BONNYVILLE - On May 25, the Bonnyville Shooting Sports Association put on a free ladies' shoot, offering women of all skill levels the opportunity to learn about firearms.
No gun license was required to participate, and 40 participants took part.
Hosted at the Bonnyville shooting range, volunteers offered their time, expertise, and the use of their personal firearms to give women a chance to try shooting and grow their confidence and knowledge of firearms.
“There were a lot of smiles and laughter after the ladies had their turns. That’s incredibly rewarding for our volunteers,” said Bonnyville Shooting Sports Association president Jason Carroll.
Participant Kellie Nichiporik said she enjoyed the experience.
“It was a fun time. It was nice being in a group of women and learning how to shoot... The instruction was really nice. They definitely made sure you were comfortable before you shot, and just made the experience really positive.”
Participants went through training, which started with rifles positioned on a table to gain some comfort handling the firearm.
They were then offered the opportunity to shoot handguns – which offered a unique opportunity since these firearms are no longer legal to purchase, and therefore irreplaceable to the owners.
Part of the event's aim is to break some misconceptions around firearms.
“The Liberal government has really put out a negative picture towards legally owned firearms. We do this event to give people a chance to see that the proper and safe usage of firearms doesn't align with that picture the government has portrayed,” said Carroll.
As participants Ayesha Ashrafi and Nichiporik took their turns shooting targets, Carroll spoke about the rush the participants get from the experience of handling firearms.
“When that first shot goes, you just see that big grin on their faces.”
Carroll pointed to a participant who had just shot a handgun, her face lit up with a smile,
“That. That right there is why we do it.”
