At the regular council meeting in August, the Township of Perry received a draft Discharge and Firearm bylaw for review. The draft will be considered at future council meetings. It resulted from a staff assessment of existing bylaws to consider their current relevance.
The draft bylaw was prepared to amend and revise the current 1960 bylaw. It proposes that private property owners within the Township, with properties smaller than three acres, including the settlement areas of Novar and Emsdale, would be prohibited from discharging firearms. The bylaw would not apply to properties larger than three acres.
Council will determine over the course of future meetings if the bylaw is needed. During discussions that followed, a key point raised centered on the question of whether the discharge of firearms is a matter for a bylaw officer or the municipality to address.
Mark Ryckman, Manager of Policy, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, was before council on the issue. Ryckman offered OFAH’s support, noting OFAH’s neutrality in the matter. He also proposed that OFAH could provide education on the discharge regulations. OFAH recommended that bows and firearms be separated within the proposed by-law, as restrictions on both should be treated differently. He suggested that “Specific Areas” like gun ranges/clubs should be further defined in the bylaw and include that Chief Firearms Officers regulate them.
Ian Todd, a Perry resident, raised several key concerns, particularly about the role of the bylaw officer in responding to the discharge of firearms complaints, which he stated falls under the authority of the OPP. Todd spoke of Township employee safety and adequate jurisdictional powers. He said the 1960 Discharge By-law currently on the Township books should be repealed and not replaced.
Perry Township Mayor Norm Hofstetter noted that council will continue discussing the proposed bylaw. “It’s going to be a long decision time to do what, if anything, gets done,” explained Hofstetter. He also encouraged residents to continue submitting their comments on the proposed bylaw.
More information can be found HERE.
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I would like the bylaw changed I target shoot and the present bylaw prevents this during the summer please allow me to shoot on my property during the summer.
This entire by-law is flawed. It is time for someone to do something about who is running this council. The staff just endorse something and it is passed, no discussion, no questions, never heard a “nay” always the “yea”.
If we do need a by-law it is for short term rentals!