Eagle Eye Archery is on the look out for new space after a 15-year occupancy in the gym on the corner of Portage Road and Prince Rupert Blvd.
Out of courtesy for their good faith rental agreement, the property owner gave Eagle Eye the heads up that they may need to move as the future of the property is under consideration and may be listed shortly for sale.
This puts the club is sticky situation because the property could sell quickly and leave the archers without shooting accommodations.
The problem is finding enough interior space with storage for the equipment, Cory Hoff Eagle Eye’s vice president said.
“We need a facility that is about 80 feet long,” said Hoff.
“We need a facility that … doesn’t necessarily have to have height, but we need the distance. It needs to have lights and has to have heat. It’s going to need parking.”
Storage is an issue for the club who has two large storage cabinets on wheels, a cargo trailer and a 50 ft container filled with equipment, as well as targets and gear that are stored in the gym. They need facilities which can house or park these items.
READ MORE: Prince Rupert is hungry for Archery
Previous to being in their current location the club rented space in the civic centre, which proved challenging for storage and sometimes scheduling, Hoff said.
Many thoughts and suggestions are being shot around by the committee, but most ideas are circling back to storage issues and available space for club use.
The club usually meets on Tuesday and Thursday nights each week, but has postponed activity during COVID-19. Some nights have 20 shooters, other nights it have 40 archers, Hoff said. The club also holds special archery shoots four times a year, as well as out door events.
“We are working all angles right now from sourcing whether or not grant money is a possibility to make something happen, or to ultimately shutting down the club and finding somewhere to store our equipment.”
Shutting the club down would be devastating, Hoff said becoming emotional, as he has been dedicated to the club since 2011. He said the club is important to Prince Rupert and builds families. Many volunteers have dedicated countless hours to the success of the non-profit club.
“I’ve challenged a lot of people to name another sport in Prince Rupert that the whole family can participate in,” Hoff said. “This is a sport where from five-years-old to 95 everybody can come in.”
Equipment, instruction and two to three hours of shooting is provided for the family rate of $10.
“(We) have to start looking now … because you know, providing that everything relaxes with COVID-19, archers are expecting us to open our doors in September, shortly around when the kids go back to school …” Hoff said. “Our vision is to is to hopefully be able to reopen our doors in September whether it’s here or in another facility.”
READ MORE: City to lease space at Canfisco site, PRGA top of list
K-J Millar | Journalist
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