Firearm enthusiasts in Aylmer, Ont., question Liberals' aim on gun safety

Douglas Lightheart feels the Liberals have misfired and taken aim at the wrong kind of gun owner in their efforts to boost gun safety in Canada. 

"As a firearm owner, I don't want to be villainized, I don't want to be presented to the public as a criminal," he said. 

Lighheart is the president and gun range operator of the East Elgin Sportsmen's Association in Aylmer, Ont. About 1,700 members strong, the club was first incorporated in 1955 and has grown steadily over the years. It now has eight outdoor gun ranges, along with a modern indoor gun range and archery ranges. 

It's a place where members, some from as far away as Barrie and Niagara Falls, come to enjoy and share the hobby of target shooting in a controlled, safe environment. The club also, on occasion, rents its range space to police forces, including the OPP, the RCMP and the London Police Service. 

"It's a very, very popular sport and a very, very popular club," said Lightheart, who admits he's so busy with administration he rarely gets time to practice his aim on the range these days. 

No guns are kept on site. Instead, members bring them to the club to practice, which they can do any time they'd like for an annual membership of just under $300. 

Interest in the hobby is growing. In fact, some clubs closer to the GTA don't have room to add more members, which is part of the reason why many are showing up at East Elgin. The club's "range nights" allow those new to shooting to try it out and take a gun safety course taught by certified range officers in a controlled environment. 

"A lot of people, they don't have a licence and before they pursue getting one, they want to see what shooting a firearm is all about and see how much fun it can be," said Lightheart. 

And while interest in target shooting is growing, Lightheart feels the hobby is becoming almost impossible to enter due to gun laws he said make gun ownership so difficult and expensive in Canada, than many find it more trouble than it's worth. 

"They've set the rules up in a manner that it absolutely will die out," said Lightheart. 

Liberals tightened rules around guns

Citing a desire to curb a rise in gun violence in Canada, the Trudeau government enacted Bill C-21 in 2022. It put an end to the sale, purchase and transfer of all handguns, which are a big part of sport shooting. Lightheart said the law, which also bans many hunting rifles, shotguns and antique guns, even makes it illegal to order parts to repair a legally owned handgun.

The law sparked a surge in handgun sales as people tried to legally buy guns before the new rules came into effect.

Lightheart said he supports the strict rules that are part of the possession and acquisition licence (PAL) application for firearms, including the requirement that applicants must pass a firearms safety course and have a police background check. 

What he'd like to see is the Liberals shift focus and direct their efforts at criminals and illegally imported guns instead of law abiding gun owners.

Bail reform, a key focus of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, is also something Lightheart would like to see the Liberals focus on. He said more restrictions on legal gun owners will do nothing to curb the recent rise in gun violence. 

Lightheart would also like to see more focus on stopping illegal handguns coming up from the United States. 

"The firearms I own, I purchased legally," he said. "The people you read about ... these are not legally acquired firearms. They don't have trigger locks on their guns.

"I don't want an item that I legally purchased, I don't want them coming and taking it from me and presenting me as a problem to the general public. I am not a threat to the general public." 

On Friday, CBC News visited the club for two hours. 

Two young men were on the outdoor 50-metre range practising with four different guns, including a shotgun. 

Both declined to be interviewed but made a point of saying how much they enjoy the hobby and value having a place to practice it.

Lee Lightheart is the club's treasurer. She's also frustrated at how the discourse over gun safety plays out. She wishes more lawmakers would drop by a properly run gun club for a first-hand look at what it's all about. 

"I would like to invite them out so they can see how safe we are," she said. "We're not the problem."