City of Lethbridge should refund LGFA range fees

[Browning Sharpsh00ter]

In the wake of city council’s decision to temporarily close the Lethbridge Fish and Game gun range, residents situated along the coulee edge on Stafford Road directly above it are relieved they won’t have to listen to the crackling of gunshots, at least for a while.
The range will be closed until the origin of the stray bullet, which struck a family’s minivan on April 10, can be determined. Mayor Bob Tarleck, in announcing the temporary measure at Monday’s city council meeting, said the range could be closed for good if it’s found to be the source of the latest wayward bullet.
“It’s going to happen again. They didn’t fix it last time, if that happened supposedly,” said Ed Williams, of the possibility the shot was fired from the river valley range.
Williams lives on the ridge directly above the range. He recalls the 2005 incident, where it was determined a bullet from a police training exercise at the range came through the window of a nearby apartment. Despite that incident, he’s not convinced the latest bullet came from the range.
“Where that van was parked, how could they have hit that?” he questioned.
Gun range officials, meanwhile, say they’re confident the investigation will determine the bullet couldn't have come from the range. They recently added safety baffles to provide barriers over the shooting lanes so bullets can't be fired into the air and in the direction of residential areas.
Sharla Kerr, whose vehicle was struck by the stray bullet, said they’re happy to hear about the measures taken. She declined to comment further at this point, adding she’d like to let the police continue their investigation.
Williams isn’t overly concerned about being in the line of fire, although he did suggest the range be positioned facing away from the residential area. In the meantime, he’s happy he won’t have to listen to gunshots for a while.
“It sounds like you’ve got a popcorn maker in your backyard sometimes.”
Some neighbourhood residents question the safety of their children, especially with a playground almost directly above the range’s position.
“It never was (a concern) until I started to bring the kids here,” said Darcie Carpenter. “I don’t know if I would necessarily stop coming to the park because it’s a fear. If they could prove to me that’s what it was — that it was definitely a bullet from that gun range — then yeah, that would be 100 per cent different.”
Sherry VanderGriendt runs a pet-sitting company and walks several dogs along the coulee edge every day. She too was relieved to hear about council’s decision.
“It is loud, you definitely know. That’s when it kind of scares you more. When you’re walking and you hear that (shooting), you always think, ‘what if it come this way.’” She suggests the range might be relocated further down the river valley and away from people’s homes.
Range operator Allan Friesen said Tuesday he’s been in full co-operation with Lethbridge regional police as well as city council while the investigation is underway.
“Council is acting to look after the safety interests of the citizens of Lethbridge and we’re certainly in agreement that has to be done. We think the action will prove to be unnecessary as we’re convinced that projectile did not come from the range,” he said. “In the meantime, we’re very disappointed because we have a lot of programs we deliver there every night of the week and we can’t do those at this time. So be it, we’re waiting patiently and in the meantime doing some work on the range in anticipation of getting it re-opened and resuming the delivery of our programs.”
Friesen said they have provided a surveillance video to the police and is confident it will show the range is being used in a safe manner.

In my opinion if they shut the range down for good I would request that the city of Lethbridge refund my range dues not the LFGA...Knowing the LPF no conclusion will be found...is my assumption

[NUK SOO KOW]

I agree. Paid the fees and have only been down there twice so far this year. If the range is closed permanently, I feel the city should reimburse everyone. Better yet, if the police can actually do their job for a change and find the punk owner of that bullet, he/she should have to reimburse all lfga members!! Plus intrest for being a dummie!!

[crawfy]

You got to wonder why, if the city is so concerned about the range now why would a city planner allow development above the range.I am sure they would have done a risk assesment before allowing this new subdivision above the LFGA range.:

[CaberTosser]

To me its parallels people moving in next to a garbage dump or a feedlot, then complaing about the smell.

[Shanebear]

I bought a year membership a week before the whole thing happened. ANGRY

[oh_j0ker]

Media Release

For Immediate Release

April 30, 2010



Investigation concludes stray bullet did not come from shooting range

Following investigation Lethbridge Regional Police have determined a stray bullet that struck a mini van along Stafford Road North earlier this month did not originate from the Lethbridge Fish and Game Range.



On April 10, 2010 a Dodge Caravan parked at a residence along the 100 block of Stafford Road North was damaged when a bullet struck the sliding passenger door window in the area where the glass covers the metal door frame. Contrary to some media reports the bullet did not smash through the window and was not found lodged near a child’s car seat. The bullet was recovered on the driveway below the window area among shards of glass. No one was inside the mini van at the time of the incident and no one was injured.(sidenote: Rumour has it that the Lethbridge Herald photographer, David Rossiter, broke the window so that he could frame the young lady through the broken glass.)

The neighbourhood where the bullet terminated is located on the urban fringe of the city adjacent to pasture land and green space.

Throughout the course of the investigation the Lethbridge Fish and Game Range has been fully cooperative with police. Police reviewed surveillance footage of the range and interviewed users who were in attendance the day of the incident. No careless or improper usage was identified. In addition satellite mapping was utilized to assist in determining the bullet’s trajectory.

After examining all the evidence, investigators have concluded the bullet most likely originated from a rural area to the north/northwest and appears to have ricocheted off the pavement before striking the van. This area includes rural farmland, river bottom terrain and city parkland and police located evidence of firearms being discharged such as signs that have been shot at, dead wildlife and reports of frequent trespassers from the land owners.

The bullet recovered in this incident – consistent with a .30 caliber jacketed round – is a relatively common type. Firearms that accommodate this ammunition are mass produced and inexpensive to purchase. Similarly the ammunition can be purchased cheaply and high power calibers of this variety can travel great distances.

The findings of the investigation have been provided to the City of Lethbridge, Lethbridge Fish and Game Range as well as the owners of the vehicle. Police involvement in the matter is now concluded.

[trooper]

I think this incident highlights a problem that all ranges will everntually face. Encroachment of dwellings downrange from the butts. I would like to see some law passed that would restrict developing in areas that may well be within a danger zone from existing ranges. As our population grows, I'm sure we're going to see more incidents of this type in the future. If memory serves didn't something similar happen a few years ago with the closure of the Edmonton Fish and Game range near St Albert?

[Okotokian]

I'll preface this by saying I've never seen the Lethbridge range, so I'm speaking more hypothetically than anything...

These issues do tend to come up as a community expands and runs into facilities you wouldn't normally want in town. It will probably happen in the next decade to the AHEIA calgary firearms center. We can say "well they were here first", and that does make some sense. It is what I might say to someone who just bought an already existing acreage next to the range. But you can only do that for so long as densities increase around the facility.

What would make sense would be for the City of Lethbridge to help the range relocate a fair distance from the city. They could buy the current site for a park, etc., try to make it as painless as possible and ensure the range survived elsewhere. It's a recreation facility for citizens just the same as an arena or pool.

[TheClash]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I'll preface this by saying I've never seen the Lethbridge range, so I'm speaking more hypothetically than anything...

These issues do tend to come up as a community expands and runs into facilities you wouldn't normally want in town. It will probably happen in the next decade to the AHEIA calgary firearms center. We can say "well they were here first", and that does make some sense. It is what I might say to someone who just bought an already existing acreage next to the range. But you can only do that for so long as densities increase around the facility.

What would make sense would be for the City of Lethbridge to help the range relocate a fair distance from the city. They could buy the current site for a park, etc., try to make it as painless as possible and ensure the range survived elsewhere. It's a recreation facility for citizens just the same as an arena or pool.

the mayor has already talked about this and i imagine in the next few years we will see a move....hopefully the new spot will be as nice as this one is....just further away from communities haha

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by TheClash

the mayor has already talked about this and i imagine in the next few years we will see a move....hopefully the new spot will be as nice as this one is....just further away from communities haha

So I take it that the annual Leffingwell Shoot may be cancelled?

[Rackmastr]

Originally Posted by whitetail Junkie

So I take it that the annual Leffingwell Shoot may be cancelled?

The range is fully operational and all shooting matches are still scheduled. Things will be status quo for a while I would imagine. I think they are definatly starting to think 'long term' though and starting to think of the different options to move forward in the future.

[TheClash]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

The range is fully operational and all shooting matches are still scheduled. Things will be status quo for a while I would imagine. I think they are definatly starting to think 'long term' though and starting to think of the different options to move forward in the future.

yes that is what i meant, there is nothing definite yet at all...


i am hoping if the range does move it goes somewhere we can set up a good sporting clays course with chip/key activated machines so it can be used at any time.