local venue for firearm safety, hunter education and cadet training, supporting public‑safety skills used by police and community members.
- Preserves a family‑friendly competitive sport facility that the petition says supports youth programs and community recreation.
- Securing a lease prevents sudden closure and maintains long‑term access for training and public‑safety partnerships.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada states the parcels are surplus and not used for research; divestment may be proper federal asset stewardship.
- Disposing of federal land can free space for uses that serve broader public interests or reduce maintenance costs.
- Renewing a lease could delay planned real‑property strategies and may incur costs or limit alternative beneficial uses.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada The Penticton Shooting Sports Association is a cornerstone of our community, offering critical training for hunting, firearms safety, and youth programs, while fostering family-friendly sport; The Penticton Shooting Sports Association, located on land managed by the Government of Canada, provides essential training facilities for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, other law enforcement agencies, and community members, including hunter education, firearms safety courses, proper firearms training for youth and cadets, and a welcoming space for family-oriented competitive shooting sports; and The proposed divestment of the land by the Government of Canada jeopardizes the association’s ability to continue serving as a vital community and public safety resource. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to halt the divestment of the land occupied by the Penticton Shooting Sports Association and secure a renewed lease to ensure its continued operation as a community, public safety and family oriented recreational facility.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Signed by The Honourable Heath MacDonald, PC, MP As part of its due diligence to ensure sound stewardship of taxpayer funds, all Government of Canada departments are required to review and evaluate property holdings on an ongoing basis. Properties that are underutilized, inefficient, or no longer needed to support programs are typically declared surplus. The parcels of land in question for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are not being used by the Department for our science research mandate programs due to their topography and distance from the Summerland Research and Development Centre. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s decision to dispose of them aligns with standard government practice as set out in the Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Real Property regarding surplus assets; including the decision to terminate the lease with the Penticton Shooting Sports Association on the site in order to move forward with the divestiture process. This reflects Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s obligations to manage federal lands responsibly and align with broader real property strategies. The Penticton Shooting Sports Association was notified of the Department’s decision to divest of the surplus land in January 2023, and again during an in-person site visit in June 2023 where we verbally informed the Penticton Shooting Sports Association of the requirement to eventually terminate the lease in order to continue with disposal requirements. The Penticton Shooting Sports Association were officially notified by letter in May 2024 of the lease termination date of December 31, 2025.