Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 15/01) - Nunavut's first licensed firing range is a go.

The Rankin Inlet Gun Club received approval this summer and is now a legal range for both registered rifle and hand-gun owners.

Rankin Inlet Gun Club member Dave Petryshin sights his rifle at Nunavut's first licensed firing range in Rankin Inlet. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Mike Mussolum is the range safety adviser for the Canadian Firearms Centre. He says the Rankin range can be used for anything from competitive handgun shooting to the average hunter sighting-in their rifle.

"When we grant a licence, we look at things such as warning devices -- signs and flags -- so if someone is out in their truck or on a four-wheeler or snowmobile they're aware there's a range in the immediate vicinity," says Mussolum.

The range is also inspected to ensure there are no large boulders or other obstacles which may cause dangerous ricochets.

Dave Petryshin is a member of the Rankin Inlet Gun Club.

Petryshin says former Rankin Inlet resident Arnie Brown, who now calls Inuvik home, did a lot of the work at the range and deserves a lot of credit for the licence.

He says Mussolum inspected the range this past year and showed them what had to be done for the licence to be granted.

"There had to be a lot of sandbagging done out there to eliminate ricochets," says Petryshin.

"Tables and targets had to be installed and we had to ensure proper drainage."

The one big advantage to a licensed range is that it gives handgun owners who are club members an authorized place to take their otherwise restricted or prohibited weapons.

Gun owners cannot receive an Authority to Transport (ATT) their weapon unless they have an approved range to go to.

Mussolum says in the Northwest region, a long-term ATT is good for a 300-kilometre radius from an owner's residence or the location where they store their handguns.

"The ATT is usually good for the term of your gun club membership, so, if you have a three-year membership to a club, your Authority to Transport would also be good for three years."

Mussolum says the firearms centre does not place any restrictions on local gun owners who have legally registered, non-restricted rifles from using the range.

"As far as any restrictions being placed by the gun club itself, such as user fees or anything of that nature, that's entirely up to the club."