PUSLINCH 鈥� Council here approved Sunday gun hunting at its March 5 meeting, a move that came after local resident Robert Stark raised the matter at a council meeting in September.
Council directed staff then to conduct a survey to gauge residents鈥� opinions.
That survey ran from Dec. 23 to Jan. 15 on EngagePuslinch and received 167 responses. Of those 84.4 per cent were in favour of Sunday gun hunting.
There is only one property in the township on which the new permission will apply: Grand River Conservation Authority property at Concession 1 and Sideroad 10.
Hunting is not allowed on Conservation Halton or Hamilton Conservation Authority land in the township, nor is it allowed on 色控传媒County land in Puslinch.
Hunting is allowed on private property any day of the week, but only with the express permission of the landowner.
The bylaw will make gun hunting legal any Sunday of the year.
But hunters are also required to get a license from the Ministry of Natural Resources and those licenses come with their own restrictions.
Hunters might get one or two opportunities to hunt on a Sunday in the whole year, depending on their hunting licenses.
Councillor Russel Hurst wanted to ensure there was sufficient signage to indicate where Sunday gun hunting would be allowed and where it wouldn鈥檛.
He also hoped that information could be posted on the township鈥檚 website.
鈥淭hat will alleviate concerns,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he reality is it鈥檚 only on one parcel of land.鈥�
Councillors also wanted to be sure they could rescind the bylaw if there are unintended consequences or complaints.
So, the resolution that passed is contingent on that.
Staff will now send the resolution to the ministry鈥檚 Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch, which will work to make a regulatory amendment to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.
鈥淒espite the resolution being passed by council, Sunday gun hunting is not allowed until the regulatory amendment is made,鈥� states the report by interim clerk Justine Brotherston.
The report added the bylaw and ministry regulations would be in place before the fall hunting season begins.
