Revelstoke Bullet Basin gun range move jammed in Victoria

The club has a new range planned, and everyone's on board with the move away from residences, so what's the hold up?

Editor’s note: Revelstoke city council is scheduled to take on many new and some returning issues  at their Feb. 12 meeting. Here’s a preview of one of the stories.

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Gun blasts and ricochets can still be heard coming from Bullet Basin on Camozzi Road, despite a five-year effort by the Revelstoke Rod & Gun Club to relocate to a new, bigger range in the Westside Road area. The club’s new range plans are no secret; they’ve been mentioned in Times Review stories before.

New residences have sprung up near the long-standing gun range; both the club and the neighbouring residences would like the range to move, but there’s a jam.

In a letter to council, club president Gary Krestinsky asks for support helping the club lobby the provincial government for final approval of a nominal-rate tenure they’ve secured on the other side of town.

Because of a high value of the land, the final say goes right to the top – the provincial government cabinet.

The club is writing council to ask for help getting the approval expedited and is concerned the provincial cabinet may not get to the file before the election – causing more delays until 2014.

They’re concerned about safety and property values. Houses are going up around the range and slackcountry skiers on RMR sometimes emerge from the glades in the forest behind the range.

Council has also received a letter from neighbourhood residents, asking them to support the club’s efforts to relocate the range.

Council will discuss the request at their Feb. 12 meeting.

Revelstoke Times Review