West Kelowna eyes firearm, bow restrictions on private land

KELOWNA – It was a long time ago and only happened once, but Doug Findlater doesn’t want other West Kelowna residents to be shooting guns off in their back yards like he once did.

West Kelowna city council agreed earlier this month to look into creating a bylaw banning the use of firearms and bows on private property. Currently, their use is only banned on city property.

Findlater, who was the city’s mayor and now sits as a city councillor, made the request for the new rules.

“I can tell you a little story about when I first moved here in 1975,” he told council. “I lived in a rural area and I had a problem with a skunk family. The landlord handed me leg hold traps and a gun and that’s what I had to do to protect the residence that we were living in. I have shot off a gun within West Kelowna.

“I think that’s a very rural situation. I hate to think someone could sit outside my back window and have target practice.”

Findlater told iNFOnews.ca that it was a shotgun and he only used it once. He grew up in a military family and had training with firearms but has not used one since.

A staff report says most Okanagan cities have restrictions on the use of firearms within city limits.

It also noted that there are 164 farms within the city limits so a permit system may be created.

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