CHAS ranges shut down.....again

[CBintheNorth]

This is part of the email they just sent out.

"Good evening folks,

Just wanted to pass along a heads up about the meeting Andrew and I had with the county on Friday!

So things did not go well, and the county is pushing boundaries with this matter (making an example of us, it seems). The biggest thing that came out of the meeting is that we have to shut everything down except range 1. The paperwork they submitted at the appeal is being recognized as the only part of the CHAS range as being permitted to operate. This paperwork was the map we submitted to the county for the new long-range extension we had applied for. This is wrong that they are using this as their determination of what the CHAS range is.

Effective Sunday night after the range shuts down, Range 2,3,4 and shotgun will be closed until further notice. The county by-law officers can issue another stop order to shut the entire range down if they catch anyone shooting on these ranges.This is something we have to ensure does not happen.

This was not the outcome that anyone expected and we are in the middle of working through getting everything back to normal operation. I would like to say that this will be quick, but I expect 5-6 weeks if the other party does their job and gives this the attention it deserves....."

[Cross Eyed Cowboy]

Well seeing that CHAS is down for the count again and Phoenix still isn't up and running places to go shoot in the Edmonton area certainly are limited.

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by Cross Eyed Cowboy

Well seeing that CHAS is down for the count again and Phoenix still isn't up and running places to go shoot in the Edmonton area certainly are limited.

It's getting frustrating for sure.
It seems like every time I need to work up a new load they have issues.
Wish I would have bought a couple of folding shooting tables when they were on sale a couple weeks ago. Have this funny feeling I'm going to be doing most of my shooting on cutlines in the future...

[Cross Eyed Cowboy]

Looks like I'm going to have to do a lot more travelling this summer if I want to do some shooting.
I personally don't think the situation at CHAS will be resolved in the time frame the executives have mentioned.
But wil continue to support them any way I can if asked to do so.

[hunter64]

Been a member since the early 80's when we shot into the side of the hill for the pistol range and we had machinegun shoots on special days where I got to run a few hundred rounds thru a Thompson and an MG38.

There has always been opposition to our sport and as long as I can remember, there has been times when the range was closed. Mind you the last couple of years have been hard for me personally because every time I get a free day and want to go to the range it is closed for some dumb course of this kind or another. It is getting very frustrating when you only get a free day here and there and you can't go.

So when I got the email stating it was closed other than range 1, the first thought I had was, so what is the difference then, it is closed most of the time anyway.

If you work Monday to Friday and have to work the odd weekend, the range has not been to friendly the last couple of years.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by hunter64

Been a member since the early 80's when we shot into the side of the hill for the pistol range and we had machinegun shoots on special days where I got to run a few hundred rounds thru a Thompson and an MG38.

There has always been opposition to our sport and as long as I can remember, there has been times when the range was closed. Mind you the last couple of years have been hard for me personally because every time I get a free day and want to go to the range it is closed for some dumb course of this kind or another. It is getting very frustrating when you only get a free day here and there and you can't go.

So when I got the email stating it was closed other than range 1, the first thought I had was, so what is the difference then, it is closed most of the time anyway.

If you work Monday to Friday and have to work the odd weekend, the range has not been to friendly the last couple of years.

You make some very good points here. I’ve belonged to too many ranges who have had zero respect for the money or time of their paying membership. Most often the biggest barriers to shooting come from within. Poor planning, poor decisions, and poor leadership.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by hunter64

Been a member since the early 80's when we shot into the side of the hill for the pistol range and we had machinegun shoots on special days where I got to run a few hundred rounds thru a Thompson and an MG38.

There has always been opposition to our sport and as long as I can remember, there has been times when the range was closed. Mind you the last couple of years have been hard for me personally because every time I get a free day and want to go to the range it is closed for some dumb course of this kind or another. It is getting very frustrating when you only get a free day here and there and you can't go.

So when I got the email stating it was closed other than range 1, the first thought I had was, so what is the difference then, it is closed most of the time anyway.

If you work Monday to Friday and have to work the odd weekend, the range has not been to friendly the last couple of years.

And that is how a range loses the support of the members and the community. Competitions take access from regular members, and they increase noise and traffic concerns for the community. We have minimal competitions and courses, and our range bookings for law enforcement are all on weekdays, so as not to infringe on our core membership. And when I have heard concerns about noise, it was when the city police were shooting, so it benefits the city, and the city doesn't consider that something to be concerned about.

[DirtShooter]

Brutal, right as soon as the weather starts improving.

[catnthehat]

This is very disconcerting to me, over the years I have seen many range closures for various reasons, mistakes of them because " the public" no longer wanted them there, siting everything from noise to danger from errant projectiles. For the most part however, the complaints and danger were unfounded, but the range members lost anyway.

Hopefully the situation can get turned around but I have my doubts , sadly it looks like a case of
" give them an inch "......
Cat

[marky_mark]

Chas is not the range you want to be a member at if you can only shoot on weekends

[3blade]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Chas is not the range you want to be a member at if you can only shoot on weekends

Doesn’t matter, I can shoot on weekdays and they aren’t any better there. I was only able to use the long range ONE TIME in 4 years before I stopped buying a membership

- LEOs taking over by showing up with 12 guys and intimidating everyone else
- grumpy old guys park it and bang steel at 200 all day, who start yapping if you want to set up targets and shoot groups on the long range
- floods
- never ending legal battles
- courses blocking entire days
- no day passes

I feel bad for the executives because they were obviously being targeted by the CFO and neighboring landowners….but they don’t seem to understand that it’s the regular membership who is paying the bills. Annoy people often enough and they stop paying.

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by hunter64

Been a member since the early 80's when we shot into the side of the hill for the pistol range and we had machinegun shoots on special days where I got to run a few hundred rounds thru a Thompson and an MG38.

There has always been opposition to our sport and as long as I can remember, there has been times when the range was closed. Mind you the last couple of years have been hard for me personally because every time I get a free day and want to go to the range it is closed for some dumb course of this kind or another. It is getting very frustrating when you only get a free day here and there and you can't go.

So when I got the email stating it was closed other than range 1, the first thought I had was, so what is the difference then, it is closed most of the time anyway.

If you work Monday to Friday and have to work the odd weekend, the range has not been to friendly the last couple of years.

Well said.
I have only been a member and volunteer at the range for 7 or 8 years, but in that time I've watched the membership fees go from $150 to $225, and range availability drop significantly.
I'm betting most of the fee increases lately are mostly just to cover the recent lawyers fees.
Going to be tough renewing in 2023.

[wolf308]

Bureaucracy at its finest. Pukes.

CB in the north do I know you ? Are you a 3 gunner ? Can maybe come do your load development at my acreage. 200 yards. Table.

[wolf308]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

And that is how a range loses the support of the members and the community. Competitions take access from regular members, and they increase noise and traffic concerns for the community. We have minimal competitions and courses, and our range bookings for law enforcement are all on weekdays, so as not to infringe on our core membership. And when I have heard concerns about noise, it was when the city police were shooting, so it benefits the city, and the city doesn't consider that something to be concerned about.

They usually allow one range still access to general shooters at least with 3 gun comps. Usually the long or 100

[catnthehat]

The more I hear about the trials and tribulations of so many ranges down South the more I realize just how lucky I am to belong to the club I do!

Not that we have had issues in the past, but they were trivial compared to range closures....
Cat

[Twisted Canuck]

Yep. The Wapiti rifle and pistol range has been closed down for quite a while already, just shotgun (skeet trap sporting clay) still open. Ever since that golfer got a round in the leg the same day they were having a 3 gun competition.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by wolf308

They usually allow one range still access to general shooters at least with 3 gun comps. Usually the long or 100

The 3 gun competitions usually shut down the whole range
All summer long there is min 1 day per weekend thay it’s shutdown
Majority of the time it’s both days

The vibe I get, is that the majority are financing a play ground for a few people

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by wolf308

They usually allow one range still access to general shooters at least with 3 gun comps. Usually the long or 100

Many people don't pay for a membership, to subsidize a facility for other people to compete at.

The 3 gun competitions usually shut down the whole range
All summer long there is min 1 day per weekend thay it’s shutdown
Majority of the time it’s both days

The vibe I get, is that the majority are financing a play ground for a few people

Exactly, rather than promoting shooting, it actually reduces opportunity for most shooters.

[wolf308]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

The 3 gun competitions usually shut down the whole range
All summer long there is min 1 day per weekend thay it’s shutdown
Majority of the time it’s both days

The vibe I get, is that the majority are financing a play ground for a few people

Errr. Wrong. Majority is one day. Saturday. Yeah once a year BOA it’s shut down for the whole weekend. And $10000 donated to food banks and something else cause of it.

And again I’ll repeat for the cheap seats usually one stage is open. Like last comp in March 100 was open for other shooters.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by wolf308

Errr. Wrong. Majority is one day. Saturday. Yeah once a year BOA it’s shut down for the whole weekend. And $10000 donated to food banks and something else cause of it.

And again I’ll repeat for the cheap seats usually one stage is open. Like last comp in March 100 was open for other shooters.

I’m not making this up
Pretty easy to look at the schedule

Like I said
I avoid even attempting to use this range on weekends
Mid week it’s pretty good

[marky_mark]

It will be very easy to see who matters a this range
Competitions or paying members
Now that there is only one range open, we will see if competitions get cancelled or will there be even less access for members

[Cross Eyed Cowboy]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

It will be very easy to see who matters a this range
Competitions or paying members
Now that there is only one range open, we will see if competitions get cancelled or will there be even less access for members

The various competitions held at CHAS are leaders for a couple of the local gun shops which in turn sell inventory to the those competitors, a nice little arrangement to promote sales.

[LJalberta]

I liked CHAS, but it sounds like my experience has been similar to many. When I had my weekdays free, it was a great range, and quiet enough in the midweek mornings.

Now that I have been limited to primarily weekends, I can barely make use of my membership with the events that are booked in. I ended up not renewing my membership this year.

[sns2]

Do a search on CHAS on this forum. Place has a wonderful location that has the potential to be a premier range. As good as the land is, the board is worse. I was a member for years and have never been a part of a worse run organization and that says something. After watching people literally get shouted down at monthly meetings when they asked what I thought were fair and pertinent questions, by executive members who thought they were above questioning, and I said to hell with that. Flame away if you want, but a number of forum members booked out at the same time after they saw the shenanigans, and went to SPFGA. I fully expect that crowd to run that range into the ground. My impression was that they were more concerned with their show and tell sessions of antiques at the end of the meetings than they were with making the most of the range. I had hoped things would change for the better, but obviously not. There were people who wanted to be part of the solution, but power was held tightly by the executive. Too often people let that title go to their heads, and forget that they are there to serve the membership. Shame.

[catnthehat]

We have several different ranges available to us at one time, so having to shut down , say, the rimfire for a match, is not an issue. We just send the rinfire guys to the centerfire range.
We have usually not had to shut down the centerfire range completely even when we have a center fire match.
The pistol bays get shut down during a danctioned IPSC shoot but that is usually only once a year I think .
We have a scheduled 600 to 1K match this weekend, but cam keep the 25 to 500 meter line open for members who are not participating
Cat

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

We have several different ranges available to us at one time, so having to shut down , say, the rimfire for a match, is not an issue. We just send the rinfire guys to the centerfire range.
We have usually not had to shut down the centerfire range completely even when we have a center fire match.
The pistol bays get shut down during a danctioned IPSC shoot but that is usually only once a year I think .
We have a scheduled 600 to 1K match this weekend, but cam keep the 25 to 500 meter line open for members who are not participating
Cat

Ya once a month for a day or a weekend is fine
When it’s every weekend all summer
Then it’s A problem

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

We have several different ranges available to us at one time, so having to shut down , say, the rimfire for a match, is not an issue. We just send the rinfire guys to the centerfire range.
We have usually not had to shut down the centerfire range completely even when we have a center fire match.
The pistol bays get shut down during a danctioned IPSC shoot but that is usually only once a year I think .
We have a scheduled 600 to 1K match this weekend, but cam keep the 25 to 500 meter line open for members who are not participating
Cat

We have two or three annual events where the range is closed for a weekend, but they are spread out, over several months. Our priority has always been to provide a facility for the members to access first.

[Redneck 7]

I’m not a member there but I do shoot PRS with WRAS there. What range is considered range 1? I’m curious since there is a match late May.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by Redneck 7

I’m not a member there but I do shoot PRS with WRAS there. What range is considered range 1? I’m curious since there is a match late May.

The one to 800

[CMichaud]

Not sure if this was mentioned but Med Hat range is also currently fighting to stick around?