Public Outdoor Archery Range for Richmond Hill
The Issue
Dear Mayor West and the esteemed Council of the City of Richmond Hill;
I’m writing to you as a fellow Richmond Hill resident, as well as a traditional archer who practices using the bow and arrow not only as a sport and martial art, but also as a cultural and heritage practice, a scholarly art, and a community activity. Along with the undersigned members and friends of the archery community in Richmond Hill and surrounding areas, we petition to propose to the esteemed City Council to consider for the establishment of a public outdoor archery range to be included in the Richmond Hill Parks and Recreation plan of 2022.
Richmond Hill’s landscape is set to undergo significant changes in the next decade along with the further development and densification of York Region and the Greater Toronto Area. The City’s central location in the GTA situates it in excellent middle ground for cultural and community activity that will undoubtedly extend its influence to surrounding cities and areas. With infrastructural changes sweeping across the province, we are situated in a historically opportune time to introduce such a facility and become a regional leader of the sport and have the potential to become the latest authoritative facility of its kind in all of Canada.
Why a public archery range?
Archers in Toronto and the surrounding areas are graced with the only free, publicly-funded outdoor archery range in all of Canada – the Toronto Public Archery Range located in E.T. Seton Park, south of the Ontario Science Centre. Originally land owned by the author of the park’s namesake, it was bequeathed to the City of Toronto on his passing 1946 and a petition converted the field into a range in 1968.[1] Since then, it has served thousands of archery hobbyists, students, instructors, and professional athletes as training grounds and community space for aficionados near and far, from within the city to as far as Mono and Barrie.
Since the success of The Hunger Games film series in 2012, interest in archery and subsequently usage of the Seton public range grew exponentially to the point of saturation. According to oral accounts of its frequent patrons, whereas a typical weekend daytime had an average of 10 users in 2012, it is now about 40 users in 2022.[2] Despite best efforts by its community members to improve amenities such as contributing bow racks, ladders, and temporary fixes to the overused damaged targets in addition to habitually sharing targets with fellow users, the demand for the facility has outgrown the capabilities and irregular maintenance schedules of the Toronto Parks staff. Furthermore, patrons are concerned that with the imminent construction of the elevated Ontario Line subway skirting around the range’s southeast corner, there may be a potential risk to the range’s availability if not continued existence during and after construction.[3]
While private commercial ranges exist to facilitate the sport in the City as well as surrounding areas, they are mostly indoor facilities with a limited range distance, and cost an average of $30 per hour for its usage, equipment rental depending. Annual memberships at such facilities amount to anywhere from $300 to $800 in membership fees per annum. The high cost has long been a systemic access barrier to the sport for all Canadians in the country, but Torontonians are able to enjoy this sport much more on their own terms and time thanks to the existence of the Seton range as a publicly-operated facility, allowing everyone with their own equipment to enjoy the sport throughout Toronto’s parks operating hours.
Richmond Hill can make a significant impact to the Canadian archery environment and outdoor sporting habit by seizing this visible demand to become a regional influencer, encouraging locals and attracting neighbouring residents to pick up or continue with this sport – which was once taught in our high schools as part of the physical education curriculum – and in doing so, stimulate nearby businesses such as restaurants and supply stores in the process.
[1] ‘Free archery range remains ‘hidden’ in the middle of the city for decades, CBC News, posted August 12, 2018 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/park-hidden-archery-range-seton-1.4781773
[2] Oral account from Charles Moffat, fieldwork study by Juni Yeung, April 17, 2022.
[3] “Construction Impacts”, in The Ontario Line LIVE – North Segment Presentation, June 30, 2021. https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/content/ontario-line-live-north-segment-presentation-june-30-2021
The Issue
Dear Mayor West and the esteemed Council of the City of Richmond Hill;
I’m writing to you as a fellow Richmond Hill resident, as well as a traditional archer who practices using the bow and arrow not only as a sport and martial art, but also as a cultural and heritage practice, a scholarly art, and a community activity. Along with the undersigned members and friends of the archery community in Richmond Hill and surrounding areas, we petition to propose to the esteemed City Council to consider for the establishment of a public outdoor archery range to be included in the Richmond Hill Parks and Recreation plan of 2022.
Richmond Hill’s landscape is set to undergo significant changes in the next decade along with the further development and densification of York Region and the Greater Toronto Area. The City’s central location in the GTA situates it in excellent middle ground for cultural and community activity that will undoubtedly extend its influence to surrounding cities and areas. With infrastructural changes sweeping across the province, we are situated in a historically opportune time to introduce such a facility and become a regional leader of the sport and have the potential to become the latest authoritative facility of its kind in all of Canada.
Why a public archery range?
Archers in Toronto and the surrounding areas are graced with the only free, publicly-funded outdoor archery range in all of Canada – the Toronto Public Archery Range located in E.T. Seton Park, south of the Ontario Science Centre. Originally land owned by the author of the park’s namesake, it was bequeathed to the City of Toronto on his passing 1946 and a petition converted the field into a range in 1968.[1] Since then, it has served thousands of archery hobbyists, students, instructors, and professional athletes as training grounds and community space for aficionados near and far, from within the city to as far as Mono and Barrie.
Since the success of The Hunger Games film series in 2012, interest in archery and subsequently usage of the Seton public range grew exponentially to the point of saturation. According to oral accounts of its frequent patrons, whereas a typical weekend daytime had an average of 10 users in 2012, it is now about 40 users in 2022.[2] Despite best efforts by its community members to improve amenities such as contributing bow racks, ladders, and temporary fixes to the overused damaged targets in addition to habitually sharing targets with fellow users, the demand for the facility has outgrown the capabilities and irregular maintenance schedules of the Toronto Parks staff. Furthermore, patrons are concerned that with the imminent construction of the elevated Ontario Line subway skirting around the range’s southeast corner, there may be a potential risk to the range’s availability if not continued existence during and after construction.[3]
While private commercial ranges exist to facilitate the sport in the City as well as surrounding areas, they are mostly indoor facilities with a limited range distance, and cost an average of $30 per hour for its usage, equipment rental depending. Annual memberships at such facilities amount to anywhere from $300 to $800 in membership fees per annum. The high cost has long been a systemic access barrier to the sport for all Canadians in the country, but Torontonians are able to enjoy this sport much more on their own terms and time thanks to the existence of the Seton range as a publicly-operated facility, allowing everyone with their own equipment to enjoy the sport throughout Toronto’s parks operating hours.
Richmond Hill can make a significant impact to the Canadian archery environment and outdoor sporting habit by seizing this visible demand to become a regional influencer, encouraging locals and attracting neighbouring residents to pick up or continue with this sport – which was once taught in our high schools as part of the physical education curriculum – and in doing so, stimulate nearby businesses such as restaurants and supply stores in the process.
[1] ‘Free archery range remains ‘hidden’ in the middle of the city for decades, CBC News, posted August 12, 2018 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/park-hidden-archery-range-seton-1.4781773
[2] Oral account from Charles Moffat, fieldwork study by Juni Yeung, April 17, 2022.
[3] “Construction Impacts”, in The Ontario Line LIVE – North Segment Presentation, June 30, 2021. https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/content/ontario-line-live-north-segment-presentation-june-30-2021
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Petition created on May 14, 2022