The Estevan Wildlife Federation's inaugural event for hunters, collectors and recreational shooters was a popular one over the weekend as interested parties from across the region came to the gun show in Estevan.
Whether they were looking to purchase or browsing to see what the hubbub was about, the Wylie-Mitchell Hall was full of onlookers wanting to see exactly what was available in terms of not only guns but also accessories, ammunition, knives taxidermy and outfitting. There were collectibles, sporting arms, tactical firearms, handguns and just about every other type of gun, from .17-calibre rifles to .50-calibre Browning machine guns.
Organizers Kevin Thompson and Lionel Bender were ecstatic at the turnout at the show, with the former saying that they would have been happy with 1,000 people coming to peruse the exhibitions over the course of the weekend. They had more than 1,000 people come through the doors just on Saturday morning.
"I thought we'd have 1,000 people over the weekend, and we did that in four or five hours, even three hours actually," said Thompson.
The Energy City, it would seem, has been waiting for a void to be filled.
"The vendors have been unbelievable here. I'm speechless," said Thompson.
He said this is the first gun show held in the city in more than 30 years. There were shows in Regina and Moose Jaw in the weeks leading up to the weekend, but that didn't seem to take away from the draw in Estevan.
"We don't have a gun store," said Thompson, noting the only two places to buy ammunition in Estevan are at Canadian Tire or Walmart.
He said there were anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 firearms brought to the show over the weekend.
"There are guns leaving this building left and right," he added, noting the vendors have been happy with the turnout. "I talked to many of them, and they told me they are very, very pleased with everything."
There were 24 vendors who purchased all 87 tables available for the event. The organizers had to turn down 82 other tables, so there is enough interest to grow the event in the future.
"We need the Civic Auditorium, but we aren't going to get it," Thompson said regarding the time of year they want to host the show. "This is the perfect time to sell guns, right before road bans. With the (OTS) curling thing going on, it's hard to get buildings right now."
That said, Thompson was very happy to have the Wylie-Mitchell centre, and with that Oilfield Technical Society holding its Estevan bonspiel on the weekend, it may have encouraged more people to come through the doors.
The show over the weekend was also a fundraiser for the EWF, as they are looking to build a new pistol range by their rifle range south of the city at the Boundary Dam Recreation Site. The EWF is looking to raise about $30,000 for the new range.
"You will see myself and Lionel back here doing this again next year. I think this is going to be an annual event," said Thompson.
