Plans for an indoor gun range in south-Barrie have again misfired.
City council confirmed its defeat Monday night of a motion to direct city staff to work with Gun Linx, the Chief Firearms Office of Ontario and Barrie city police to identify applicable regulations, and potential amendments to city bylaws, that would be required to provide an exemption to allow for an indoor gun range at 342 King St., as well as implications of the proposed gun range, and provide notification of this proposal to King Street commercial properties to allow feedback, and report back to councillors.
Coun. Gary Harvey, who represents this part of Barrie, again said the application should be turned down.
“I’ve got some significant concerns about us being misled,” he said.
At the Feb. 23 finance and corporate services committee meeting, Roger Gray of Gun Linx told its members, including Harvey, about its connection to Barrie Police Service officers, saying two of Gun Linx’s co-owners were ex-military and current, active police officers in the tactical unit in Barrie.
But Barrie police Const. Justin Frye said in an e-mail he copied to BarrieToday on Feb. 25 that there is no connection involving himself, his twin brother Jason, and Gun Linx.
“I guess in my excitement in wanting to get as much information out as possible, maybe I wasn’t as clear in stating that the two members of the local police force were not monetary partners or investors within the business, but at one time maybe were thinking about it, but said they might be open to teaching. And that’s where I was, I guess, implying that they would be partners in the teaching aspect or they would be teaching,” Gray said in a deputation to council last night.
Harvey noted the discrepancies.
“I know you’re coming back and obviously explained things dramatically different than what you did when you were in front of myself and some of my members of council at finance and corporate services (committee),” the Ward 7 councillor said. “Because you clearly did indicate that these two police officers that are ex-military were a part of your ownership group.”
Harvey asked about Gray’s most recent contact with the two Barrie police officers.
“My last conversation was just recently after the (unspecified) meeting, but before that I’d sent them some e-mails to keep them updated,” Gray said. “In our previous conversations, they said, you know, keep us updated. At one point they were looking at being as involved with it and then they decided not to, but left it open.”
Harvey asked if Gray had documentation to back up these statements. Gray said he did, but had not provided it to councillors.
“Do you not feel that it would have been appropriate to share that with us ahead of a deputation?” Harvey asked. “I have issues in supporting and taking your word for it, to be very honest with you, sir, because the information that’s been provided to me is to the contrary.”
“I never got a reply to the e-mail I sent to them before coming for my presentation a few weeks ago,” Gray said. “I did send them an e-mail, stating that I was coming in front of council and that we might have found a building in Barrie, and I had no reply from them at that point. And I’m sorry for any misleading; again, I was excited. I don’t mean to use the Barrie police force in any kind of way.”
Gun Linx was to be an educational and sports shooting facility range, to serve clients in the law enforcement, military and security business, as well as private members who enjoy target shooting and hunting. The shooting range system would have tactical, 50-metre and 100-m long gun ranges and teach customers how to handle firearms, how to shoot properly, clean and maintain guns. It was to operate from a single, standalone building on King Street as a private club, with all shooters licensed.
Now that council has confirmed the defeat of this motion, it cannot be reconsidered by council for six months — unless council decides it wants to take another look at the matter.
