A scorekeeper walks past targets during a break in the action at the Beijing Shooting Range. (Getty Images)

A new trend may have emerged in the fight against gun violence in Canada, with municipal zoning laws as the weapon used to target legitimate gun clubs.

It's a direction that troubles gun club supporters and has given them a political bull's-eye of their own — Toronto Mayor David Miller.

Arguably, Miller has been one of the lead, and most visible, champions in the fight against gun violence in Canada, taking his battle beyond the city's borders to the federal government and to the United States, which is one source of the illegal guns in this country.

But, surprisingly, the mayor has now taken on a new group — legal gun owners. Miller recently backed a proposal from city staff that called for a zoning bylaw to restrict uses permitting the discharge of guns, including firing ranges and gun clubs. It also called for "land use restrictions affecting manufacture, assembly, warehousing, distribution and discharge of guns." Miller is clearly adding to what the federal government and the Criminal Code are already trying to do.

He sees it as an effort to save lives in his city, where far too many killings by gun are taking place.

It's seen as a symbolic effort by some, much like when Vancouver and Victoria declared themselves nuclear weapons-free zones — although U.S. Navy ships that visit those areas do dock outside municipal limits, so the zones do have a small, tangible effect.

Miller's efforts mirror what's happening in Seattle, where the mayor has drafted an executive municipal order effectively banning guns on city property.

"Our parks, our community centres and our public events are safer without guns," Mayor Greg Nickels was quoted by the Seattle Times as saying at a recent news conference.

Acknowledging he is going out on a limb, Nickels expects Seattle could face a legal challenge, with regard to his efforts.

Not making friends

To many people, Miller's fight is for good reason as his city of 2.5 million is just three years from the infamous "Summer of the Gun" in 2005 when more than three dozen people were gunned down, and it seems not a day goes past without someone being shot in Canada's biggest city these days.

But Miller's backing of the proposal has not made friends with those involved with gun clubs in Canada.

The mayor has many times in the past called out for the community to work together to solve the illegal gun issue, and talks often of putting more police officers on Toronto streets to curb gang activity relating to illegal handguns. Now, legal guns are in his sights and the future of two Toronto gun clubs is up in the air.

The Canadian National Recreation Association handgun range is in busy Union Station in downtown Toronto and there is a rifle range in Don Montgomery Community Recreation Centre in Scarborough. As part of a compromise proposal reached at the mayor's executive committee meeting, they will be grandfathered and allowed to set up on private property.

To many gun lovers, Miller now symbolizes the urban politician taking on law-abiding gun owners who hold true to rural values whether they live in the city or not.

Larry Whitmore of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association in Vaughan, Ont., is certainly not happy with Miller, telling CBC: "The mayor is vigorously pursuing an initiative to ban guns from lawful collectors and sport shooters that are not and never have been a threat to public safety…"

A news release on the shooting sports association's website gives another indication of just how gun supporters feel about Miller and his backing of the gun club proposal. It's strong language.

"If war is what David Miller wants, war is what he'll get. But he needs to remember, there is one of him and two million of us," said Tony Bernardo, executive director of the Canadian Institute for Legislative Action, an anti-gun control group.

Quoting police numbers, the groups say the numbers of guns seized by cops that originate from legitimate collections is less than one per cent.

In an effort to get to the heart of the matter, Brian Kemp of CBCNews.ca conducted question and answer sessions with Miller and with Whitmore.