Heal’s range improvements nearing end
Melissa Atkinson
Lookout Editor
August 28, 2006
When military personnel head out to Heal’s Rifle Range later this fall to do their personal weapons test, they’ll find a much-improved training area in their sights.
More than $600,000 was spent upgrading the 83-year-old range. The majority of cash went into purchasing truckloads of dirt and gravel to raise the land between the firing points and targets, and diverting Todd Creek away from the area through a series of culverts.
Maj Steve Sawyer, Base Operations Officer, says the range is flooded half the year from B.C.’s rainy climate, mainly from the swelling creek. A dry range will make weapon’s testing straightforward, especially during “run downs,” where a military member works their way down the range from firing point to firing point.
“Imagine doing those rundowns in a few inches of water,” he says.
The earth berm behind the target system, designed to stop the bullets, has been stripped of dirt and old bullets, and replaced with fresh dirt. That’s usually done every 100,000 bullets as part of the range’s lead remediation project, but was folded into the range improvement project, says Maj Sawyer.
Two troop shelters were constructed by the Pacific Naval Construction Troop to give members a dry place to sit while waiting their turn, and much of the target system was overhauled. Two targets are used at the range: a bull’s-eye and a black silhouette of a soldier charging. They’re stuck on a steel frame and erected into the air from the concrete bunker. After firing, the targets are hauled down and patches placed over the holes in preparation for the next shooter. The pulley system and steel frames are quite old, says Maj Sawyer, and in need maintenance.
The range is used primarily for annual weapons qualifications of all CF personnel, and by Fleet School and The Naval Officer Training Centre Venture for live fire training. The simulator at Fleet School trains students in procedures, but the range touches on all the senses.
“Firing live rounds is a different experience. You can get a lot of drill down on a simulator, but then you have to go to the range to ensure that skill is transferable to the real thing,” says Maj Sawyer.
Safety is a top concern at the range. However, the constant battle to keep civilians out of the range has moved the Base Commander to authorize the Base Operations Officer to hire a commissionaire to patrol the area.
“Urban encroachment is an issue,” he says. Even though the area is fenced off, with the exception of the mountainous terrain, evidence of mountain bikes trails and horse riding persist.
If the commissionaire encounters any flak, he or she is instructed to call the Military Police (MP). If caught on Heal’s Range by the MPs, a person may expect to receive a ticket under the Defence Controlled Area Access Regulations.
