Re-Opening Update

Premier Doug Ford has given the go-ahead for indoor ranges to re-open on May 19th. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. It’s still a little fainter than we would like, of course, because the novel coronavirus crisis is still active, and we have to institute some changes in order to keep our guests and staff safe. But we can re-open, and that’s a good thing.

Starting on Tuesday, May 19th at 9am, we will re-open the range to our members. We will have staff on-hand from 9am - 8pm on Tuesday to help our members get back into the swing of things, man the phones, sell ammo and answer questions. 24-7 key fob access for members will resume as well.

In order to keep our members and guests safe, we have to adhere to continued social distancing and rigid hygiene practices. This means we need to make a few unfortunate but temporary operational changes.

Our vending machines will be temporarily out of service, and we will be limiting the number of members & guests allowed in the lobby. Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be made available at key points, and we have a good handwashing station in the bathroom. Be sure to wash hands before and after shooting – this has always been a good practice because of the potential for lead contamination, but is even more important now.

For the time being, we can’t allow members to bring unlicensed guests from outside their own households. It’s not possible to maintain social distancing while supervising an unlicensed shooter, because that person has to be in your direct control. You can bring your unlicensed spouse and child, since they share your household, but not Cousin Roger from outside of Meaford who wants to try handguns for the first time. This will change eventually, and Cousin Roger will be welcome when we are able to get fully operational again. For now, though, we need to exercise caution or we risk being shut down, and then everyone loses.

We will also be using only half of our shooting lanes. The odd-numbered lanes will be out of service, so we are down to 3 lanes in operation. These are spaced far enough apart, and far enough from the one common entrance, that a 2-metre social-distance buffer is possible within the confined space at the end of the range. We also have to remove our stapler, so please remember to bring your own target fasteners. Pins, tacks, tape or staples are fine, as are self-adhering targets.

We are going to continue to trust that our members are responsible and reasonably intelligent adults, who all take great pains to follow the rules. If the range is busy, keep your visit brief, and if you see a lineup or a lot of cars in the lot, try coming back later when things are more calm. We know you’re all anxious to get some quality trigger time again, so let’s all work together to make sure that happens for everyone.

We are still working to figure out when we can resume PAL & RPAL courses. As of yet, there is still a prohibition against group gatherings, and we haven’t yet heard anything from the government offices about when classes can resume. When we get a firm date and work out a revised schedule with our instructors, we will update our calendar and post the news here and on Facebook. Especially right now, we want to get as many people as possible licensed, as quickly as possible, so we are just as anxious as the rest of you to resume our training schedule. You’ll know when we know.

Stay safe, have a good weekend, and see you on Tuesday!