The Lakeland Archers are a small-town archery club, but they are one of the most illustrious in the province due in part to their tight knit camaraderie and their passion for the sport. And as evidence of their capability and organization, Lac La Biche will be holding the archery provincials here in March, and nationals in 2014.
“We have put on a great provincial [competition] before,” said archery coach Pauline Schaub. “They like to take the provincials either south or north, and we’re the only ones in the north that can do it. The last time we hosted provincials, we had over 100 archers. That’s the biggest the province of Alberta had ever seen,” Schaub said.
“We’re organized, we have the space and we have the targets—not every club has as many targets.”
As for next year’s nationals, an event that will have the eyes of Canada’s archery community focused on Lac La Biche, Schaub says that plans for the competition are already underway.
“We’ve already got eight committees organized to do different things—transportation, concession, scorekeeping, etc. There’s a lot to do,” she said.
The club, which has been around for over 20 years, held its AGM Wednesday Sept. 12 at the archery lanes at the old curling rink in Lac La Biche. Regular shooting season starts Sept. 18.
“Rene takes it seriously,” said Schaub of her husband Rene, who is president of the Lakeland Archers and a national archery judge.
“He’s got a rule book that’s at least two inches thick. Even when we have our club events, Rene sets it up like they would at provincials and nationals. Unlike kids at some other clubs who have never seen these kinds of rules, the kids here have heard it, experienced it and know it. They’re familiar with it.”
Schaub says that the club is full of families who were looking for an activity to do together, and during the shooting season, the club is open Monday to Thursday from about 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. with as many as 40 archers showing up on any given night.
As for who shoots, Schaub says that the youngest bowman is three and the oldest is 96—another plume in the cap of the club—Herb Erikson is the oldest member of Archery Canada in the country, and has been plying his bow and arrow since he was eight years old.
“Archery is an individual sport. It’s great because there’s no pressure,” Schaub explained.
“You try to beat your own score. It’s a mental game, it requires discipline, and that builds self-confidence. And then there’s the social aspect. Our club is more like a family. It’s lots of fun. If you don’t hit the target, don’t worry about it.”
Last year the club had 130 registered archers, and the cost was $120 for one young archer, while a bow and four arrows could be rented for the year for $40. This year’s prices are still under discussion, but anyone interested in membership can attend the meeting or any regularly scheduled practice.
As for the big question of what happens when Lac La Biche County demolishes the old curling rink that has been home to the club for the past year, Schaub was adamant.
“They’re not tearing it down until they find a new home for us, otherwise they’ll have a human chain around there. They have to find us a new home first. We have nowhere else to go.”
