Bill C-21, which includes a clause surrounding airsoft gun legalities, was brought to the attention of the House of Commons last month.
The Bill will prohibit the use of airsoft guns in Canada if passed and effectively eliminate all Airsoft clubs in Canada.
For the Prince George Airsoft club, this would mean the 500-600 participants aged 14 and up, would have to quit the sport.
PG Airsoft President, Shaun Allen says Airsoft tends to draw a more mature crowd that doesn’t always gravitate towards hockey or soccer.
“It’s a way that participants can get away from school, it’s a very mature and respectful community and they just have fun,” explained Allen.
He says the nature of the sport requires a level of respect and honesty that isn’t always found in other games.
“It’s really an escape from the world and if Bill C-21 is implemented, I foresee a lot of people having to go back inside and lose that escape from their lives,” he noted.
Airsoft guns are currently considered “replica firearms” as they shoot between 366 and 500 feet per second (fps), however, Bill C-21 would place airsoft guns under the “firearm” category.
“We have very strict rules surrounding who’s allowed to do what based on what our guns are able to do,” explained Allen.
Because of the nature of the sport, the rules are pretty much always followed at the PG Airsoft Club, which keeps the sport quite safe.
Allen says PG Airsoft has turned into a community in the past few years, rather than just a sport, and many participants would lose out on the ability to build solid friendships the sport often creates.
Currently, a National Airsoft Association Site is being formed in Canada to provide more information on the sport and what the future looks like.
“Tens of thousands of people across the country will lose their favourite recreational activity if Bill C-21 is passed, “reads the site.
On the site, a petition advocating for the rejection of Bill C-21 is available as well as more information on the sport.
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