In the RM of Springfield, there is an old bylaw that prohibits the shooting of any and all firearms on Sunday. Yes, that includes airsoft guns and pellet guns.

The failure to comply with Springfield’s “Use of Firearms” bylaw could result in a fine of up to $200, or imprisonment for up to one month. Moreover, infringing on a firearm-related bylaw is considered a federal offense and can result in a criminal record.

If that penalty sounds grossly unfair to you, you are not alone. Oakbank resident Erica Lindell enjoys target practice, having airsoft battles with her kids, and hunting from time to time. Hoping to hunt in her wooded backyard, Lindell decided to search the RM website for any applicable bylaws and was floored by what she found:

“No person shall on Sunday fire or discharge a firearm within the Municipality,” reads the bylaw, “excepting any area designated by Council as a shooting range.”

The bylaw’s description of “firearm” lumped innocent items, such as airsoft guns, together with rifles and revolvers.

“Then I realized that if I did get charged, that could be a federal offense,” comments Lindell. “That’s my entire life gone all over wanting to play with my kids on a Sunday when I have time to do this kind of stuff.”

As Lindell soon discovered, the bylaw, penned in 1997, was intended to make Sundays more peaceful by eliminating the cacophony of gunfire. Feeling that the RM’s more recent “Noise Bylaw” does a better job at addressing this concern, Lindell puzzled over why such a heavy-handed rule still existed.

Spreading the newfound information to friends and neighbors and across social media, Lindell was able to garner a petition of 290 signatures which she took to the Springfield Council chambers.

“I went in as a delegation and explained all of this,” states Lindell, “and they agreed unanimously to take a look at it.”

According to Lindell, Council was also surprised by the bylaw and found it to be unduly severe.

“I am really quite positive that they will end up scrapping it and creating a separate bylaw for township,” she remarks.

While Lindell is fairly certain she would not have never been penalized by an afternoon target practice in her yard, she says this situation is a lesson in the importance of dusting off old rules.