The Shooting Edge in Calgary said it will be shutting down for good just one week shy of its 25th anniversary. Effective October 3, its nearly 600 members will have to find somewhere else to spend time with their firearms.In an interview with the Western Standard, owner James Cox explained that there were numerous factors that lead up to the decision.He said that while COVID-19 government restrictions impacted business, the Trudeau Liberals' first Order in Council alone wiped out around $1 million in revenue, around 25%, and the second took away around $2 million in retail sales.Cox explained that a massive reduction in members was an "unintended consequence" of the bans, but noted that, "with the Liberals it was probably quite intended because they would know that as club, no new handguns sales means no new memberships."He noted that over the course of the past few years, the number of members went from 1,000 to 600. Meanwhile the Telus Pension Fund, which owns the building The Shooting Edge occupies, hiked his rent from $61,000 per month to $95,000 per month. "For them it's all about asset management," Cox lamented. "Whether there's a tenant or not, it's an asset in their portfolio." He noted that when he went to the fund's head office in Edmonton to try and talk with someone, he was ordered to leave the premises or risk being arrested. His attempts to get answers from Collier, which manages the building also came up fruitless.Cox said that he stopped selling memberships on September 1 as he didn't know what would happen going forward, and that existing members will be reunited with their guns in due time. He explained that a secure facility had been rented out to store the firearms with the assistance of the Alberta Chief Arms Office, which he praised as "awesome to deal with.""I've got pretty thick skin," he concluded. "I'm gonna bounce back. I'm not 'oh woe is me,' but it's sad because it's one less place for people to shoot, one less place for people to get their toys from, one more win for the Liberal party."
The Shooting Edge in Calgary said it will be shutting down for good just one week shy of its 25th anniversary. Effective October 3, its nearly 600 members will have to find somewhere else to spend time with their firearms.In an interview with the Western Standard, owner James Cox explained that there were numerous factors that lead up to the decision.He said that while COVID-19 government restrictions impacted business, the Trudeau Liberals' first Order in Council alone wiped out around $1 million in revenue, around 25%, and the second took away around $2 million in retail sales.Cox explained that a massive reduction in members was an "unintended consequence" of the bans, but noted that, "with the Liberals it was probably quite intended because they would know that as club, no new handguns sales means no new memberships."He noted that over the course of the past few years, the number of members went from 1,000 to 600. Meanwhile the Telus Pension Fund, which owns the building The Shooting Edge occupies, hiked his rent from $61,000 per month to $95,000 per month. "For them it's all about asset management," Cox lamented. "Whether there's a tenant or not, it's an asset in their portfolio." He noted that when he went to the fund's head office in Edmonton to try and talk with someone, he was ordered to leave the premises or risk being arrested. His attempts to get answers from Collier, which manages the building also came up fruitless.Cox said that he stopped selling memberships on September 1 as he didn't know what would happen going forward, and that existing members will be reunited with their guns in due time. He explained that a secure facility had been rented out to store the firearms with the assistance of the Alberta Chief Arms Office, which he praised as "awesome to deal with.""I've got pretty thick skin," he concluded. "I'm gonna bounce back. I'm not 'oh woe is me,' but it's sad because it's one less place for people to shoot, one less place for people to get their toys from, one more win for the Liberal party."
