All the community of Stone Pointe wants is peace and quiet.

All the RCMP would like is a place to train with their new rifles.

What was supposed to be a peaceful four-way discussion, turned into a two-way, often heated, confrontation between residents and cops.

A special meeting was held in Balgonie on Wednesday afternoon to address an issue of noise coming from a gun range east of Regina.

The complainants — the community of Stone Pointe. Also in attendance at the meeting were representatives from the RCMP, the RM of Edenwold and the Regina Wildlife Federation (RWF), which operates the range.

When the RCMP made their weapon of choice a C8 carbine, the only suitable gun range nearby for the Regina Academy Depot Division belonged to the RWF and is located about 10 kilometres east of the city.

So early one morning in the summer of 2015, residents of Stone Pointe Estates — which is just across the road from the RWF — were startled out of their sleep believing they were suddenly in a war zone.

What they heard was the RCMP commencing their training with assault rifles and continuous rapid fire which starts as early as 7:30 in the morning and is sometimes sustained throughout the day.

That's what Stone Pointe families have listened to for the past two summers.

As one resident put it — like someone setting off firecrackers in your house.

Clause from contract Stone Pointe residents signed before they purchased land in the RM of Edenwold. (Glenn Reid/CBC)

When residents originally purchased property in the high-end community, they did so knowing — and even signed a rural municipality document acknowledging as much — there was a non-residential shooting range on the adjoining land and agreed they would not complain of it constituting a nuisance.

What they didn't know was that the recreational gun range would turn into a law enforcement training facility.

When you have 16 cadets firing their rifles all at the same time and all day long, any nearby neigbourhood is anything but peace and quiet.

The Balgonie meeting was called to find a solution. Here is an example of one exchange:

(RCMP)

"Have any of you folks come with an idea of compromise because all I'm hearing is there is only one compromise and that is don't come back?"

(Stone Pointe Resident)

"In all of our discussions with the RM and everyone else, we've basically been bullied into putting up with it, then how do you expect me to come up with a compromise?"

(RCMP)

"One of the pressures on us is when we are using our facilities, the potential for the ranges to break down while we're not at the Regina Wildlife Federation puts the integrity of all police officers to successfully complete training in jeopardy.That would mean young children like yours and across the country may not have police officers because they wouldn't be successful completing their training."

RCMP Depot Division training officer Kevin Jones under fire at meeting to address noise complaints. (Glenn Reid/CBC)

In the end, Chief Superintendent Kevin Jones, the training officer at Depot Division, proposed to suspend training at the RWF in July and August, which he called a significant compromise.

They would train only from the beginning of April to the end of June, and restart at the beginning of September until the end of October.

They would also limit their training between the hours of 8 and 5 Monday to Friday. Jones says that means a difference of fourteen weeks of training instead of twenty-one.

'F' Division would also pull its active duty officers from the RWF facility entirely.

Following the 90 minute meeting, Drew Erickson, speaking on behalf of Stone Pointe, said he appreciated the proposal and would bring it back to the community members.

"I think that's a fair offer coming from the RCMP. I think they are truly trying to offer up something. It sounds like it's going to be a stretch for them, it's going to be work for them and I definitely will be taking it back to the residents to give them a chance to weigh in on their thoughts on whether that will be an acceptable compromise from the RCMP."

Their concern is that RCMP training at the RWF will continue beyond 2017 until Depot Division's own training facility is finally completed.

Another meeting will be scheduled to finalize an agreement.