The Langley Rod and Gun Club (LRGC) will keep its tax-exempt status even though it failed to meet a Township deadline to address a potential lead contamination problem at the Brookswood shooting range.
On Monday (Oct. 6), council voted to renew the municipal tax exemption for the 37.5 acre Brookswood property the non-profit LRGC uses for indoor and outdoor shooting near 40 Avenue and 208 Street, a saving of $26,205.
A report by Township staff had suggested the tax break should be cut in half because the club had been slow to respond to a provincial ministry of the environment demand to have the site tested for possible lead contamination from old shotgun shells.
The report said council could eliminate the tax break altogether because the club was warned last year that it could lose its exempt status if it failed to address the problem.
But since the club hired an environmental consultant to tackle the issue last month, “there appears to be an effort to comply,” the report said.
Based on that, Councillor Bob Long convinced the rest of council to restore a full tax exemption.
Environment Canada banned the use of lead shot for hunting most migratory game bird species in 1999, but it is still allowed on shooting ranges.
At press time, the LRGC had not responded to a Times request for comment.
