How much does it cost to rent The E. T. Seton Archery Range for a private event?

Hello!

Question: How much does it cost to rent The E. T. Seton Archery Range for a large private event?

 

So... Here's the thing...

Renting the entire archery range located at E. T. Seton Park (otherwise known as the Toronto Archery Range) is prohibitively expensive.

Here's what a person or organization would need:

Archery Equipment for all of the users taking part during the event. If the people taking part in the event don't already have their own equipment then they would need to purchase the equipment, which will cost about $400 per person to get all the bows, arrows, shooting gloves, etc. Alternatively, the organizers could rent equipment or find someone willing to loan equipment, but they would still want a rental fee and a deposit in case of breakage or theft.

To book your event you need to contact Toronto City Hall if you want to do any large scale event that would make private use of the archery range. The cost of renting the entire archery range is $3,500 per day.

 

When booking you need to provide proof that you have liability insurance of at least $4,000,000 for the event. The insurance company may require that event organizers hire an experienced archery instructor to make certain that people taking part in the event are doing so in a safe manner.

 

After booking the archery range you will be responsible for putting up signs prior to the event to let local archers know that the range would be closed on that day, otherwise there will be archers there wanting to use the range and they will be upset that it is closed without warning.

 

You may need to rent portable washrooms for your event. The nearest bathrooms within E. T. Seton Park are otherwise a 6 minute walk away and they are only open seasonally.

 

You will be responsible for all trash pick up when your event is finished. Failure to pick up trash after any large event can result in a fine for littering to the person or persons who organized the event.

 

This information may be out of date, so please contact Toronto City Hall to get the up-to-date info regarding the cost and the amount of liability insurance needed. Please direct any questions you might have to Toronto City Hall.

ALTERNATIVES

#1. Toronto also has a lot of Archery Tag locations, which are indoors, and have their own liability insurance. It is significantly easier (and cheaper) to simply rent an Archery Tag location for the desired time period.

 

#2. If your event is not that big, you don't actually need to book the entire archery range for a private event. You can simply show up and share the space with other archers who use the range. Eg. The Toronto Zombie Survivalist group used to have annual meetings at the archery range and at the time they had over 50 members. They didn't book the space. They simply shared the space with local archers.

CONCLUSIONS

For the vast majority of events (birthday parties, Zombie Survivalist Meetings, etc) you don't need to book the archery range. You just show up and use it. The only times someone would ever really need to book a large private event is if they were organizing a large scale archery competition, an archery themed wedding with lots of guests (and you don't want random people wedding crashing), or a similar large scale event (possibly corporate) where you don't want other people making use of the space during that time period.

 

Note

All people using the range must follow all safety bylaws at all times. Anyone caught disobeying the bylaws are subject to a $4,000 fine plus possible criminal charges for reckless endangerment with a firearm. Please read and follow all safety bylaws.

Winter Archery in Toronto

If you're one of those people who look at the weekly forecasts on the regular basis you may have noticed that in Toronto it is actually relatively warm during November and December.

Not so much in January or February, but let's focus on the good stuff here.

What that means is that you can do archery during November, December and March and it isn't really even that cold outside in Toronto during those months.

Frequently there won't even be snow on the ground, like there is none right now, because it has a tendency to just melt during November, December and March.

So you dress warm, you go do archery, you bring some coffee or hot chocolate, shoot, have fun, and go home when you're hungry (as opposed to going home when you're cold).

But let's pretend you do want to do archery in January or February, what should you do? Well, here's a few tips:

#1. Buy Snow Pants. Seriously, you will never regret having snow pants when it is really cold outside.

#2. Get a nice stainless steel Thermos that is vacuum sealed so it keeps your drinks very hot.

#3. Wear lots of warm layers, especially around your core (chest, abdomen, etc). If you keep your core warm then your body will circulate more warm blood to your extremities.

#4. Wear two pairs of socks.

#5. Go to the bathroom BEFORE you leave.

#6. Buy Winter Archery Gloves (possibly from Gary at Basically Bows Archery)

#7. Bring hot food with you OR eat before you leave.

#8. Long Underwear. Like the snow pants, it is seriously worth it.

#9. Travel light. Bring the least amount of your archery equipment as you can, so you're not exhausting yourself with unnecessary gear.

#10. Take breaks to just relax.

#11. Bring a blanket for your breaks.

#12. Bring pocket warmers, either the electric ones that charge using USB, or the chemical ones.

#13. Invite a friend and send them this list so you have someone to talk to. Do not invite anyone who ignores this list because they'll wuss out when it gets too cold for them. Also, do not ignore this list yourself either.

#14. Pray to Ullr, the Norse god of skiing and archery. Just because he's awesome.

#15. Have fun shooting!

Indoor Archery Ranges and University Archery Clubs in Toronto

There aren't a lot of options for indoor archery ranges in Toronto. Most people usually just use the outdoor range, the Toronto Archery Range, located at E. T. Seton Park.

1. Archers Arena: Located at 1140 Sheppard Ave W, North York, Archers Arena offers indoor archery tag and related activities.

2. Battle Sports: With multiple locations in Toronto, Battle Sports provides archery tag and other indoor archery experiences.

3. The Archery Game: Situated at 770 Birchmount Rd, Scarborough, The Archery Game offers indoor archery tag experiences. 

   Plus universities, but those aren't open to randomly people showing up.
   

4. University of Toronto Archery Club: This club operates at Hart House at the University of Toronto and offers archery opportunities for students and staff interested in the sport.

5. Toronto Metropolitan University Archery Club (formerly known as Ryerson): TMU has an archery club providing opportunities for students to engage in archery activities.

6. York University Archery Club: York University has an archery club that offers archery programs and activities to its students.

What are the Best Months to do Archery in Toronto?

Based on historical weather records, the best months for archery in Toronto, considering factors like low wind, moderate temperatures, and comfortable weather conditions, are typically during the spring and fall seasons. Below are the months that generally align with these criteria:

1. May: May is often a pleasant month for archery in Toronto, with mild temperatures, minimal wind, and the city coming to life with blooming flowers and greenery.

2. June: June offers similar conditions to May, with moderately warm temperatures and relatively calm winds, making it suitable for enjoyable archery sessions.

3. September: September is an excellent month for archery as summer transitions into fall. The weather is generally comfortable, with cooler mornings and evenings, making it an ideal time for shooting.

4. October: In early October, the weather is still generally pleasant, with lower wind speeds and mild temperatures. It's an excellent time to enjoy archery before the onset of colder weather.

These months often strike a balance between avoiding extreme temperatures (too hot or too cold) and minimizing wind interference, making them favorable for archers in Toronto. However, weather conditions can vary from year to year, so it's essential to check the local weather forecast closer to your planned archery sessions to ensure optimal shooting conditions.

July Promo Code for Archery Lessons in Toronto

Get 10% off your first archery lesson from Cardio Trek with JULY2018PROMOCODE.

Offer expires at the end of July 2018. Offer is good for 1 discounted archery lesson, otherwise standard rates apply.

See Cardio Trek's archery rates at http://www.cardiotrek.ca/p/archery-lessons.html

Where to Sell or Buy Used Archery Equipment in Toronto

Do you have used archery equipment you no longer use and would like to sell?

Are you looking to buy used archery equipment?

Well, here is a list of places you might look if you live in Toronto:

#1. The Toronto Archery Club on Facebook

Simply join the Facebook group and then post the item you are looking to sell. When it sells you can mark in the comments that it has already been sold. Or alternatively, just delete the posting after it is sold.

If you are looking to buy, you simply arrange to meet the seller, see what you are buying, bring cash, and make a final decision as to whether to buy the bow or archery equipment in question. Try not to waste their time unless you are serious about buying in the first place.

Also it is considered bad form to haggle last minute. If you want to haggle, do it online before you meet in person.

Never buy anything that isn't exactly what the person promised they were selling. eg. If they say the bow is in perfect condition, and it is evidently not in perfect condition because it has a giant crack in the riser, then definitely do not buy it.

And sellers, don't bother trying to sell something you know is damaged. Or if it is damaged, you should advertise the fact that it is damaged and describe how it is damaged so any potential buyers know what to expect.

#2. Online Classifieds

Craigslist and Kijiji both operate classifieds for Toronto and the GTA. Posting on there is free.

More or less the same advice as above.

#3. eBay.ca

You can also put your archery equipment up for sale for a specific price (buyout) on eBay.ca or you can let people bid on the item. There is a fee involved, and you will need to determine the cost of shipping the archery equipment. This is why selling locally via a club or classifieds is cheaper and easier, but you can potentially get a better price on eBay.ca if you are selling something that is highly desirable and/or rare.

If you are looking to buy antique or vintage archery equipment, eBay is one of the best places to go because there is a lot of selection. Be forewarned however, the bidding can be pretty fierce and other bidders can "snipe" an item during the last minute of bidding in an effort to get a deal. So you need to be prepared to lose a few auctions.

eBay's selection isn't limited to bows either, as many types of other archery equipment and historical items can also be found on there. Old magazines, antique arrows, old manuals/books, arrowheads, equipment that isn't sold in stores any more, etc.

eBay also has a lot of cheap knockoffs and counterfeits you should be wary of - usually new equipment built in China. So while that does mean you can get a cheap bow on eBay, the bow in question probably won't last as long as you were hoping.

You should also be wary of any seller with a bad reputation, and only buy a bow where they have posted photographs of every angle of the bow. If they only post 1 photo and it is blurry, that is not a good bow to be buying.

So for example if they are showing an image of a young woman holding a bow upside down and is holding both the bow and gripping the bow string in the wrong manner... Do not buy that bow! Because clearly the seller has no clue what they are doing, just like the model in the photograph has no clue what they are doing.

Buying on eBay (or anywhere else online) is Buyer Beware. Buying in person is always best.

Photographs of the Toronto Archery Range

Four recent photographs of the Toronto Archery Range, taken on: March 16th, 21st, 28th and 29th.

March 16th, a panorama of a snowy archery range.

March 21st, the garbage cans near the south end of the range overflowing from the winter.

March 28th, a view of the mud in front of the 30 yard targets.

March 29th, a view of the 30 and 20 yard targets.

Archery Craft Toronto

Archery Craft Toronto was a bow and arrow manufacturer based in Toronto, Ontario, which made archery equipment during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The company stopped producing new bows in the 1970s.

The company made a whole range of bows, from wooden flat bows to solid fiberglass bows to full wood/glass recurves. By the 1970s they were also making wood/fiberglass takedown recurves, as well as full-fiberglass takedown recurves.

As a company the bows are very rare. Some people (especially Canadians) collect the bows, so they are more likely to be bought by Canadians on auction websites. National pride and all that.

The wooden bows and the recurves are the most valuable, whereas the fiberglass bows are comparable to other fiberglass bows built around the same time period.

If the bow is from the 1950s or 1960s the bow will be stamped with two numbers:

• The first number is a product number.
• The second number tells you the poundage of the bow.

Normally many companies round the poundage of a bow up or down to an even number, eg. 38 or 40. Archery Craft Toronto was unusual in that they were often much more precise, giving a bow's poundage as exactly 39 lbs for example. This then confuses modern collectors who look at the two numbers stamped on bow, because they are so used to seeing the length of the bow and the poundage measured in even numbers.

During the 1970s Archery Craft Toronto switched to a different system, a 4 digit number for the model of the bow. Thus if it has a 4 digit number on an Archery Craft Toronto bow, you can be sure it was built during the 1970s.

Dating the precise the year of an Archery Craft Toronto bow is very tricky. Ideally you would want to find old archery magazines or advertisements for the company, showing the bow in question and the year it was published. This would give you a better idea of how to date the bow, although often you may have to resort to "Circa 1972" or your closest estimate.

Vintage arrows from Archery Craft Toronto can also be found, although since arrows are more likely to break over time they are considerably more rare.

Above: Black Prince, circa 1960s, Archery Craft Toronto

Above: 36 lb Archery Craft Toronto "Model 1907" Recurve Bow, circa 1970s

Above: Takedown Fiberglass Recurve Bow, circa 1970s


:)

Bow Raffle to raise money for PWA

Hello friends and fellow archers!

My name is Michael Meusel, and I'm doing the 600km "Friends for life" Bike rally to raise money for PWA Toronto. PWA is the largest charity of it's kind that directly assists Men, Women and Children living with HIV/AIDS in Canada. You can read more here at: www.bikerally.org 

It's a great cause, and I need to hit a $2500 minimun in order to ride. To raise the funds, I've decided to raffle off one of the bows I make! I'll be starting the bow after the bike ride, but that will allow me to make it close to the specifications you want. It will be a Hickory-backed Osage Recurve, anywhere from 25#-50# at 25"-29". It will be similar to the bow pictured below. 

 I'll cover the shipping to anywhere in Canada or the Continental US. In order to take part, you have to make a donation to the website and email me with the name or handle you made the donation under. That way all the money goes directly to the charity. Donations can be made with paypal or credit card. 

 

Tickets will be 1 for $10, 3 for $25, and 8 for $50.

Step 1:

Go to www.bikerally.org

Click: Pledge on the Right hand side of the screen

Click: Pledge a 2016 6-Day Rider

First Name: Michael

Last Name: Meusel

Click my name, then click DONATE NOW

Fill out the form and make the Donation of either $10, $25 or $50 according to how many tickets you want. Make sure to remember your Display name. Make sure the boxes for “Display my donation amount” and “Display my name” are checked.

Step 2: Send an email to bowraffle2016@gmail.com with this information:

Subject: (Display Name used when making donation) – (Donation Amount)

Full Name

Mailing address

*Display name: (the name you enter to be displayed on the bike rally website when you make a donation – this can be a nickname or a handle)

Donation Amount: (either $10, $25, or $50)

You're done!

I'll cross reference your email to the donation on the bike rally website and send you an email confirming your entry. I'll draw the winning name on July 23rd, so entries will be open until then! If you win, I'll contact you via the email you used to enter and get your bow specifications.

Good Luck!

Michael Meusel

Battle Sports Archery Tag and Indoor Archery Range

Back in July Battle Sports in North York opened an indoor archery range / archery tag arena. On the weekends it mostly functions as an archery tag arena, but on Sunday mornings and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights it functions as an indoor archery range for people who just want to practice shooting.

This is a BIG DEAL because it means Battle Sports is the first open to the public archery range in Toronto that charges a fee ($15 if you have your own equipment, $25 if you want to rent equipment).

So if you are new to archery and just want to try it, $25.

If you are an old pro but want the comfort of an indoor range when it is raining or cold outside and you have your own equipment, $15.

Battle Sports also sells equipment, so if you don't have any of your own but are looking to buy you can get some cheap deals by purchasing via them. (They buy all their equipment in bulk, so it ends up being cheaper that way.)

Battle Sports also offers a more unique archery tag experience, including plastic throwing axes and ninja stars in the mix. They also have more obstacles for people to hide behind, which are movable so teams can fortify their position as they see fit.

Price wise Battle Sports offers very competitive prices compared to other archery tag locations - $19.99 with the discount code "VIP", so with HST the total is $22.59. Compare that to other archery tag locations that are charging $24.80 or $24.99 and the total with tax is either $28.02 to $28.24.

Below is a selection of photographs from Battle Sports' archery tag facility. For more info or to book an archery tag event visit BattleSports.ca.

If you have not tried archery tag yet, then you should definitely try it. It is truly addictive.

Battle Sports also offers group archery lessons, for up to 20 people at once.

Move over Backyard Axe Throwing Leage (BATL), Battle Sports has people throwing axes at people. Thankfully they are just plastic.

Notes

There are other locations in Toronto / GTA that also offer archery tag, but they are comparatively less quality. Battle Sports is the best location from what we have determined.

"Archery Tag" the trademarked franchise company is apparently going to be shutting down several locations as well because of violations of their contract. Battle Sports however is independently operated and not part of the franchise, and thus will not be effected by any shut down of competitors. According to rumour "Archery District" is going to be one of the first place to be shut down, which is funny because they were also the first archery tag location in the GTA.

Toronto Archer SPLITS a String with an Arrow

Local Toronto archer Charles Moffat's shot that split in string in two, and snagged a bullseye.

If you've seen Charles Moffat shoot then you know the local archery instructor doesn't always take his own skills seriously. He has a very relaxed way of shooting and spends a lot of his time shooting at moving targets, shooting at multiple different distances, and challenging himself to hit tiny moving objects.

Like the photo below of him hitting the centre of a plastic bottle cap dangling from a string.

Moffat's practice of performing trick shots has him doing shots while standing on one foot, kneeling, sitting down, shooting at moving objects, shooting at TINY moving objects, shooting while he is walking, shooting at different distances/angles and so forth. The archer admits he needs more challenges, but apparently he has not interest in competing.

"Competitions are all about egos," says Moffat. "I have no interest in competing. My goals are all about perfecting my skills regardless of what I am doing or what style of bow I am using."

To his credit Moffat shoots almost every style of archery you can imagine, except Olympic. Why is that?

"I got lessons in Olympic archery when I was living in South Korea, but I found it be quite boring," says Moffat.

For those of you who don't know, South Korea leads the world in Olympic archery. According to Moffat he was more interested in learning traditional Korean archery using a hwarang bow, which he has used several times in the past.

Shooting at a stationary target 70 meters away does seem pretty boring when you compare it to Charles Moffat's practice of shooting moving targets - like the moving rabbit target below from a cold and windy Easter Sunday.

Moffat's skills at archery have also been featured in a variety of television clips ranging from the CBC, CityTV, The Sports Network (TSN) and doing a series of trick shots for Rice Krispies. In 2015 Moffat was named "Athlete of the Week" by CityTV for his outstanding contributions to Toronto's archery community.

On the teaching side Moffat has also taught various television / theatre actors, and while his day job is that of a personal trainer he admits teaching archery is something he enjoys a lot more.

"If someone had told me ten years ago I would be teaching archery I would have laughed at them. At the time archery was just a hobby for me," says Moffat.

However according to Moffat's students his skill at archery is equally matched with his skill at teaching archery. He is the most sought after archery instructor in the GTA and booking archery lessons with him has been to be done months in advance. See archery lessons in Toronto on Moffat's personal training website CardioTrek.ca if you want to book lessons with him.

Currently Moffat is reportedly working on his second book about archery (his first book on the subject of archery is a book of zen poetry on the topic of zen archery - called "Dreaming of Zen Archery"). Moffat does most of his writing during the off-season for archery, but you can usually spot him at the Toronto Archery Range as he is also a fan of practicing during the winter.

Charles Moffat crouching beside rabbit tracks.

Archery Tag Videos from Battle Sports

Archery Tag videos from Battle Sports in North York. Learn more about archery tag locations in Toronto by visiting ArcheryToronto.ca.

The Heart of Robin Hood, Toronto Theatre Production

Mirvish is currently selling tickets for "The Heart of Robin Hood", a swashbuckling / archery stage production which takes a new twist at the legend of Robin Hood.

Tip - This is a good theatre production to take your significant other with you, so get your tickets for Valentine's Day right now. Expect a good dose of singing and romance.

It isn't all archery either by the looks of the YouTube video from the Manitoba production [further below].

But now that "The Heart of Robin Hood" is visiting Toronto it is our turn to enjoy the show.

Ticket prices vary between $45 and $105 per seat, and is on stage in Toronto from December 23rd 2014 to March 1st 2015.