legalities of owning an airsoft feild

[Bissa]

just thinking about all the feilds out in ontario, I was thinking about what is needed to own and run an airsoft feild in BC? this is probably a few years from now.
my thoughts right now are to
- buy some forrested land
- put up some kind of fence
- have a semi larked road to the parking/prep zone
- have signs on any noticable walking paths going near it stating "this is private property, military simulations are held here enter at your own risk"
- get in contact with the police that this is an airsoft feild and that any reports of weapons in this area can be ignored.

please provide criticism and/or advice on this. also yes I am over 18, but I have not gotten in contact with any AVers yet.

EDIT: I did do a quick search, but did not find anything.

[Spike]

Originally Posted by Bissa

- get in contact with the police that this is an airsoft feild and that any reports of weapons in this area can be ignored.

That will not go over well.

[Bissa]

ya, that was one that I was thinking how to do without raising too much suspicion.

[surebet]

I got in touch with a community liaison for a project, great success.

As long a you own the place or have sufficient reason to be there you shouldn't get grief.

[TokyoSeven]

Dont forget to look into insurance if your planning on making this a publicly open facility.

[L473ncy]

Business and operating costs?

Insurance? Sure they may seem like cool people who won't sue but there's always that chance......

Other safety aspects? Demarcation of field boundaries? Fencing off unsafe areas? Basically making your field as idiot proof as possible.

A host of other considerations as to local residents and business zoning. Believe it or not it's actually not some useless bureaucratic BS that makes people feel important, there are lots of considerations here before they'll grant the zoning type change.

ie. You want to build an airport? Well what kind of environmental impact assessment do you have? Noise abatement policies? What other industries are nearby? Residents who might complain? What kind of aircraft are you going to be serving? etc.

[Bissa]

Originally Posted by L473ncy

Business and operating costs?

Insurance? Sure they may seem like cool people who won't sue but there's always that chance......

Other safety aspects? Demarcation of field boundaries? Fencing off unsafe areas? Basically making your field as idiot proof as possible.

A host of other considerations as to local residents and business zoning. Believe it or not it's actually not some useless bureaucratic BS that makes people feel important, there are lots of considerations here before they'll grant the zoning type change.

ie. You want to build an airport? Well what kind of environmental impact assessment do you have? Noise abatement policies? What other industries are nearby? Residents who might complain? What kind of aircraft are you going to be serving? etc.

I could set it up so there are a couple of minor structures, I stated that I would add some kind of fence, try to fix any potential dangers, if I can't block them off. and possibly have gates so people can walk through but lock them when the feild is in use; however other than that it will be fairly unchanged from its previous use. I would need to look into insurance when I get there.

[Matt 'Maverick' Watts]

First you'll need to look at the zoning of the property. You'll want to make sure the the property is zoned for commercial/industrial use with a usage permit for recreational activity. If you don't have the proper zoning, you'll never get the proper insurance for it.
Second you'll need to go to the county the property is in and get it licensed. Currently in Ontario there are specific paintball field licenses that are granted and come with specific conditions. The same applies to airsoft.
When you go to the county, you'll need a solid business plan with a proper site plan. The site plan will need to include 'buffer zones', safety areas, a copy of your waiver, parking, staging areas, etc.
This is just to start. Be prepared to spend between $20,000.00 and $100,000.00 for just the set up and licensing before you even have a legal game played.
I've worked for years with paintball fields to get them set up properly, and this is what it takes. Hope the information helps, if you need anymore, feel free to pm me.

[Bissa]

business plan? so that would include costs to use and planned use of the area? and what do you mean by buffer zones? like fencing in well within the specified area rather than on the border?

EDIT: I figure I should leave this public since it can be of help to anyone wanting to set something up.

[sarosh]

Originally Posted by Bissa

business plan? so that would include costs to use and planned use of the area? and what do you mean by buffer zones? like fencing in well within the specified area rather than on the border?

EDIT: I figure I should leave this public since it can be of help to anyone wanting to set something up.

you'll want a feasibility anaylsis and business plan. funny i saw that im in the process of doing one now for entr class. 25-35 pages each for a general one. The feasibility analysis is like a report showing if the idea will be feasible or not. aka can you make money from it. business plan is more of a "how your business will be run and operate" in short.

[Matt 'Maverick' Watts]

Take a scale aerial photo or topographic map of the area. Plan out on it: entrance, parking, staging/registration, washrooms, etc.
It needs to flow well, be smartly laid out and be well protected with netting at least 30 feet high. If a road runs along a part of the field, then high netting well back from the road needs to be factored in.
If you don't have a solid, cohesive plan that covers every aspect, you increase the risk of being turned down.
Another good idea is talking to your prospective neighbors to not only let them know what you're planning, but to address any issues they think they have. Getting your neighbors on your side is a huge help.
I'm currently consulting for a prospective new paintball/airsoft field. We're just over 7 months into the process and we are still 2 months away from council meetings let alone approval. In that time we've applied for zoning and usage changes, applied for all the necessary business licenses and paperwork, had environmental studies done, spoken to all of the neighbors in a 5km radius of the field, drawn up 8 variations of site plans, 3 differing business plans....
see where it gets expensive quick? lol (and i'm just consulting.. this won't even be my business when it opens)

[Dirtbag]

Just to help out there are no counties in BC, and yes speak to the local RCMP it will save you a lot of grief down the road.

If it is crown land you done before you start, with out actual proven bio-bb's, you are not allowed permanent structures. So no fencing or netting. Unless you are in a lease situation.

You need privately owned, that you either lease or buy.

This is not a simple lets setup a field someplace deal. The 2 successful fields on the coast are Panther paintball, and Bigfoot Games. Bigfoot is privately owned so no he has no additional outlay. And Panther is a long time paintball field.

By the asking these questions on what is basically an Ontario forum is really a waste of time. No offense to this board, but the rules and entire provincial setup is radically different.

Go talk to the city of Kelowna and describe what you are doing. Compare it to paintball because they will understand that. Generally start at the business license end and they will direct you from there.

[L473ncy]

You should probably get a surveyor to do a cadastral survey on the land while you're at it. That way it looks a lot more professional when you go in with your plan since it will be data from someone licensed (hopefully you get a P.Survey (from the Assn. of BC Land Surveyors) or CLS (Canada Lands Surveyor) to do this and it probably couldn't hurt to do a soil analysis either).

You should also consider pricing structures, SOP's, safety briefings (ie. what will be covered during the briefing), and fire or other emergency scenarios and have a "plan book" for that too (just a central location to keep fire, ambulance, poison control, etc.).

This kind of stuff should be pretty common and even if it's not required it's still a good idea to have.

[Matt 'Maverick' Watts]

No offense taken Dirtbag.. I knew things would be different out there, but seeing as I've never consulted in BC I figured I'd outline what I did here. Where you go to get the results out there may be different, but what you need stays the same.
Best of luck with the venture!

[Heimdall]

I spoke to a constable part of my region and asked him what it would take to establish some sort of University of Toronto Airsoft Association and utilize a field for outdoor practice. As long as you have required permits, insurance, and a liaison to your local police force as a member then you can establish an effective and undisturbed location/group for meeting, training, and gaming.

Best of luck man.