The association was originally founded by Henry P. Nicholson,Fred Pearson, Bill Chamberlain, and Clayton Glover.
The first meeting was at the home of Mr Nicholson and arrangements were made for a larger meeting with each attendee to bring ten more people and to give the meeting widespread publicity.
The first Association meeting was held Saturday March 8, 1930 at the St Catharines YMCA with 75people in attendance, Henry Nicholson acted as the chairman and placed before the gathering the importance of the conservation of game and fish in Lincoln County and educating the public to the value of our natural resources. In the early years meetings were held at various locations across the Niagara Peninsula, both with the acquisition of a permanent facility and with excellent launch ramps built on the property the Association now has a permanent home on Lighthouse Road in St Catharines.
Although many changes have occurred since the beginning our fundamental principles of education and conservation remain unchanged.