Neighbours fired up over sport-shooting course proposed in Leduc County

A group of residents in Leduc County is opposed to a proposed outdoor recreation facility because of its sport-shooting courses.

The Kloovenburg Sports proposal for a multi-sport facility includes shooting courses, an archery range, a mountain bike track, and skiing and walking trails on 800 acres of land near Range Road 12A and Township Road 501A.

Neighbouring along part of the proposed sport-shooting courses is Marilyn Merriam and her family of nine. They foster children and mentally challenged adults.

She worries how the sounds of shotgun blasts will affect their stress levels.

"Our kids are able to walk directly through their property because it is a public area and safety is a huge concern for us," Merriam said Friday. "It's just going to be scary."

She said nearly everyone in the house will be adversely affected by the loud noises — including her animals. She said she may consider moving.

"It's leaving us in a position where ... I don't want to sell, and I don't think we should have to," she said.

Bruce Tegart's property is right beside the piece of land where skeet- and trap-shooting will take place. He can see the open field though the tree ridge on his land.

He's against the proposal for a variety of reasons and is concerned about the environment. Strawberry Creek runs through the proposed sports facility site and Tegart worries lead from shotgun pellets will seep into the creek, which flows into the North Saskatchewan River.

"They might not be shooting over the water but then you get the spring runoff and you get the rain and all this valley floods," Tegart said Friday. "It's going to migrate the lead into the water supply."

Tegart said many communities drink from the North Saskatchewan River and will ultimately be affected by the lead.

Kloovenburg responds

Kloovenburg Sports has been working on finding a property for the sport facility for the past two years. Carlton Brewster, the operations manager for Kloovenburg Sports, said it's nearly impossible to satisfy everyone in the area.

"It's kind of one of those things that no matter where you put it in the province you're going to have some people who aren't going to be happy," Brewster told CBC.

He said while he understands nearby residents' concerns, it's about providing opportunity for Albertans to practise sports like archery and trap- and skeet-shooting.

"These are all Olympic events," Brewster said. "There is nowhere in our province, especially in central Alberta, that has anywhere you can train for these type of things. That was a big deal for us. A lot of kids who wouldn't be considered to be athletes really excel at these sports."

Kloovenburg Sports has hired companies for noise and environmental reports.  

In the environmental impact assessment, it says with proper monitoring and reclamation, the potential for lead contamination will be low.

'You can't mix people and shotguns'

But Tegart voiced other concerns — including noise and safety — that could not be answered by an environmental impact assessment.

He said he bought his land for recreational use and would no longer be able to enjoy it with the sport-shooting course nearby.

"If people want to come out and build cross-country ski trails or biking trails or walking trails, no problem," Tegart said. "Nature should be appreciated. You can't mix people and shotguns."

The land is zoned for agriculture, so the decision for the project's approval will be completed by Leduc County planning and development staff within the next couple of weeks. A public hearing is not expected.