Gun range update: Buyers Beware!

The landowner appealed the denial of rezoning to permit a public gun range. We now have a case number on the OLT website. 

In the meantime, pending severance in September, lots #1 and #3 are for sale. Dunno about the house and land on Lot #2, perhaps they are still renovating the house. It was in pretty bad shape.

The provincially significant wetland ('retained wetlands') is being kept by the landowner, as he runs an outfitting business. He's still hoping for a gun range. 

Here are the two listings, which total about $350,000. He paid $606,000 for the entire parcel. The middle property is still being renovated.

Lot #1 – 1688 Rideau Ferry Rd. Unit #1 $184,900. The listing states: "Drummond-North Elmsley is especially quiet overall, as there tend to be low levels of noise from traffic." I beg to differ: listen to the Motorcycles.

There is no mention of a hunting property and former gun range adjacent. When we bought, no one told us about the noise. This is unethical. This property has lots of noise and traffic, just listen to the noise from Rideau Ferry Rd. The noise is constant. 

Lot #3 – 1688 Rideau Ferry Rd. Unit #3, $164,900. The land isn't legally severed yet. Not until October. It claims is is a quiet area. What a crock!

Sept. 30th – The larger piece of vacant land was $185,000 is now $144,000. The other lot has gone from $165,000 lowered to $140,000. They have been on the market for 46 days. 

This is what the highway is like, cars passing day and night.

passing from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Gun Range Application in DNE denied!

Yippee! We fought this for 8 months. We won. https://t.co/4Qahw3FUcm

— Jennifer Jilks🇨🇦 (@jennjilks) April 26, 2023

HAPPY DANCE!!!!! 

 ¯\_(^‿^)_/¯ 

       /\

 ((((/\/\))))

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    _|  |_

He can appeal, but he has no grounds. I am so relieved. 

The Planner recommended deferral, again. 

The applicant was blindsided... no more blindsided than his application for a gun range. 

We started this in September, 2022. This is the whole saga | Timelines of our work.

Gun Range updates

We've updates on the gun range. I could write a book, but I won't! I did read all the reports (300 pages total). I write this, since the steering committee has benefitted from other groups who have similarly fought against a nearby gun range, like Ramara Nov. 2020. 

1. Firstly, a member of the steering committee has managed a successful Freedom of Information (FOI) request, and gotten the details of the confidential deal between the OPP and the landowner to clean up the lead and heavy metals. This was a condition of sale. They were sent a 300-page document, consisting of these four reports:

• Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of 1688 Rideau Ferry Rd. gun range, Sept. 4, 2018 (32 pg.).
• Phase II ESA, March 20, 2019 (98 pg.).
• Event #1, Groundwater, Surface water & Sediment Monitoring Program, dated Nov., 2019, (166 pages).
• Event #2, Groundwater, Surface water & Sediment Study, dated May, 2021, (9 pg.).

The history of the OPP recertification activities show that the range was located in a former gravel pit. They scraped the gravel to make a berm at one end, and used railway ties (with creosote) to build the berm wall. Add to that 500 OPP members shooting four rounds or more, one day per year.

There is lead and copper in the ground. The OPP switched over from lead bullets to copper, but not consistently. 

2. Also, here is a new article by a reporter taking over for Evelyn. Hollie did well to come up to speed on the issue. She chatted with us, and I sent her some of the background information. She spoke to our DNE Planner, other citizens, and the gun range proponent.

UPDATE: March 17 – Drummond North Elmsley gun range dispute continues as peer review identifies 'shortcomings' in initial study Article by Hollie Pratt-Campbell. 

These are the timelines of this project:

• neighbours spread the news of the application by going door-to-door (Sept. 22, 2022) received in the DNE Offices in August,
• back up materials (i.e., the application documents; application, BTE noise study, Zanderplan consultant report) were disseminated to those who were interested (Oct. 3, 2022),
• concerned residents began contacting and emailing one another,
• we met with the township planner and gave him background, played my gun fire video, gave him copies of the letter the OPP sent residents regarding shooting dates, (Sept. 29th),
• the first letter-to-the-editor was published Oct. 5th, more followed,
• a steering committee of concerned citizens began meeting in October,
• silent partners have been researching the Ontario Land Tribunal process, should we have to appeal,
• 100s of questions have been sent to DNE by phone or email – this is ongoing,
• letters were sent to the DNE planner, as per protocols, protesting this rezoning,
• emails began flying as residents became concerned (I've 180 email threads, Joe has 283),
• a poster was created, beginning on Nov. 4th re: Oct. 11th meeting, posted to Facebook pages,
• the first public meeting (Oct. 11th), was standing room only, about 90 in attendance,
• Facebook page private group (Oct. 15, 2022),
• the petition was researched, designed, printed and disseminated (543 names, first proposed Oct. 15th, presented to staff Dec. 6th),
• one council member declared conflict of interest and recused himself in November. That leaves 4 members to vote on the issue.
• planning, creating, costing, fundraising and putting up "No Gun Range" signs (planted Nov. 18/ stolen Nov. 21),
• contacting the media; radio, TV interviews,
• big public meeting including Zoom, Dec. 6th, with several presentations to Council, at which time they deferred the vote,
• I tracked down the previous landowner owner, cttee. got access to the OPP correspondence (Feb., 2023),
• an FOI request for the OPP clean up plans I & II, was filed (rec'd Mar., 2023).

Many of us are filling our swear jars...

I did my duty!

 Here I am at 4:40 a.m., writing my post. Usually I had my posts planned a couple of days in advance. Protesting this new gun club has me betwixt and between. We took off at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, to go to our council chambers for the 5 p.m. meeting. In the beginning, we felt as if it was only us who objected to the noise. We felt alone and vulnerable, potential targets, if you get the pun. That changed.

Momentum was building as neighbour told neighbour about the potential gun club. We'd only been told about it two weeks ago, by a passing neighbour. From there word spread from concerned resident to concerned resident.  

With the leaves down,
you can see where the forest begins again.
The wetland cleans the water as it goes back
into Otty Lake and the aquifer.

The house and 120 acres sold this year for $606,000. The previous owner sold up after losing her husband. I'd actually visited the home as a volunteer several years ago. The YouTube video of the property is amazing: 120 acres, lots of wetland . Our wetlands are so precious and so fragile. 

The room had to be reset, as they had had only a capacity of 30 during COVID. They wisely brought in chairs for 65. When we arrived there were several residents waiting to go. JB snagged us front row seats. I was vibrating with energy. As we waited for the meeting to start, the room filled. It was standing room only in the hallway. It was nerve wracking as we didn't know if supporters of the gun club would be there.

There was a sign-in sheet for people arriving, name, email, address. We were curious about who would come, who was impacted by this gun club, and who might object. None of us who moved in after the OPP shooting range was created had been told about it. No one was asked if they should create it in the very beginning.

The Township Planner presented a PowerPoint, which was quite comprehensive. He'd used the data I'd provided and the background I gave him and done his own research. I have the letters the OPP had given residents near to the OPP Recertification range from 2014 to 2019. He photocopied them all. In the PPT was a list of people who supported the proposal (17) vs. a formal list of names of those against it (61). Those supporting the proposal did not reveal their addresses. 

The township's Official Plan states that the Plan's purpose is "to create a suitable acoustical environment for the residents." This should be full stop here. 

Add to that the government's Provincial Policy Statement (2020 PDF) regarding planning and land use, speaks very carefully to wetland management.

wetland walkies in winter

The gun club proponent read his speech, suggesting that the gun range will bring tourist dollars to town, despite strict rules about transporting guns to and from a gun range. He said that his gun range should be grandfathered, despite it violating the zoning by-laws. There are a lot of homes nearby. The range isn't that far from any of us. He mentioned my name twice, as if it was only us complaining. I was quite shocked.

aerial view

This is the view from the highway.

There are a lot of homes ignored by the BTE acoustic report. 

They identified two locations (X),
but ignored many others (X)

I read my speech, vibrating with rage. I wasn't afraid, just couldn't believe what we have to do. I testified at an inquest 40 years ago, and while I was shaken then, I wasn't nearly this upset. 

RCMP write about Impulsive Sounds: 

1.6.3 Impulsive Sounds

The noise from firearms is described as being “impulsive,” which signifies that the sound lasts for only a very short period of time, typically less than 1 second. Impulsive sounds are so short that even the fast meter response is not fast enough to give a true maximum level.

The overall energy of a series of impulsive noises from firearms is correctly described by means of a Leq measurement. However, there is doubt that the Leq measurement adequately describes the community response to impulsive sound because of the startling effect such noise can have. This problem can be overcome by adding a penalty to the measured Leq value. In the 1971 version of ISO 1996 [14], a 5 dB penalty is recommended for impulsive noise. Other research has indicated penalties of 7 dB [25], 10 dB [10] or 12 dB [29]. 

JB spoke after several others. He explained that he used guns on the farm. He also explained that we had hired the proponent several times: the toilet replacement, our lower deck repairs. We've bought wood from him several times. It's nothing personal, it is just the noise.

Speaker after speaker brought up the impact the gun noise had on them on the lake (2 km away). You can see from Google Earth the 12 gun lanes and the bog right beside it. This is shameful. Another point made was that the metals remaining from 20+ years of use in as a gun range, there is much cleanup to do. There is a clean up Plan I and Plan II to ameliorate the mess in the ground, but it hasn't begun. They will involve the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority in that process. There are "known soil exceedances" (i.e., metals) on the gun range. 

For us: it is the noise. This is the same for Amy Millar, there representing her father, Ian Millar. She spoke eloquently about the issues she faces raising her horses, and giving lessons to students while listening to gunfire. Ian Millar was on a plane, having not been given proper notice about this issue. Very few of us had. None knew the extent of the noise, and how far it travels. Handgun noise can travel 1.6 km and long guns 3 km away. Their horses are worth millions of dollars. 

The distance from Ian Millar's field
to the 12-lane gun range.

There is a statue in Perth of Ian Millar
 on his horse, Big Ben. 

As I left, I checked the sign-in sheets and there appeared to be 90 people there. The proponent, and his Safety/Gun expert Jeremy, as well as a Zanderplan rep. None but the proponent and his Safety Officer for the club spoke in favour. Now we wait for next steps. It'll come back to Council who will yay or nay it. There will be another meeting. If they decided to let this fly, there is a tribunal at which we can speak since we spoke at this meeting. Then it goes to the provincial firearms office in Orillia. If you've hung in here reading, thank you! I wanted to get it all straight in my own mind. I keep waking to that hamster wheel in my head. 

In my speech I was complaining about the lack of proper evaluations of the Impulse Noise, and played the sound for the group. Happily they'd passed around a microphone and I just put it beside my laptop speaker after introducing it. 

gunfire from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

UPDATES: newspaper coverage 

• ‘A war going on': Residents up in arms over proposed gun range in Rideau Ferry, Oct. 13
• ‘I don’t want a big fight’: Legal action threatened if zoning amendment for gun range gets shot down, Oct. 26
• 'Deeply offended': Letter writer opposing gun range in Drummond/North Elmsley fired up about landowner comments, Oct. 26  

Recycling: Yellow boxes

Well, big changes to our wee county. We just had a municipal election, and the incumbents were re-elected. In the meantime, staff just keeps on keeping on!

I don't think taxpayers in big cities understand life in rural Ontario. We're on well water, we don't have sidewalks, and our recycling isn't as robust as bigger towns and cities. We cannot compost, either, not with Junior Bear. JB washes all of our recycling, and only puts it out on the morning of pick-up. The bears, ravens, and coyotes are prone to getting into garbage. Tourists dump their garbage at the side of the road days before pick-up.

The county is responsible for the roads. JB spotted some garbage at the Park 'N Ride, too much for him, with arthritis in his back, to pick up. The municipality told the county, and they picked up some of it.

Hubby went to the municipal offices, and picked up some free bags. We are only permitted to put out two bags for free. Otherwise, we have to put a sticker on it. Ironically, Tim Hortons donates bags for this purpose. They love him at the office, he walks regularly, and gets so upset with the garbage, he'll go out and pick it up. These yellow bags allow us to put it out for free. We are helping the township and the county.

In the meantime, this is a big change for us. Our tax dollars at work!

D/NE Township

3900 YELLOW BOXES arrived this morning. We'll deliver one to every household in DNE next week: Oct 29 - Nov 2. Watch for your personal delivery.

This is like the good, old days, when we lived in Ottawa. Our neighbour used to set the tone for garbage pickup and snow clearing. Mary and her hubby were on top of it all the time. She knew if it was blue or black boxes, and we'd peek out the front door to see what she put on her driveway. Now, JB is the one who reads the flyers and knows when what is being picked up!

Riverside Dr. and Canal Bank Rd., Perth, ON

Riverside Drive study will consider paving, walking paths

Discussions between Perth, DNE touch on ‘economic union’ or merger

This is an interesting dilemma. Engineers have been hired! The road is full of pot holes year-round, especially after a rain.

Riverside Dr. is in the town of Perth, Canal Bank is in D/NE Township. Canal bank ends and doesn't go out to highway #43. Coming in from #43 is Evans Rd., which does not connect to Canal Rd! Residents, of course, want to keep their properties private and are against a new road.

The red pin indicates Riverside Dr.,

which ends at the corner.

The right angle turn begins Canal Bank Rd.

Here is the physio therapy building, at the end of the road.

Fields around the facility are quite watery!
This 'pond' hd a heron.

The spa/gym/physiotherapy spot, at the end of the road, is on what was a horse farm. It's a wonderful facility. Lots of people use the gym, including Perth's mayor, Mr. Fenik. Sadly, the road is a disaster.

The pot holes are amazing. It's like driving on fudge! People tend to drive too quickly. For the most part.

They have options:
1) connect the road off #43 for an alternate route,
2) Adopt this part of land from D/NE,
3) Fix the road up along the canal,
4) Make Riverside a recreational route
5) Connect Canal Rd and Evans Rd, for easier access from the highway.

Sadly, if they pave it, the winter salt required will enter the waterway.

We were there, for my physio, at the tail end of a rain storm. This, following after spring thaw, meant that the forest on the north east was trying to drain into the river, on the south west. This woman did not go above 3 km/hour!


Canal Rd. from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Forest on the NE, river on the SW!

Someone decided to try driving on the grass. They got stuck and had to be towed.
As you come around the corner, the town put up a road closure sign. You cannot see it from the right turn. Then, as you try to get back onto the highway, you cannot see oncoming traffic as you pull out onto highway #43.

Leaving is a dilemma

You can't see oncoming traffic west or from the left, at Craig & Highway #43. Especially, if you meet the grader!

Canal Rd., Perth, ONT from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Here is was in the height of the storm. We had 72 mm of rain (~3") over three days.


Sadly, a young lady went over the side into the river, at one point.  Riverside Dr., near Perth, the site of a terrible incident. The gym is frequented by our local firefighters and paramedics, to keep in shape. They rescued her. The spa's owner, a physician, attended to her. It was a horrible incident. Since then, they put up the metal barriers.

These are the before photos, before the guard rails were installed. It was quite a terrifying drive!


The road was graded the morning I visited. You couldn't really tell. In winter it is icy and slippy.

 Tay River rails - speaking of winter driving