It's tough when your MLA or MP is from a party that isn't sympathetic....but....they kind of have to take meetings with constituents. I've been through the party switch - first MLA was Liberal, current one is NDP, and we've met (albeit over Zoom).

My thought process on it ranges from taking the "how do you eat an elephant" approach through the "what do you have in common" approach to the "we are many, you are few" approach.

You eat an elephant one bite at at time. The NDP MLA who's going to go to bat for you later this afternoon on gun issues or right to hunt or scientific management over social license simply does not exist. You meet with them anyway, and you tell them who you are, where you live (their constituency) and what you care about. You don't argue with them or try to demonize them. At worst they'll agree to disagree, but more likely (after all, they're politicians) they'll treat you politely. That's the first bite.

You build on common ground. What hunter conservationist doesn't like clean air and clean water? What politician (in fact, what person) doesn't like clean air and clean water? That's common ground. Hunters and anglers have a great story to tell, and it starts with that: clean air and clean water. Rebeka Breder may demonize us as bloodthirsty psychopaths, but she doesn't actually know what she's talking about. We are, in fact, very reasonable people with very reasonable concerns about the future of our province and what it will look like for those who come after us. It's very easy to make that clear, and you'll get buy in.

Last, even if you go after Ravi Kahlon one bite at a time, and even if he decides that you're a good and reasonable guy, the fact is that right after you he's going to meet with someone from the timber industry, and then he's going to meet with someone from the craft brewers guild, then he's going to talk with someone from the Shoppers Drugmart....(all of these are just from his Twitter feed).

You get the picture. You were one guy who was immediately followed by three more guys, and guess what? The timber guys met him repeatedly. You were outnumbered and rendered less important. Solution? Have more than you hit Ravi Kahlon up. Make him know that we are many and he is few.

Simple. Not easy. But pretty simple.


"And that's another problem we have - many hunters aren't technologically savvy enough to know how to even conduct zoom meetings. Maybe the BCWF could dedicate a webpage or send out a letter to members explaining specifically how to conduct zoom meetings with their elected officials?"

Absolutely. It's a wicked idea and one we should pursue. Zoom meetings, webinars, podcasts, social media. All of that needs to be made easier for hunters and anglers to exploit. We will get there.