From Peter Von Niessen, President
URGENT
The Club needs YOUR Help
Do you use the range to sight in a rifle before hunting season? Do you like to fire a few rounds and work on accuracy with your pistol? How about breaking some clays on Sunday five-stand or the Elmer Fudd?
If you answered YES to any of those questions, the Club needs your help.
From the Assault Style Firearms Compensation Program to amendments to range construction and safety requirements, the Canadian landscape for firearms owners is changing. And, some of those changes have a direct impact on the future of the Club.
We have been advised by the BC Chief Firearms Officer that our range will likely be inspected during 2026. Vic Thomas has been assisting the Executive Committee in an initial assessment of requirements, focussing on compliance with current range safety protocols.
Based on the information provided, the Executive Committee is of the view that there are requirements within the regulations where we fall short.
As one Executive Committee member observed, “If we can’t fire a rifle or break clay at the range, the Club won’t survive on fishing and archery.”
The Executive Committee is concerned that the project is larger than the Executive Committee can take on without help from the membership. To that end we looking to establish a permanent Range Committee which we would like to have in place by April 30, 2026 to provide sufficient time for the Committee members to become familiar with the issues.
The Range Committee will work jointly with the Executive in the near term to determine what needs to be done to ensure regulatory compliance for the upcoming inspection. Going forward, the Range Committee would be the primary group working to ensure ongoing continued compliance.
While strong firearms knowledge is beneficial, a strong desire to ensure the ongoing operations of the Club is critical. If you can contribute expertise and/or enthusiasm please consider joining the Range Committee.
Contact either the Club directly at info@lwdrodgun.com or myself at petervonniessen@yahoo.ca