The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 1937 - 2012 · Celebrating 75 Years Orono Weekly Times - 5 Council hails gun club noise reduction efforts According to a second round of sound testing, most of the noise emanating from the Orono Fish and Hunt Club is within the permitted 70 decibel (dB) range. The club, which has been operating at its present location in Leskard since 1967, has taken some heat recently from neighbours. Leskard area residents have complained to council that the level and frequency of noise from the club is robbing them of their right to enjoy their properties. The Municipal Noise Bylaw contains a grandfather clause, permitting a noise level of 70 dB for gun clubs in operation prior to 1980. All other gun clubs must adhere to the 50 dB limit. Clarington has two outdoor gun clubs: the Orono Fish and Hunt Club, and the Union Rod and Gun Club on Concession Road 3 in Newcastle, both were established before 1980. There have been very few complaints from neighbours of the Newcastle Club. Tests were conducted on January 9 and 10 by an acoustic firm hired by the municipality at nine locations around the Hunt Club. Using a `worst case scenario' tests determined that the 70 dB noise level was not exceeded at seven of those locations. Of the two locations that exceeded 70 dB, one was 77.0 dB the other 79.9 dB. Mr. Ron Alldred, president of the Orono Fish and Hunt Club told councillors on Monday morning that his club takes adherence to the Municipal Noise By-law very seriously. "We are both happy and disappointed by the noise study," he stated. While the bulk of readings were below 70 dB, Alldred said he was disappointed that readings at two locations were above that. Alldred informed councillors that the club has now installed a number of walls lengthy process. consisting of round straw The Orono Gun Club bales piled three high at key which had historically been locations at the club. Testing open to their members on conducted by the club on Sundays and Wednesdays for Family Day on all the roads shooting sports was also surrounding the club, indicatbeing used by various law ed they were within the 70 dB enforcement agencies over l i m i t . the past numAccording to ber of years Alldred, most for training of the readpurposes, ings were sigh e r e b y We are both t nificantly increasing the below 70 dB. happy and disap- level and freHe did pointed by the noise quency of the acknowledge noise created the testing study." at the club. equipment ~Mr Ron Alldred Leskard Road they used was President, residents told not as sophis- Orono Fish and Hunt Club councillors on ticated as the numerous equipment occasions this used by the municipality. He summer, that they were no also told the Orono Times longer able to enjoy their reporter that the straw bales properties because of the are a temporary measure as noise emanating from the gun they will rot over time. club. Councillors gave initial The municipality conductapproval on Monday to coned their first round of sound vey 1,200 feet (approximatetests in September and ly 1.9 acres) of unopened October 2011 at six locations road allowance at the eastern around the club assuming the edge of the Hunt Club propworst case scenario of 12 erty to the club for a price of RCMP officers firing pistols $11,424. It is the intention of simultaneously. Of these the club to construct a sound tests, three registered above berm on this property. They 70 dB. anticipate the berm will When the test results were reduce the sound levels by 5 presented to Clarington to 10 dB though they admit Council last November, that due to cost implications Leskard Road resident Nancy building the berm will be a Wilson, who represented a number of her neighbours, told councillors the tests were not valid because they were not based on the actual worst case scenario. Wilson offered that the loudest noise came from club activities, especially from the use of shotguns, deer rifles and skeet shooting. " According to Wilson the shot guns used by the RCMP officers in the test are probably the least noisy firearm used on the range. Council then instructed another round of tests be undertaken based on firearms used at the club. At a meeting last December, the Hunt Club Board voted to cancel the contracts with the law enforcement agencies who had been training at the club, and to restrict the use of their facility to members only with the range being open on Sundays and Wednesdays. They will hold a number of special events during the summer, and have agreed to give residents prior notice of those events. They also built sound proofing structures around their firing stations, which they claim has also reduced the noise levels emanating from the club. Leskard Road resident Bruce Blight, who was in attendance at Monday's committee meeting, told the Orono Times while he appreciates the reduction in the number of days the club will be used for shooting, he has not noticed a reduction in the level of noise emanating from the club which abuts his back yard. In six of the nine locations tested in January, the dB level of the background noise was higher than the noise emanating from the gun club. Following the presentation, Mayor Adrian Foster (a former club member) told Mr. Alldred that the municipality appreciates the great strides the club is taking to address the complaints from their neighbours.