--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Town delays firearms ban
Source: Innisfil JournalAuthor: Rick Vanderlinde--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hunters and sport shooters will have a chance to say their piece before Innisfil council debates a bylaw to ban firearms in urban areas.
Councillors have delayed the bylaw until representatives from the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers have an opportunity to speak on the issue.
The ban would focus on Innisfil's urbanized areas, such as Stroud, Lefroy, Cookstown, Churchill and Alcona.
It would not ban firearms or hunting bows in the municipality's rural areas. And there are exemptions for farmers within urban zones.
But hunters are concerned the ban would include the Leonard's Beach wetlands in Alcona.
"We'd just like to bring forth some points of interest that you might not be aware of," Clark Boyd, of the federation, told council last Wednesday. "We'd specifically like to know why there would be a public safety issue in that area."
Ben Valentine, a firearms enthusiast, also addressed council, saying there may be no reason to ban firearms in the wetland since Ministry of Natural Resources officers police the hunters.
"I don't think this bylaw is really needed at this time," he said.
The need to regulate firearms in urban areas was first raised by development lawyer Marvin Geist.
Geist represents the developers of Estates of Alcona, which is proposing a 55-home subdivision near the wetlands.
Banning hunting in the wetland would reduce the wetland's provincial significance, making it easier to build homes in the area, Geist said.
"Besides Alcona is mostly an urbanized area," he said following the council meeting. "There shouldn't be anyone shooting guns around there anyway. It's a public safety issue."
Valentine argued taking away the hunting designation will only open the door to destroying some of the wetland.
"Why would we give a development lawyer any more reason to develop a wetland?" Valentine said. "We are losing wetlands all the time."
The Town of Innisfil also hopes to build a road through the wetland to connect Leslie Street, which deadends at either side of the wetland.
Although it likely wasn't the town's intention, Geist said banning hunting in the wetland would making it easier for the town to receive provincial approval for the road by reducing the wetlands' significance.
Residents in the area want the wetland left untouched, but seem to be resigned to seeing the road and subdivision built.
"The road, one day, will go through," Deborah McGrath told The Journal last year. "I don't expect this bucolic wilderness to remain. It's private land and they have the right to develop it. We always knew you can't stop progress but there has to be a clear benefit to putting the street through."
The firearms bylaw is expected to be considered by council Oct. 15
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