e-3383 (National defence and military operations)
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the Minister of National Defence
- The Department of National Defense (DND) lands in Nanaimo fall within the Regional District of Nanaimo Area C and the City of Nanaimo, British Columbia;
- Nanaimo and area population has grown from a few thousand to over 100,000 since the DND firing range was established in the 1950’s;
- The DND lands now border Westwood Lake Park, the Morrell Nature Sanctuary, Mount Benson Regional Park, and a new extension to Colliery Dams Park;
- These parks contain a significant trail network, used weekly by thousands of recreationists, naturalists, families, and children’s educational programs. This use has increased during the pandemic;
- These trail networks connect to a series of trails that crisscross the DND lands;
- The DND intermittently uses large calibre automatic weapons during the day and night at the firing range; and
- The noise created by heavy automatic gunfire has deleterious health consequences for immediate residents, including the potential to re-traumatize residents with PTSD, disturbs wildlife and bird populations within the vicinity and can be heard more than six kilometres away by residents in Nanaimo’s south end.
- Open for signature
- May 7, 2021, at 2:51 p.m. (EDT)
- Closed for signature
- July 6, 2021, at 2:51 p.m. (EDT)