Town of Huntsville staff and Council are seeking public feedback on the draft Discharge of Firearms Bylaw.
Proposed amendments to the bylaw were reviewed in a staff report presented at the July 27, 2020 council meeting and include:
• Updated definitions. For example, Firearm(s) shall mean a barreled weapon from which any shot, bullet or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing bodily injury or death, and includes air gun, spring-gun, pellet gun or paint ball gun.
• Public safety provisions. For example, bows and cross-bows are included, and are only permitted on properties within designated areas if they have an area in excess of three hectares (7.4 acres).
• The schedules designating prohibited areas have been amended. For example, the straightening of lines so that a single property is not cut in half between permitted and nonpermitted firearm discharge zones, and to clarify that land within 100 metres from the water’s edge on designated lakes is a prohibited area.
• A few new exemptions have been included. For example, a person is permitted to discharge a bow or air rifle within a prohibited area, if the discharge occurs at a competition or educational event which has been sanctioned by the Federation of Canadian Archers, the Ontario Association of Archers, the Ontario Association of Anglers and Hunters, a federally and/or provincially regulated and licensed gun club, trap and skeet club, rifle range, archery range, paintball facility or other facility for the use of Firearms that is in compliance with all applicable
federal, provincial and municipal requirements.
• The discharge of a shotgun or bow for the purpose of hunting or target practice, provided that such discharge occurs between the hours of one half hour after sunrise and one half hour before sunset and on a property with a minimum total area of three hectares (7.4 acres) or greater.
• Inclusion of the subdivision of Woodland Heights within the prohibited area.
To review the components of the draft bylaw, provide feedback or ask a question, residents are asked to visit myhuntsville.ca.
Public feedback will be collected until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2020. Public opinion will help to inform the report to be presented to general committee and council.
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What has prompted council to ‘update’ the firearms restrictions? Further south gunfire may be disturbing the peace but here, not so much. Perhaps with the opening of various game seasons in a few months there are a those who don’t want hunting and are vociferous enough to prompt this action? I’ve been a hunter since I was young and though I’m not so active now, I still like to get out and wander a bit. A bad day for a hunt is a good day for a walk and I’ve never shot around houses or roadways and feel there should be an asterisk beside the name of any ‘hunter’ who does.
Years ago we only saw geese as the beginning or end of seasons; as V’s or skeins of birds high up, riding friendly currents north or south or sometimes down in large rafts on big lakes, waiting for better weather. Now they are on docks, beaches, ponds and any green sward they feel they should crap on. I wouldn’t miss a bunch.
And who is it that will police these further restrictions? Will it be the ‘fink’ system that turns neighbor against neighbor and local against seasonal or will protective service or by-law enforcement be pinning on a badge and confronting the miscreants in the wild, so to speak.
The perpetrators will likely be a couple of old boys with bird or field shot, an aluminum boat and a Labrador Retriever and although those dogs are pretty friendly, the other two may be somewhat grumpy if the thermos has no more coffee and the cold has worked its’ way through the seat cushion. Much ado about nothing folks.
Maybe council could be encouraged to work out a system to keep people from denuding the hillsides and stripping and torturing the land, I know I would appreciate that.
These additional restrictions, beyond what is in place, are absolutely unnecessary.
What is the catalyst for the Mayor and Council to initiate these changes ?
Why are these changes necessary now ?
Who is driving this ?
These are important questions that need to be addressed. Open and transparent governance is sorely lacking at all levels.
I hope this is not some sort of attempt at “virtue signaling “ by this Mayor and Council; pandering to a specific ideology.
The proposed changes (other than moving the lines to include populated areas) are COMPLETELY unnecessary.
Boarder line asinine. Change my mind.
Control of geese is becoming an issue. If the powers that be wish us to all just leave the geese to their natural growth in a relatively predator-less environment maybe they should consider that the over population of geese is not just a minor nusiance. With enough of them our water supply from lakes and the use of beaches and docks will become a health hazard.
Do we give some rights to property owners who pay all the taxes for the municipalities or do we prefer to give the rights to do as they please to the geese??
If the geese, then maybe the government should be finding a way to get the geese to pay the taxes as they are the critters getting the “use of the land”. It would be fair.
A better solution would be a culling license of some type to allow reduction of numbers of geese.
Experts tell us they are “migratory” birds. Well if this is so they should darn well migrate to somewhere. When they sit here all summer long they are obviously no longer migrating.
Population of geese increasing to become a dirty nuisance; crowding out ducks.
By law should allow some control measures,, noise/egg reduction/controlled firearm use
Right on Dan! Just don’t encourage too much shaking. Lord knows what may come loose. Maybe we could encourage work on trees so there’s still bush to go into.
I wonder just who is going to police this proposal of gun regulations. Good Lord we can’t even get parking zoned policed and the town thinks they’re going o get someone to go into the Bush and confront a hunter
Give your heads a shake!