Photo from the Saddle Hills Ecosystem Alliance Facebook page.

By Curtis Galbraith

Community

Local group fighting proposed location for a gun range

May 6, 2022 | 6:00 AM

A newly formed group has gone to the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, asking that a disposition given that would allow a gun range on Crown land in the County of Grande Prairie be cancelled.

The Saddle Hills Ecosystem Alliance says Alberta Environment and Parks and an appeal board did not listen to their concerns.

Group spokesman Jason Fimrite describes the proposed location as 20 miles straight north of the Grande Prairie Costco. It covers 96 acres.

He says they are not opposed to having a gun range but do not want it at this spot.

“Most of our members are actually gun owners who actually have memberships to different ranges, so this is not an anti-gun range thing at all. The vast majority of us are gun owners”

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

“What it is is an objection to the proposed location of the gun range.”

Fimrite says they oppose this location because of noise and safety concerns for the 200 people live within two-and-a-half miles of this spot.

There are also environmental concerns.

“The disposition actually encompasses several sections of creeks that typically would need Water Act approval to even cross, let alone go (within) hundreds of metres of, so it’s just so far out of the realm of what would typically be approved.”

Fimrite says the area is a corridor for animals like elk, moose, deer and bears. There has also been some Western Toad, a species at risk, found close by.

He adds they have been fighting this for well over a year.

“There are a few ways to appeal a decision. We decided the first one that we’re going to go with is a judicial review, so basically taking Alberta Environment (and Parks) to (the) Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench because there are so many irregularities over what’s happened in the last year-and-a-half.”

The disposition was granted in 2020, leading to a series of events after that.

Fimrite says they brought in satellite imagery and pictures showing the creeks and trails to Alberta Environment and parks but were told that because these things did not show up on the government’s computer program, they were told they did not exist.

He adds they were also told that the idea had already been approved and, when they went to file an appeal, were told they could not because a disposition had not been approved. They were then told at a later county meeting that it was approved.

Another attempt to appeal was met with being told they did not have standing to do this.

Fimrite says after months of “legal wrangling” they later were granted permission to appeal, setting a law precedent in the process.

He says the province asked for a written appeal, which meant the SHED lawyers could not do a cross-examination. That was followed by final arguments over Zoom.

Fimrite adds a recommendation then went to Minister Jason Nixon that the disposition be upheld but that a noise study should be included. Fimrite says the minister approved the disposition without that study included in February, leading to this latest appeal.

Fimrite says his group is not giving up.