About the IPBA

2022-2024 Executive Committee

President

Fern Hébert
Val des Monts QC J8N 7J4
819-671-3367

Vice-President
André Hébert

Papineauville QC J0V 1R0

819-773-1421

hebertah@hotmail.com

Secretary-Treasurer

Gaetan Vallée
ipba@hotmail.ca

Directors

Michel Boucher
Lochaber-Partie-ouest QC J0X 3B0
819-210-9840
michel.boucher12@gmail.com

Christian Forget

anistandre@gmail.com

Richard Quenneville
Lancaster ON K0C 1Z0
613-347-2700

Adrian Spuehler

St. Bernardin ON K0B 1N0

613-298-3644

adi_spuehler@hotmail.com

Patrick Rainville
Val Des Monts QC J8N 7J7
819-671-8864

André Latour

St-Albert ON

613-987-2915

Sale Committee

Fern Hébert 819-671-3367
Adrian Spuehler 613-298-3644
Patrick Rainville 819-671-8864

Honorary Directors

Gerrit Dorrepaal
Gerald Noble

Our History

The club, known originally as “Amis des Petits Animaux de Thurso”, had its first meetings in 1967-68 in the Union Hotel in Thurso. In 1970 or thereabouts, the meetings were moved to Lachute due to the increase in memberships in that area. The name was changed to “The Inter-Provincial Fancy Bird Breeders Association” and a few of whose members are still active today.

The group was very active and meetings were held in members’ homes e.g. the Dorrepaals, Nobles, McCaigs, Higginsons, Matthews and Varys. In 1974, fall shows began to be held using member’s lawns such as the Dorrepaal’s Greenhouses, the Matthews’ and Vary’s Farms, and the Lachute Fair Grounds. There were sometimes as many as 400 entries and the judges, the best in their field were paid to come from Toronto and Gatineau. After these shows many of the participants would go to the McCaig’s Farm for a festive supper and more poultry talk. The price of the tickets for the suppers helped defray the costs of the
show. Eventually, many of the older members stopped raising poultry, and some of them passed away. The club became smaller and the shows stopped.

Sometime after 1980, the meetings were resumed, this time, in Grenville at a church hall. The name was changed to “The Inter-Provincial Bird Association”. There were no more shows but very successful Spring and Fall Auctions continued to be held at the Grenville Community Hall. This ended when the hall underwent renovations around 1997 and a new venue was needed. After much debate the community hall in Ste Anne de Prescott, Ontario was chosen, where sales were held for 2 years.

In 1999, it was decided to move across the bridge to Hawkesbury, Ontario and to hold our meetings in the Hawkesbury Legion, which is still the case today. The club sales were also held in the Legion for a couple of years until it became too small. At that point the location was changed, once again, to The Knights of Columbus Hall in Alfred, Ontario where very successful auctions are still held each spring and fall.

A “fun” Buy, Sell, Trade Day is held at the Lachute Commission Sales Barn in July each year. This is a day for fellowship and exchanging information with other breeders.

Our Board of Directors put a lot of time and effort into these events and they deserve special thanks, as do our many volunteers who help out at the sales. Without them we would not have been able to carry on more than 50 years of promoting quality bird breeding and encouraging public appreciation and understanding of bird breeding and wildlife conservation.

Our Mission

Have fellowship in meeting with other bird breeders and exchanging bird breeding information;
Promote and protect the rights and interests of those keeping and raising all types of birds and keep them aware of what their rights are;
Promote harmony, unity and the purpose of bird breeding;
Improve conditions under which bird breeding is carried on;
Promote quality breeding according to the "Standard of Perfection";
Encourage public appreciation and understanding of bird breeding and wildlife conservation in general;
Set up rules, precedence, organisation and by-laws for the purpose of carrying out the above;
Hold auction sales from time to time and give members the opportunity to sell and otherwise dispose of or acquire birds for breeding purposes;
Acquire unusual or uncommon varieties of birds for the purposes of breeding;
Publish a bulletin to keep the members aware of the organisation.

Bylaws

Our By-Laws

An Executive Committee consisting of a President, a Vice-President, and 7 directors shall manage the affairs of the association.
Elections will be held by a show of hands, unless a member requests a ballot or a decision is made by the directors.
Each director shall be elected to hold a term of two (2) years up to and including the annual meeting after he has been elected or until his successor has been duly elected and qualified. If a vacancy is created in the board of directors by death, resignation, or any other cause, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to maintain a full board by appointment of fully accredited association members of the board of directors.
Each director shall attend 75% of all directors' meetings and shall not miss more than two (2) consecutive meetings between annual meetings. If this condition is not met, and there is no valid reason, a replacement will be appointed by the Executive Committee to serve in the director's place, as stated above. In each of the aforementioned cases, the replacement shall serve out the term of the replaced director.
Any three (3) directors present at any directors' meeting shall constitute a quorum for business transactions. Money expenditures other than current expenses shall be voted upon by no Fewer than four (4) directors.
Each director shall be entitled to one (1) vote at each meeting of the board of directors. In the event of a tie, the President shall have the casting vote.
Directors shall not receive any remuneration for acting as such.
There shall be a President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer (one office). Any association member, whether serving a term or not, is eligible for these positions.
The outgoing directors are immediately eligible to be re-elected if they so desire.
The directors may serve as such for an indefinite number of terms.
The President shall preside over all general meetings of the association and all meetings of the board of directors. He, along with the Secretary-Treasurer, shall sign all the by-laws and amendments to the by-laws and shall approve the minutes.
The executive committee of the IPBA reserves the right to reject or cancel a membership at anytime. Reimbursement will be given if necessary.
The President, along with the Secretary-Treasurer, shall sign the membership cards. (Only the President or the Secretary-Treasurer is authorized to sign the Association cheques).
The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep an accurate record of all receipts and disbursements of the association in proper accounting books and shall deposit at the bank all monies in the name and to the credit of the association.
Membership in the association shall be open to anyone who keeps or breeds birds or is interested in the goals and objectives of the association.
The annual membership fees shall be $ 20.00 for all members. The fees may be changed by unanimous vote of the board of directors and approval by a majority vote of the members at the annual meeting or at a special general meeting called for such a purpose.
The membership fees shall be due and payable at the annual meeting . If any member fails to pay his fees within a thirty-(30) day period, he shall cease to belong to the association. But, any member may upon payment of all unpaid fees be reinstated.
All members fourteen (14) years of age and over are entitled to one (1) vote at any annual meeting, general meeting, or special meeting of the association.
Any director may resign at any time with a twenty-one (21) day written notice addressed to the Secretary-Treasurer. At the following general meeting, he or she shall be asked if he would like to reconsider. If the answer is yes, his letter of resignation shall be declared void.
The annual meeting of the association shall be held in November each year at the time and place determined by the board of directors.
The financial year of the association shall end before the annual meeting.
Each member shall receive at least seven (7) days' notice for regular meetings and at least ten (10) days' notice for special meetings.
The Executive Committee shall appoint two ( 2) of its members of to audit the books of the association.
The By-laws may be appealed or amended by a majority vote of the members present at the annual meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose.