Archery open house held for the community in Timmins

The Timmins Bowhunters and Archery Club held a community event this weekend to bring out archery enthusiasts and get new people interested in the sport.

Members of the club brought a variety bows to its outdoor archery range, giving people a chance to test their aim.

Club members say archery is as much an exercise in discipline as it is hand-eye coordination.

The sport is popular in the north and the club wants people to know there is a place to both learn and practice.

"There's a lot of people in Timmins that have bows; that hunt with bows; that don't necessarily practice, don't know that we're here, even though we've been here since 1982," says Rick Steep, a club member.

This Saturday the club held its first open house in two years, inviting people of all ages and skill levels to pick up a bow and shoot away.

"It's wonderful to watch them come out and shoot the bow for the first time and say, 'I hit the target!' ... They're practicing, they're walking, they're developing their muscles and they develop confidence," says Allan Moyle, another club member.

Taylum Charron, age 11, and his mother, Janel Charron, started shooting arrows three years ago and they have developed their skills side-by-side.

"I've seen a couple changes, where I always used to miss the target but now I hit it most of the time," says Taylum.

"Great to do things together with the family, it's really nice to see people take the time and teach us how to do the sport properly ... and it's great to see our kids enjoy it as well and take the time and practice and getting better," Jannel added.

Steep says with the wide variety of bows available at the club’s open house people can find a style that suits them.

"Is it the recurve traditional stuff, with no sights, shooting instinctive? Or … compound bows with sights," explained Steep.

The Timmins Bowhunters club members take pride in their 3D targets and expansive volunteer-groomed outdoor range and are always looking for help to upgrade the facility. They want to keep their membership growing and challenge more people to hit a bullseye.