Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Monday, July 30, 2007

IQALUIT - Residents of two Nunavut communities are working to establish the territory's first registered rifle ranges.

The Iqaluit Shooting Association, dormant since a range near the metal dump was closed more than three years ago, plans to approach the city this fall with its proposal for a new site at the end of the Road to Nowhere.

Similarly, a shooting club in Arviat has received hamlet permission to build a range six kilometres southwest of the community, and is now awaiting approval from the Canadian Firearms Centre.

"We're looking for a place where people can learn safely and improve their skills and know their firearms are working properly before they go out on the land," said Wes Smith, head of the Iqaluit group. "I've learned a lot talking to guys at ranges about firearms safety and what to look for.

"We also want it accessible so an elder can take a youth out by taxi, rather than needing a truck to get out there," he said.

The Road to Nowhere "makes sense" because it's a destination for shooters already, he said, displaying a collection of hundreds of spent shells he has collected from the area as proof.

"Most people don't comprehend how far a bullet will travel. Shot from the Inuksuk high school, the bullet would still be dangerous in Apex from a high-powered rifle," Smith said. "Right now people are shooting anywhere. Some of the places are accidents waiting to happen."

According to the Canadian Firearms Act, rifle ranges must be in accordance with local zoning laws, and designed in such a way as to ensure that no bullets can leave the range when the firearm is handled correctly.

Proper signage must be present, and the range must have up to $2 million of liability insurance.

Typically, a registered rifle club obtains group insurance, and provides safety training for members based on its not-for-profit model, according to Paul Moore, area firearms officer for Brandon, Man., who is also in charge of range and club approvals for Nunavut.

"We just want to make sure we have everything lined up, and we need the town's blessing," Smith said.

The city could play a role in the Iqaluit group's plans, "depending on where it is located," said Michèle Bertol, director of planning and lands.

A range would have to be in a remote area, "far enough from the built-up area that you would guarantee that any stray bullet would not have any harmful impact," she said.

In Arviat, the group received the hamlet's permission in part by agreeing to allow traditional activities to take preference.

"Whenever there are people doing traditional activities like hunting, egg picking, berry picking, wherever any of those are present, the range should be closed," explained member Ronnie Suluk.

While both groups cite safety as a main concern, the move also indicates a growing interest in shooting as a sport, rather than a sustenance activity.

"There is recreational shooting and I think that will become a stronger component, because it is truly a multicultural territory and some people don't fit under the sustenance category," Moore said.

The Arviat shooting club has also been in contact with both Sport Nunavut and Arviat's recreation department, in hopes that they can someday work together.

"Just from the word of mouth there is interest in some shooting competitions that are more organized, and pretty much everyone here is a good hand with a firearm," Suluk said.

Frank Tootoo, director of Sport Nunavut, agreed that competitive shooting "has promise for the future."

"I think it would be a natural fit with the skills of our youth, to bring them to the fore," he said, adding that the biathlon could potentially become a component of the Arctic Winter Games.

Smith said he even dreams of one day seeing Iqaluit host an international shooting competition, perhaps during Toonik Tyme.

"If we could have permission to do a 1,000 metre range, then we could do it," he said.