By Felicia Massey [1]
BRIGHTON – After years of discussion in the community, Brighton council has passed a motion [2] to allow for gun hunting on Sundays.
The municipality’s former ban on Sunday hunting was originally created to increase church attendance.
Up until Monday’s virtual council meeting [3], Brighton was the only municipality in the surrounding area to have not yet authorized Sunday gun hunting.
At the meeting, the council viewed a presentation from Brian McRae, senior adviser of community and partner relations for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, who offered statistics on the benefits of Sunday gun hunting.
Hunting is the most cost-effective wildlife management tool, McRae said.
“Without (hunting), the (Ontario) Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry could not possibly be able to cope with the burgeoning number of wildlife populations in many areas.”
McRae continued: “Since 1999, the (ministry’s) policy has clearly stated that bylaws that appear to restrict hunting as an activity based largely on public perceptions, acceptance or appropriateness of hunting should be questioned.”
Later, during the citizens’ comment portion of the meeting, council welcomed Monty Bourke, president of the Presqu’ile Homeowners Association, who spoke against McRae’s arguments and the Sunday gun hunting motion.
“We oppose any change to Sunday gun hunting,” Bourke said. “Weekends are an issue for us as well, because that’s when families come and spend time (together).”
He told council that in 2019 the association started a petition which gathered 172 signatures against the authorization of gun hunting on Sundays. That stance has not wavered in 2021, he said.
“It is not just about numbers. This is about our neighbourhood. This is where we live. Safety is a very serious issue for us.”
Bourke also said he believes Brighton’s Firearms Discharge Bylaw should be amended to increase the distance from the Lake Ontario shoreline at which firearms can be discharged. He recommended a 300-metre distance. However, council later voted to set the distance at 200 metres.
As councillors discussed the motion on permitting gun hunting on Sunday, Coun. Doug LeBlanc spoke in favour of it.
By prohibiting Sunday hunting, “you’re hurting our tourist business,” LeBlanc said, adding that hunting is “a way of life. It has been our heritage for a very long time.”
Coun. Mary Tadman said the debate should not be a competition as to how many signatures can be collected on a petition, but a discussion of the health and safety of the residents of Brighton.
“I definitely do not think we should go by just numbers and polls,” she said.
Deputy Mayor Laura Vink said that when it comes to names on a petition, “it is hard to determine who is from Brighton and who is not from Brighton. I’m not sure that we can go by that information.
“I’m not opposed to hunting; it’s not about that at all. I think it’s just finding that balance.”
Tadman said, “I’m here to compromise both with the hunters and for the people that want that quiet day on Sunday.”
In the end, the motion to allow Sunday hunting passed 4-3. Councillors LeBlanc, Mark Bateman and Emily Rowley voted for it, and councillors Tadman and Ron Anderson plus Deputy Mayor Vink voted against. The 3-3 tie was broken by Mayor Brian Ostrander , who voted in favour of Sunday gun hunting.
As a result of the vote, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has added Brighton to its list of places where it has succeeded in getting authorization for Sunday gun hunting [4].
Sunday hunting will become official in Brighton once the Sunday gun hunting map is updated on Aug. 31.