Sainte-Adele council moves to end firearm target practice near Lac Pilon

After residents in Sainte-Adele raised concerns about people using a nearby wooded area for firearm target practice, the town council has moved to put an end to the activity.

Jean Charbonneau has been a leading voice in the effort to stop firearm target practice in Sainte-Adele.

"We're all trying to have a nice quiet place by our lake and the shooting doesn't make for quiet," Charbonneau said in an interview.

Target practice on crown land has always been legal as long as shooters are 300 metres from the closest home-

However, the Sainte-Adele town council recently voted to increase the distance threshold to 500 metres, making the forest too close to homes for target practice.

"It's a pleasure to see that they'll probably have to leave," Charbonneau said.

Eight other municipalities in the region have adopted the new rule, with one more expected to follow, though it is currently facing administrative delays, according to Sainte-Adele's general director, Sophie Charpentier.

"I think it will be good for the situation but I'm not sure it'll resolve the situation," Charpentier said, adding that it will resolve the issue in Sainte-Adele.

The municipality said it is hopeful the new law will be adopted within a two-month period.