Following a summer of significant construction work west of Rocky Mountain House, the Rocky Rod & Gun Club is set to hold a grand opening for its 1612m rifle range on Sunday Sept. 7.
Bruce Thornhill, corporate secretary for the Rocky Rod and Gun Club says once it’s completed, it’ll be a one-of-a kind in Canada.
“That’s a bit of a competitive issue,” says Thornhill. “We are the longest [public] shooting range by 12 metres.”
The Edson Fish & Game maintains a 1600m range in Cadomin, with another club in eastern Alberta at 1450m, and a private training range clocking in at 2400m near Drumheller, he says.
Crews have been extremely busy this year, says Thornhill, constructing nearly a mile of access matt road for heavy equipment over muskeg terrain, as well as significant excavation for required target backstops. Additionally, 500m of permanent road was built for year-round access to an elevated shooting platform.
Additionally, the club’s existing two kilometer virtual 3D archery trail had to be moved to accommodate the new road.
View from the range structure. (Rocky Rocky & Gun Club/provided)
Even with significant government grant funding in place, Thornhill credits “eagle-eyed” project committees with stretching dollars to keep the large project on budget.
The range improvements were made possible by a $170,000 matching grant received from the provincial Active Community Initiative, which the club applied for in 2024.
Once open, the range will be a game-changer for the West Country, says Thornhill.
“We think this is a premier facility for Clearwater County and Alberta in general,” he says. “For the long-range enthusiast and for hunters who want to humanely hunt at extended ranges, this will provide an excellent opportunity for them to do it safely.”
Currently, the club features a 600m rifle range.
The grand opening will be attended by dignitaries such as MLA Jason Nixon, Clearwater County Reeve Michelle Swanson, and Rocky Mountain House Acting Mayor Len Phillips.
Open to the public, the ceremony gets going around 2 p.m. at the Rocky Rod and Gun Club just west of Rocky on Hwy. 11a.
–
RELATED
–
The end of the 1620m range. (Rocky Rod & Gun Club/provided)
Comments