Top of PageGun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Technology Helping Canadian Police Dig Up Firearm History
13 May 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Advanced technology is helping Toronto police learn more about the history of the guns they seize from city streets, but wary criminals are paying attention and taking steps to thwart that process.
Police say that when they retrieve bullets, fragments or shell casings from crime scenes, investigators can tell if they have come from a firearm that they have seen before. They do this using the Integrated Ballistics Identification System, a Canadian-designed technology... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Budgets to Seize Rifles Easily Converted to Automatic
1 May 2013
Global News (Canada)
Six years after approving German-made rifles that can be converted to machine guns "in minutes" – guns that by law should have been prohibited to begin with – the federal government will spend up to $260,000 buying them from their owners.
In February 2007, the RCMP classified the SSD BD38, a semi-automatic replica of a German Second World War-era sub-machine gun, as a 'restricted' firearm, meaning that it had the same legal status as a handgun. That classification... (GunPolicy.org)
80-Yr-Old Indian Engineer Arrested for Supplying Arms Parts to Gang
1 May 2013
DNA India (Mumbai)
An 80-year-old man from Dadar was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly supplying spare parts of imported weapons, arms and ammunition to a Uttar Pradesh-based gang. A joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad and Mumbai police also recovered spare parts of imported weapons and ammunition from his flat.
Senior inspector of Dadar police station Prakash Patil said that D'Souza was arrested from his fifth floor flat at Salvation Apartments in Agar Bazaar area.... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Man Jailed After Flouting Lifetime Weapons Ban for Third Time
30 April 2013
Metro Canada
A Vancouver criminal who had already received two lifetime weapons bans was caught again with three illegal guns.
Police executed a search warrant on June 20 last year on a home where Victor Sharma lived with his late mother.
Police found a fairly large marijuana grow-op of 659 marijuana plants, worth an estimated $220,000, and a hydroelectric bypass.
Officers also found an illegal Ruger semi-automatic pistol with 13 live rounds loaded in a clip. The gun had its... (GunPolicy.org)
Banned Handguns, Rifles with No Crime Links Found in Canadian Home
29 April 2013
CTV News (Toronto)
The London police drugs and guns unit seized over $5,000 worth of drugs, nine handguns and three assault rifles from a residence on William Street.
Police executed a search warrant at the London residence on Friday around 10 p.m.
Officers also found hundreds of rounds of ammunition and over $13,000 in cash.
Following a press conference on Monday afternoon, police released a list of all the firearms that were seized:
- Smith and Wesson .45 Calibre semi-automatic... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Soldier Faces Charges After Gun Smuggling Investigation
23 April 2013
CBC News (Canada)
An investigation into an international weapons smuggling operation has led police to raid an Ontario army base and lay more than 30 charges against a Quebec soldier.
Ontario provincial police say the raids conducted at CFB Borden and several locations in Quebec netted hundreds of firearms, gun enhancements and parts, including silencers and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
They say officers also seized documents related to the production of prohibited firearms parts... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada: 'Gun Shy' Govt Hushed Up Firearm Registry Destruction Bash
21 April 2013
Calgary Herald (Alberta) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Public servants spent a full month, at the "urgent" request of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, preparing two splashy announcements heralding the destruction of the long-gun registry data — only to have the events cancelled at the last moment without explanation.
The final deletion of millions of registry records last October 31 could be seen as a crowning achievement for a Conservative government that had campaigned against the registry for more than a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Pipeline: Mules Pay High Price for Smuggling on Canada Border
19 April 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Chantelle Batte didn't know she had successfully smuggled a small arsenal of guns, including a machine gun with a silencer, into Canada until police showed up at her door and arrested her days later.
Batte, a single mom from Sarnia, is just one of the many people used to mule guns across the border each year.
An ongoing Star investigation reveals that border officers seize few of the guns destined for the criminal market in Toronto and across Ontario.
Today, we look... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Anti-Terrorist Squad Busts Gun Smuggling Gang
19 April 2013
Pioneer (India)
LUCKNOW - Sleuths of the Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS) arrested four persons and claimed to have busted a gang which is smuggling parts of arms from overseas and assembling them here to dispose it off later to hardened criminals at higher rates. They said to have recovered arms in large quantity besides equipments and tools used for assembling.
Giving the details of the above development here on Thursday afternoon, ADG (law and order) Arun Kumar, said that the ATS is... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Sent Through Mail in Canada Leads to Arrests
11 April 2013
CBC News (Canada)
RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency have intercepted a prohibited firearm that was being sent to someone in northern B.C. through the mail.
In late March, the CBSA found the gun in Canada Post mail destined for Dawson Creek, located in northeastern B.C.
Working with Canada Post, police tracked the alleged recipients of the package and arrested two Dawson Creek men, aged 31 and 40, who are both well-known to police.
Both men are facing charges of importation of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Artist's Bullet-riddled School Bus Turns Heads at White House
10 April 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
The torn up shell of a school bus, pockmarked with gashes and dents from 6,000 bullets, was paraded through the streets of Washington, D.C. this week, centre of the action in the swirling American gun control debate.
Was it the remains of an unspeakable horror? Some kind of war zone relic?
No. It's art, and in post-Sandy Hook America, where the bullet-riddled bus installation by Toronto artist Viktor Mitic is on display, the stark portrayal of the destructive power of... (GunPolicy.org)
Legally-Owned Guns Weapons of Choice in Domestics in Canada
5 April 2013
Ottawa Sun (Ontario)
Police say it's nearly impossible to prevent domestic-related murders like the one that rocked a Gatineau daycare Friday morning.
Hunting shotguns similar to the gun used in Friday's incident can be legally owned but police no longer know who they belong to.
"Since the long gun registry was abolished, there's absolutely no way now for law enforcement to know who owns or possesses long guns," said Ottawa police weapons expert Det. Chris O'Brien.
Most often, it's women... (GunPolicy.org)
Concerns About Influence of Canada's Gun Lobby on Arms Trade Treaty
4 April 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
The champagne was flowing Tuesday afternoon in the office of the Canadian charity Project Ploughshares.
Hours earlier, the United Nations in a 154-3 vote agreed to approve an arms trade treaty, a pact that has the promise to regulate the cross-border sale of conventional weapons. In theory, the treaty should stop arms makers from being able to sell so easily to countries with spotty human-rights records.
Tanks, combat aircraft, naval vessels, missiles and launchers,... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Gun Show Dealers Unhappy Over Trigger Lock Law Enforcement
31 March 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Dealers at this year's Calgary Gun Show say that stricter rules on trigger locks go too far.
The province is starting to enforce a trigger-lock law designed to make handling and transporting guns safer. The law has been in place for 15 years but hasn't been enforced until now. Dealers say that the precaution is unnecessary.
"We don't look at them as a very safe device," says Hank Holm, president of the Alberta Arms and Cartridge Collectors' Association. "If you put... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Firearms Instructor Arrested Over Illegal Sales, Restricted Guns
27 March 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Winnipeg police have laid charges against a firearms safety instructor after seizing 101 firearms from a St. Boniface-area home.
On Feb. 26, a 54-year-old man from Winnipeg was charged with uttering threats and a variety of firearms related offences. A shot gun was seized at the time of the arrest, according to police.
Shortly after the incident, officers began looking into where the gun came from.
After a lengthy investigation, officers executed a search warrant at... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Police Seize Loaded Assault Weapon in Trafficking Bust
20 March 2013
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
Calgary police were disturbed to find a loaded AK-47 assault rifle — the first weapon of its kind seized in the city in recent years — during a recent trafficking bust.
"It's shocking we found such a high-calibre weapon in the hands of criminals," said Staff Sgt. Steven Drennan with the Calgary Police Service's guns and gangs unit.
While the city has seen a growing weapons trade over the years, this is the first time in recent history a genuine high calibre AK-47... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Eastern Europe,Thailand,Italy,Canada,United States,Philippines
The Gunmakers of the Philippines
20 March 2013
BBC News
CEBU, Philippines - A shot rings out from a factory on the outskirts of the Philippines' second-biggest city, Cebu.
But this isn't an all-too-frequent drive-by killing or an argument that has become violent.
The sound is from a testing range at Shooters Arms, the country's second-largest gun factory.
Shooters Arms produces about 20,000 pistols and shotguns every year, 85% of which are sold abroad - mainly to the US, Canada, Italy and Thailand.
Operations manager... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Regional Police Uncover Huge Stash of Firearms
20 March 2013
Oshawa Express (Ontario)
Durham Regional Police Inspector Mario Lessard of the Criminal Intelligence Branch was surrounded by a room full of guns.
There were weapons strewn about everywhere, all part of a massive seizure.
Grenades, landmines, 67 guns and a small cannon were recently found in a Bancroft home where a couple now faces more than 600 charges as a result.
But what does Durham have to do with this? According to Insp. Lessard, Durham is a member of the Provincial Weapons Enforcement... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Advocates Want Provincial Firearms Officers Scrapped
18 March 2013
CBC News (Canada), Canadian Press
A pro-gun advocacy group that has two representatives on a federal firearms advisory panel wants the Conservative government to eliminate all provincial firearms offices, saying they have "poked the lion" once too often.
The Canadian Sports Shooting Association has launched a national petition that asks Ottawa to establish a single "civilian agency" in place of provincial and territorial firearms officers that oversee licensing and other gun regulations.
The group is... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Raise Alarm about Pen Guns after Drug Bust in Canada
12 March 2013
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
It's what you might expect to find in James Bond's arsenal of high-tech weapons.
But it's turning up in Calgary and possibly gaining popularity with those involved in the city's drug trade.
A .22-calibre pen gun with a half-mile range was discovered in a drug bust Tuesday in Forest Lawn. The weapon — which looks like an ordinary retractable pen — is the third of its kind seized by police in the past year.
"This pen looks no different than something you could buy... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Government Dumps Gun Enthusiasts from Firearms Committee
11 March 2013
CBC News (Canada)
The government has shaken up a committee that advises the public safety minister on firearms legislation in Canada, dumping three gun enthusiasts in favour of a trio of police leaders.
The Harper government had faced sharp criticism from gun control groups for allowing firearms experts and dealers on its Canadian Firearms Advisory Committee (CFAC).
On Monday, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews issued a news release stating Linda Baggaley, a firearms expert and dealer... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Asia,Oceania,Europe,Canada,Americas
Canadian Gun-Control Groups Question Inclusion of Gun Advocate in Arms-Trade Talks
9 March 2013
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
OTTAWA — Gun-control advocates and opposition parties want to know why the Harper government has consistently included a prominent firearms advocate in Canadian delegations at international arms-control talks in recent years.
They believe Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) president Steve Torino's presence alongside Canadian diplomats is tied to what they say are Canadian efforts to weaken a new Arms Trade Treaty being negotiated at the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Top Concern at UN Arms Trade Treaty: 'Protecting Gun Owners'
5 March 2013
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
OTTAWA — For nearly two weeks last year, diplomats from Canada and the rest of the world gathered at the United Nations in New York to discuss ways to crack down on the illicit trade in small arms and ammunition.
But rather than working to strengthen those efforts, newly released documents show Canadian officials were instructed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to "play a low-key, minimal role" — and that their main objective was safeguarding Canadian... (GunPolicy.org)
Growing Rate of 'Suicide by Cop' Shootings in Canada
27 February 2013
CBC News (Canada)
On the evening of Jul. 17, 2010, the RCMP in Okotoks, Alta., received a report of a domestic assault, and about six hours after the initial call, with the emergency response team deployed around his house, 39-year-old Corey Lewis stepped out the door.
"He took up a kneeling stance and raised an object to his shoulder and pointed it at the loudspeaker. The object he was holding appeared to have a silver tip and was dark in colour," according to Cliff Purvis, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Moves Towards Gun Registry, Gun Storage Changes
19 February 2013
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
QUEBEC — It was in their eyes, it was in their voices.
Gun-control advocates, including the mother of a victim of the École Polytechnique massacre, descended on the National Assembly Tuesday to witness another step toward the creation of a provincial gun registry.
And while they heaped praise on Quebec's politicians — the new registry has the support of all the parties here — they expressed anger at what has happened to their dream of better gun control in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Govt Claim to Have Curbed Illegal Guns Falls Flat
16 February 2013
Yahoo (Canada) / Macleans (Canada)
As Americans debate their culture of guns with unprecedented intensity, concern in Canada about the spillover of firearms across the border might be expected to heat up too. Even before the school-shooting carnage at Newtown, Conn., which prompted U.S. President Barack Obama to propose a raft of politically contentious new gun-control measures, Canadian federal politicians regularly talked tough about the scourge of U.S. handguns turning up on Canada's city streets.... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Arrested for Alleged Gun Smuggling Scheme
7 February 2013
Grand Forks Herald
A Canadian man was arrested this week by federal agents at a Grand Forks motel after they say he took $24,000 in cash for six guns he thought would be smuggled into Canada.
Shawn Hartnell, 29, appeared in federal court in Grand Forks on Wednesday.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Chase, Hartnell faces two charges.
One count alleges that, as a Canadian citizen in the United States on a "non-immigrant," visa, Hartnell was illegally possessing firearms.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Chile,Brazil,Germany,Libya,Turkey,Denmark,Sweden,Canada
Critics Say German Report on Weapons Exports Reveals Little
30 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
Critics says the government's report on arms exports lacks transparency: exporting companies are not named, and government sales are merely summarized. Yet the government claims it's in-depth and detailed.
How is it that time and again military equipment "made in Germany" shows up in war zones, despite German government claims that it handles its weapon exports "restrictively" and that it maintains a broad ban on exports to countries with questionable track records for... (GunPolicy.org)
Changes to Canada's Gun Imports Creating Incoherent Regulations
14 January 2013
Global News (Canada)
Canada's gun control system has failed to keep up with a changing arms industry, leading to a bewildering and inconsistent series of loopholes, a Global News investigation shows.
Critics say that the system, based in part on restricting and prohibiting specific firearms, hasn't been updated since the 1990s, while the gun industry has been offering more and more exotic and envelope-pushing designs - not only of the guns themselves, but also components like... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Norway,Switzerland,Canada,Germany,Spain,Finland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Homicides Down after Tougher Gun Laws Adopted Abroad
19 December 2012
Los Angeles Times
Twelve days after the worst mass murder in Australian history, when 35 people were shot to death at Tasmania state's Port Arthur tourist mecca in 1996, the government issued sweeping reforms of the country's gun laws. There hasn't been a mass shooting since, and suicides, deaths by firearms and robberies at gunpoint have plummeted.
The results of toughened gun rules in Britain after the massacre in the Scottish town of Dunblane that same year weren't so immediate or... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway,Switzerland,Finland,Germany,Canada,Australia,United Kingdom,United States
Around the World, Gun Massacres Spurred Gun Control, Public Safety
18 December 2012
ABC News (USA) / AP
If there's anywhere that understands the pain of Newtown, it's Dunblane, the town whose grief became a catalyst for changes to Britain's gun laws.
In March 1996, a 43-year-old man named Thomas Hamilton walked into a primary school in this central Scotland town of 8,000 people and shot to death 16 kindergarten-age children and their teacher with four legally held handguns. In the weeks that followed, people in the town formed the Snowdrop campaign — named for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada,Japan,Switzerland,Germany,Spain,United Kingdom,Netherlands,Denmark,European Union,France
Firearms Worldwide: Really Different Laws Across Countries [Francais]
18 December 2012
JOL Press (Paris)
[Translated summary: France: follows European policies - Denmark and Netherlands: total ban - United Kingdom: almost all firearms are prohibited - Switzerland: a more liberal legislation - the Japanese model: no firearm at all - Canada: the stormy debate on the right to carry firearms]
La récente tuerie de Newton a relancé une fois de plus le débat sur le port d'armes aux États-Unis. Mais quelle est la réglementation dans d'autres pays du monde ? Petit tour... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Is Alone Internationally in Rolling Back Gun Laws
17 December 2012
Now Toronto, Opinion
I'm not going to ask if what happened in Newtown, Connecticut can happen here because now's a time for reflection, not panic and cheap one-liners.
Our gun laws are a good deal stricter than those in the United States. The days when you could purchase a rifle at the counter of the Canadian Tire with little more than a driver's license are over, thanks to Marc Lepine's 1989 outrage.
But when it comes to gun control, we've been headed in the wrong direction for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault-style Weapons Easily Available in Canada - Opinion
17 December 2012
Toronto Star (Ontario), Opinion
"Your shopping cart is currently empty."
This little notice popped onto my screen as I browsed the website of one of Canada's biggest gun retailers, surveying the wide assortment of assault weapons it offers for sale online — including one virtually identical to the semi-automatic rifle used in last week's horrific school slaughter in Connecticut.
Canadians often take comfort in the notion that spectacles of gruesome gun violence are part of a U.S. pathology that... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear that Canada Is Moving to Further Loosen Its Gun Control Laws
17 December 2012
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
As debate over stricter gun control ratchets up in the U.S. in the wake of last week's mass shooting in Connecticut, there is fear among gun-control advocates in Canada that the Conservative government is moving to further loosen some of this country's gun rules.
While Prime Minister Harper earlier this month threw cold water on a government committee's suggestion of reclassifying "prohibited" weapons as "restricted" ones, the government appears to be open to some of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Pro-Gun Culture Blamed After Mass Shooting at Elementary School
14 December 2012
Battle Creek Enquirer (Michigan), Editorial
The gun culture in this country is insane. Even as the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., unfolded on our television screens on Friday, we could almost predict the calls to "avoid politicizing" the issue.
Politicizing? That's code for let's not have a discussion about restrictions on firearms, or whether guns contribute to the numbers of homicides, or whether better regulation might have prevented Friday's massacre of innocents.
After all, guns don't kill people; people kill... (GunPolicy.org)
Call for Canada's Firearms Advisory Committee to be More Balanced
12 December 2012
Red Deer Advocate (Canada), Opinion
Should Canada loosen the laws to make it easier to obtain handguns and restricted weapons? Absolutely not. But the federal firearms advisory committee says otherwise.
The committee recently recommended the rules be changed, saying some prohibited weapons, including handguns and assault rifles, should be reclassified to make them more easily available.
The recommendation makes no sense. And its absurdity has been noted by the federal government, which says it will... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Leader Rejects Proposals to Loosen Gun Controls
7 December 2012
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has rejected recommendations from his firearms advisory committee and is suggesting the group's membership may need revisiting.
Documents obtained by the Coalition for Gun Control reveal the committee advising Public Safety Minister Vic Toews wants some prohibited weapons, including handguns and assault rifles, reclassified to make them more easily available.
The 14-member group is also pushing to make firearm licences good for... (GunPolicy.org)
On École Shooting Anniversary Quebec Battles for Its Own Gun Registry
6 December 2012
Yahoo (Canada) / CBC News (Canada)
Quebec is moving forward on plans to create its own version of the former federal long-gun registry.
In light of the anniversary of the Montreal Polytechnique massacre, the Parti Québécois has announced the government will move forward with a bill that will make long-gun registration mandatory. The provincial registry will be implemented as soon as Quebec can obtain the necessary data from the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The federal long-gun registry was created by... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Lobby Pushes for Looser Laws After Registry Victory
6 December 2012
Toronto Star (Ontario), Editorial
The gun lobby never sleeps. Fresh from killing off Canada's federal registry of rifles and shotguns, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's firearm-friendly Conservatives are now being urged to take aim at our remaining gun safety laws. It's a chilling prospect.
As Star writer Tonda MacCharles reported on Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews is mulling a sweeping set of proposals from the pro-gun camp that would further water down federal controls. In future, gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Govt Quietly Defers Gun Marking Plans, Tells Gun Lobby First
5 December 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The Conservative government has quietly shelved rules on serial numbers for guns that would have helped keep Canada in compliance with its international conventions on arms smuggling.
The decision came through an order-in-council — a cabinet decree — that was not formally announced by the Harper government but has been posted among dozens of other orders on the Privy Council Office website.
A single paragraph on the website states the long-delayed regulations,... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Gun-Related Homicides Down to 50-Year Low in 2011
4 December 2012
United Press International
OTTAWA - While the total number of homicides are up in Canada, the number of gun-related homicides are at a 50-year low, police records show.
There were 598 homicides throughout Canada in 2011 - 44 more than in 2010 - the first annual increase in three years, Statistics Canada said on its website Tuesday.
However, just 158 2011 homicides were committed with a firearm, 13 fewer than the year before and the lowest number of gun-related homicides in almost 50 years.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Long Gun Registry Closes, as Evidence Shows Need for Info
16 November 2012
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — It was a quiet death.
Two weeks ago, with no fanfare and no formal announcement, the federal Conservatives oversaw the end of the long-gun registry.
All that the Mounties kept was information on long guns held in Quebec, until a court challenge by that province to keep the data is settled.
Now, just as quietly, along comes the long-gun registry's obituary in the form of the annual report for 2011 on the firearms program.
Vic Toews, minister of public... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Govt Warned of Risks Before Dropping Gun Show Rules
13 November 2012
CBC News (Canada)
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews was warned by his department about the risks of failing to tighten up surveillance of gun shows months before he announced a proposal to repeal long-delayed gun show regulations.
Toews announced in September the government would not be going ahead with the regulations, which were due to take effect at the end of November following years of delays.
"Repealing the unnecessary gun shows regulations shows our government is focused on... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Govt Defies UN Efforts to Prevent Gun Trafficking
4 November 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
OTTAWA - Rifle enthusiasts celebrating the destruction of most long-gun registry files last week have more to cheer about after the government again deferred a plan gun-control advocates say would combat illegal arms trafficking.
Opponents argue the United Nations protocol signed by a previous Liberal government would drive up the cost of guns by as much as $200 apiece, killing jobs and creating more red tape in an already overregulated industry.
Proponents argue... (GunPolicy.org)
Repeal of Canada Gun Registry Angers Gun Owners as Licences Remain
22 October 2012
MSN News (Canada) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA, Canada - Seven months after the federal long gun registry was repealed in every province but Quebec, a small but vocal faction of gun owners is feeling deeply betrayed by the Conservative government.
A registry of gun owners — if not their specific weapons — remains in force under federal licensing provisions that were part of the same 1995 Liberal gun control bill so loathed by the gun lobby. It's a reality to which some sport shooting enthusiasts are just... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Legislates Gun Marking, Critics Say its Useless Without Registry
16 October 2012
Brandon Sun (Manitoba)
OTTAWA - The Tory government that killed the long-gun registry this year now says placing serial numbers on rifles and shotguns contributes to public safety by allowing police to trace them to their legal owners.
Starting Dec. 1, long-delayed rules on gun markings will come into force.
After years of demonizing the Liberal-built long-gun registry as "wasteful" and "ineffective," the Harper government says there is some utility after all in being able to track sport... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Finds Firearms-Related Crime Costs Canada $3.1b a Year
14 October 2012
CBC News (Canada) / The Canadian Press
Crimes involving guns cost Canadians more than $3 billion a year, suggests an internal Justice Department study that may stoke the gun-control debate.
The newly released report examined all firearm-related crime in 2008, and calculated costs across a broad range, including the value of policing and prosecuting offenders, lost income and even burial fees for victims.
The total came to $3.1 billion, or about $93 for every person in the country, says the study, completed... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Stolen from Canada Gun Range, Despite Secure Storage
11 October 2012
Calgary Sun (Alberta)
Police are on the hunt for at least 30 firearms stolen from a Calgary shooting range, now presumably in the hands of criminals who are in the crosshairs of investigators.
And they are appealing to the public for help finding culprits or weapons swiped during the break-in at the Calgary Shooting Centre, in the 7100 block of Fisher Rd. S.E., about 4 a.m. Thursday.
Insp. Patty McCallum said suspects "smashed several display cases and removed a number of firearms."
They... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Fined for Smuggling Guns, Parts Over Canada Border
5 October 2012
Edmonton Journal (Alberta) / Calgary Herald (Alberta)
EDMONTON - A Sherwood Park man has been fined $9,000 in court for smuggling after Canadian border guards found disassembled guns in his vehicle.
On Thursday, Dean Barret Regehr pleaded guilty to Customs Act charges of smuggling, undervaluation and evading compliance with the act related to a Sept. 4 incident at the Coutts border crossing, said a news release from the Canada Border Services Agency. Regehr declared to customs officials that he had one shotgun, but... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Edmonton Journal (Alberta) / Calgary Herald (Alberta)
Canada State Courts Decide Gun Registry Data Can Be Destroyed
21 September 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
An attempt to save the long-gun registry data in Ontario misfired Friday, when the Ontario Superior Court called an appeal by a Toronto women's shelter "weak" and dismissed it.
The federal government is calling the ruling a victory.
"The will of Parliament and Canadians has been clear. We do not want any form of a wasteful and ineffective long gun registry," Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said in a statement.
The Superior Court had heard a motion from the Barbra... (GunPolicy.org)
Court in Canada Rules Gun Registry Data Can't be Destroyed Yet
10 September 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
According to Google Maps, it would take you 27 hours to drive the 2,224 kilometres from Steinbach, Manitoba, home of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, to Metropolis, the downtown Montreal nightclub, where Denis Blanchette was gunned down at a political rally a week ago.
It would be funny if the people in Steinbach and the people of downtown Montreal saw the world the same way.
They speak different languages, practice different religions and earn their livings in... (GunPolicy.org)
Police in Canada Say Airguns are Dangerously Realistic
5 September 2012
National Post (Toronto)
When a Newmarket, Ontario, man looked out his window one day last week and saw a young male carrying an assault rifle, he wasted little time calling police.
A short time later, three teenagers were under arrest, suspected to [be] carrying dangerous weapons.
But York Regional Police soon realized the weapons were air guns, not real firearms. The incident, described in a media release Tuesday, is one of several that police have responded to involving look-a-like guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Protesting Owners Swap Firearms in 'Great Canadian Gun Registry Shuffle'
31 August 2012
Yahoo! (Canada) / Daily Brew, Blog
The Conservative government killed the national long-gun registry but one of Canada's major gun-owner groups wants to poke the corpse to prove it's dead.
The Canadian Shooting Sports Association, which claims more than 15,000 members, has launched what it calls the Great Canadian Gun Registry Shuffle, aimed at demonstrating why it's pointless for some provinces to maintain their own registries.
"In order to support federal Bill C-19 that specifies the data must be... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Border Guards Draw Guns Less Often in 2012
20 August 2012
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Fewer border guards drew their guns, batons and pepper spray last year in an abrupt reversal of a previous trend toward greater use of force at Canadian border points.
There were 147 such incidents at border stations in 2011-12, a significant drop from 184 in the previous year.
It marks the first significant decline in so-called use-of-force incidents over the last five years, a period during which guards were armed with handguns for the first time. Previously,... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Canada,United States,Americas,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Mexico
Kenneth Epps: Farewell To The UN Arms Treaty – For Now
1 August 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
Lost in the hoopla of the opening ceremony of the Olympics, a vital international marathon of another kind ended Friday with a race suspension just before the finish line. At the United Nations in New York, a month of intensive multilateral negotiations on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to regulate international transfers of conventional weapons concluded without agreement, largely because the United States called for more time on the final day.
The U.S. announcement was... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada,United States,Australia
Australian Academic Says Gun Culture a Risk Factor for Shooting Sprees
25 July 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
The number of victims in the Colorado cinema shooting would undoubtedly have been much higher than 12 killed and 58 wounded had the AR-15 assault rifle used by the alleged offender, James Holmes, not jammed. According to police, the jammed weapon was capable of firing 50-60 rounds a minute. Police say Holmes also had two Glock pistols, a shotgun and 6000 rounds of ammunition.
Shock, dismay and surprise are always expressed after such killings - and questioning of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Canada,United States,Central America,North America,Caribbean
Lax US Gun Laws Make Canada, Mexico and Caribbean Less Safe
25 July 2012
Time (USA)
Looming over the aftermath of the Aurora shooting is the long-standing and largely fruitless American debate over gun control. My colleague Alex Altman wrote lucidly about the paralysis that grips many U.S. politicians on both sides of the aisle when forced to account for a tragedy of this magnitude. More stringent controls could have thwarted the shooting suspect from spending months undetected while he amassed an arsenal of assault weapons, heavy ammunition and body... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Shooting Revives Debate Over Handgun Ban in Canada [Francais]
18 July 2012
Radio France Internationale
[Translated summary: Toronto shooting revives debate over firearms sales and handgun ban. According to Police data, 700,000 handguns are legally held and registered in Canada.]
Toronto est sous le choc après la fusillade qui a fait deux morts et 23 blessés dont un enfant de 22 mois. Les tirs sont intervenus pendant un barbecue qui rassemblait les habitants d'un quartier. Au lendemain du drame, la presse relance le débat sur la vente libre des armes à feu.
« La... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Canada
Pandering to Gun Lobby, Canada Promotes Arms Trade Treaty Loopholes
18 July 2012
Embassy Magazine (Canada)
The Harper government is trying to fudge efforts to craft an effective international treaty to govern the global arms trade by adding oversight "loopholes" into the agreement, the NDP says.
NDP trade critic Don Davies says the Tories are trying to water down the global push for a United Nations arms trade treaty to score domestic political points with red-meat conservatives.
He and other treaty supporters point to the Harper government's desire not to include the... (GunPolicy.org)
Fears of Gang Retribution After Canada Party Shooting Kills 2, Injures 23
18 July 2012
Washington Post / AP
TORONTO — Toronto police were investigating the possibility of gang involvement in a shooting that killed two people and wounded 23 others at an outdoor party, and said Tuesday they were concerned about the potential for violent retribution.
Bullets from more than one gun sprayed into the crowd of more than 100 people at an annual barbecue Monday night in the suburb of Scarborough. Police said two handguns were used, and one was recovered at the crime scene.
"In my... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Judge Reduces Sentence for Man Selling Non-Existent Gun
10 July 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario) / QMI Agency, Opinion
TORONTO - On the surface, an Ontario judge striking down a mandatory minimum three-year sentence to someone for supposedly trying to sell a revolver seems another case of the law being an ass (or "a ass," to quote Charles Dickens).
In the case of Christopher Lewis, a judge imposed a sentence of three years — two for drug dealing (less one year for time served) and an additional year (instead of the mandatory minimum) for offering to sell a .45-calibre gun he didn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Authorities Completely Shut Down Long Gun Data Collection
10 July 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The federal government has ordered the province to stop collecting personal information from people who buy long guns.
Nova Scotia's firearms office collected the information under federal authority and continued to do so, even after the federal government killed the long gun registry earlier this spring.
Roger Merrick, the province's director of Public Safety Investigations, said that will now end.
"We will be sending out letters to businesses that sell firearms,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mandatory Minimum Gun Penalty Ruled Unconstitutional in Canada
6 July 2012
CNews (Canada)
OSHAWA, Ontario - Refusing to make one size fit all, an Ontario judge has just taken another shot at Ottawa's get-tough-on-crime mandatory minimum sentences for gun offences.
The automatic three-year term for a first-time gun trafficker has been struck down for the first time as unconstitutional by Ontario Court Justice Paul Bellefontaine. His landmark ruling follows the decision by his Superior Court colleague in February that found the same mandatory minimum for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Govt Clarifies Record Keeping Requirements for Non-restricted Guns
3 July 2012
Marketwire, Media release
OTTAWA, Ontario - Today, the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and Candice Hoeppner, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety announced that the Firearms Information Regulations (Non-Restricted Firearms) have come into force.
"Our government made a commitment to Canadians to end the long-gun registry once and for all and that is what we did with the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act (Bill C-19)" said Minister Toews. "These regulations will... (GunPolicy.org)
Misclassified Handguns to Be Deleted with Canadian Long Gun Registry
19 June 2012
Global News (Canada)
A Global News investigation has found dozens more misclassified firearms which might be deleted with the long gun registry.
Yesterday, Global News reported finding 361 handguns and three automatic weapons classified as if they were mainstream rifles or shotguns, which, all other things being equal, means that their data will be deleted.
Since that story appeared, we have found more than 120 weapons in the firearms registry which aren't classified at all. They include... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Raises Concerns about the Security Guard Business in Canada
17 June 2012
New York Times
OTTAWA — The capture at the American border of a Canadian security guard wanted in the slaying of three colleagues and the wounding of a fourth ended a nationwide manhunt and brought a sense of relief to western Canada on Sunday.
The search for the suspect, Travis Baumgartner, 21, began Friday after, the police said, he shot his co-workers while they were refilling A.T.M.'s at a university campus in Edmonton, Alberta.
After the early morning shooting, Mr.... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Gun Control Group Calls Ottawa to Ban Handguns [Francais]
13 June 2012
98,5 fm (Canada) / Canadian Press
[Translated summary:
TORONTO - Des partisans du contrôle des armes à feu ont dénoncé la présence au pays d'armes de poing, mercredi, lançant un appel à une interdiction pancanadienne de cette arme utilisée, selon eux, à des fins uniquement violentes.
Les proches d'un Torontois tué dans une double fusillade il y a quatre ans ont exhorté le gouvernement Harper à concentrer leurs efforts sur ce qu'ils qualifient «d'arme de guerre», plutôt que de défendre... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Public Safety Minister Moves to End 'Back-door' Gun Registries
13 June 2012
CBC News (Canada) / Canadian Press
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews is moving to bar what he calls "back-door" gun registries.
Toews tabled proposed regulations in Parliament on Wednesday that say firearms dealers would not be required to collect and keep data on long gun sales.
Recently passed legislation ended registration of most rifles and shotguns and directed the RCMP to permanently destroy more than seven million files on firearm ownership.
However, provinces have required gun dealers to record... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Killer Likely Issued Gun Licence Without Background Check
13 June 2012
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Double-killer Angus Mitchell was likely issued his firearms licence without a check of the database that records encounters with police where no criminal charges are laid.
RCMP Sgt. Greg Cox confirmed from Ottawa Tuesday the Police Records Information Management Environment (PRIME) database is not routinely checked before someone is issued a firearms licence.
Cox said generally, only the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database is searched, which records... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,Canada,United Arab Emirates,Venezuela,Lebanon,Iraq
No Gun Control Plus Idle Youth Equals Recipe for Trouble - Opinion
6 June 2012
National (Abu Dhabi), Opinion
'The weapon first, fighting second," goes an Arabic proverb, which pretty much explains why there is so much conflict in the world today. But it also describes perfectly what I have had the misfortune of seeing as I've travelled and worked in war zones across the region.
I remember the time I was in Iraq, and the family I was staying with insisted that I carry some form of weapon as "defence" and protection. Even their grandmother carried a small hand gun in her purse... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Canada
Canada Drops Demand to Exempt 'Civilian' Guns from Arms Trade Treaty
4 June 2012
CBC News (Canada)
Canada has modified its controversial position on a United Nations arms control treaty.
In a new position paper submitted to the UN, the federal government has dropped its proposal to exclude all sporting and hunting firearms from the international Arms Trade Treaty, an agreement that seeks to regulate the import, export and transfer of all conventional weapons.
Last summer Canada surprised many and attracted heaps of scorn from countries such as Nigeria, Brazil,... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize Mentally Ill Canadian's Gun, Return It: Shots Follow
4 June 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
VANCOUVER - A person who's had a gun seized for mental-health reasons does not have to meet any provincewide standards to have it returned – an issue that's come to light following the shootings of three people in Burnaby.
The RCMP issued a public warning about Angus David Mitchell last week, linking him to the deaths of two people inside a sushi restaurant and the attempted murder of his former landlord. Mr. Mitchell was spotted by a member of the public less than... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapons Seized in Raid Reveal US-Canada Gun Running [Francais]
29 May 2012
24 Heures (Montreal)
[Translated summary: Peacekeepers dismantled a firearms trafficking network on the territory of the Kahnawake reserve. The firearms were bought on the US market and illegally imported into Canada, others were legally bought in Canada by registered permit holders then re-sold.]
KAHNAWAKE - Une opération policière visant le démantèlement d'un réseau d'armes à feu a eu lieu, mardi matin, sur le territoire de la réserve de Kahnawake.
Les Peacekeepers de Kahnawake,... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Owners Thinking They Had a Friend in Govt in for a Nasty Surprise
28 May 2012
National Post (Toronto)
Gun owners who thought they had a friend in the Conservative government in Ottawa are in for a nasty surprise. It would seem that, having delivered on its promise to scrap the long-gun registry, the federal Tories feel that they've paid their dues to Canada's lawful firearms owners. From here on in, the Conservatives won't be doing gun owners any favours.
The federal government recently quietly announced that, effective this September, it will begin charging firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Provinces Concerned about 'Back-door' Long-gun Registries
23 May 2012
Winnipeg Sun (Manitoba)
Confusion on firearms rules has some Manitoba dealers feeling like they're under the gun to abide by a so-called "back-door" registry.
Though Ottawa and the provincial government insist there's no new long-gun registry replacing a federal firearm database that was scrapped this spring, retailers say RCMP are sending mixed signals.
To firearms vendor Travis VanDaele's Brandon business, it doesn't appear that the federal Conservative government's scrapping of the gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Wildrose Suggests Alberta Appoints Own Firearms Controller [Francais]
16 May 2012
Radio Canada (Canada)
[Translated Summary: Wildrose's Judicial Affairs critique, Shayne Saskiw, is asking the provincial government to better protect the rights of firearms owners in Alberta, by nominating the firearms controller for the province.]
Le critique du Wildrose en matière de Justice, Shayne Saskiw, demande au gouvernement provincial de mieux protéger les droits des propriétaires d'armes à feu en Alberta en nommant le contrôleur des armes à feu de la province.
Le détenteur... (GunPolicy.org)
In Response to 'Shadow' Gun Registry Allegations, Alberta Says No
16 May 2012
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
EDMONTON - Solicitor General Jonathan Denis says Alberta "does not and will not" have a provincial gun registry, though questions remain about the type of data collected by gun shops in the province.
Denis was responding Wednesday to allegations the provincial government has allowed the creation of a "shadow" registry that will effectively replace the controversial federal long gun registry.
"Alberta does not have a gun registry, Alberta will not have a gun registry,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Tories Fight to Suppress Provincial Records of Gun Sales
15 May 2012
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
The province of New Brunswick announced Tuesday that it will adhere to the federal government's wishes and no longer require gun dealers to keep records of sales of long guns and who purchased them.
Not all provinces have been so quick to let go of the record-keeping practice that some have likened to a "back-door" gun registry.
Ontario has balked at the Harper government's directive. Other provinces say they are consulting with their lawyers or seeking further... (GunPolicy.org)
Ontario Defies Federal Govt's Command to Stop Recording Gun Sales
14 May 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
TORONTO - Ontario's chief firearms officer insists that Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews can't just order him to stop the collection of information on gun buyers.
OPP Supt. Chris Wyatt said federal firearms legislation stipulates he "may" ask gun store sellers to write down the names and gun licence numbers of purchasers — and he intends to continue doing so.
"I don't like being in conflict with the RCMP or the federal minister," Wyatt said. "I want to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Ontario Ignores Federal Police Order to Stop Recording Gun Sales
11 May 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
The head of the Mounties is warning chief firearms officers in the provinces and territories not to create their own lists of long-gun owners now that the federal government has scrapped its registry.
But the edict created confusion Friday, with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty saying he intends to ignore it until the federal government makes it clear whether the provinces can continue collecting their own information on firearms. The province's chief firearms officer.... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Councillors Move to Ask Government to Preserve Gun Registry
9 May 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
TORONTO - Toronto city council fired a shot Wednesday at the federal government for killing off the long gun registry.
Councillors voted 39 to 5 to urge the province to ask the federal government for the data in the registry before it is scrapped. The vote also reaffirmed Toronto city council's long-standing support for the gun registry and ordered the city solicitor to look for ways to intervene to stop the deletion of data on the approximately 287,000 non-restricted... (GunPolicy.org)
Ottawa, Canada: Seized Firearms Help Solve Cold Cases
8 May 2012
Ottawa Sun (Ontario)
Every day at the downtown Ottawa police headquarters, a gun is fired.
Any firearm seized by police is tested with a ballistics tank at its indoor range.
It's a stainless steel secure box filled with water, to slow down the projectile.
Whether the gun is confiscated from a gangster or for another reason, police always need to shoot the gun as part of their investigation.
Besides determining whether the gun is in working order, its projectiles collected from the tank... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Minister Warns Against Back Door Firearms Register [Francais]
8 May 2012
Canoe.ca (Canada)
[Translated Summary: The Minister for Public Security Vic Toews, threatened to take measures against any provincial or territorial weapons controller who might try to create a back door firearms register for long weapons. ]
OTTAWA – Le ministre de la Sécurité publique, Vic Toews, a menacé de prendre des mesures contre n'importe quel contrôleur des armes à feu provincial ou territorial, qui chercherait à créer par la porte d'en arrière un registre des armes... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Lawyer Protests 'Back Door' Firearm Registration in Ontario
30 April 2012
CNews (Canada)
OTTAWA – Ontario is telling sellers of shotguns and rifles to keep paper records of all the people who buy long guns at their stores — a move one firearms advocate is calling a "back-door" long-gun registry.
The province's chief firearms officer has gun sellers writing down buyers' names, numbers and addresses.
"The long-gun registry was used to target gun owners and confiscate their firearms. That was one of the reasons for scrapping it in the first place,"said... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Court Backs Gun Registry, Sets Stage for Federal Legal Battle
21 April 2012
National Post (Toronto)
MONTREAL — The province's gun-control advocates were buoyed Friday by a strongly worded Quebec Superior Court judgment that recognized the recently abolished long-gun registry as an effective and economical crime prevention tool, laying the groundwork for a long legal battle with Ottawa.
The federal government reacted quickly and decisively, in what will no doubt lead to a Supreme Court showdown over the future of the divisive national registry. It said the ruling... (GunPolicy.org)
Temporary Injunction Preserves Canada Long-Gun Registry
20 April 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
MONTREAL - The province's gun-control advocates were buoyed Friday by a strongly worded Quebec Superior Court judgment that recognized the recently abolished long-gun registry as an effective and economical crime prevention tool, laying the groundwork for a long legal battle with Ottawa.
The federal government reacted quickly and decisively, in what will no doubt lead to a Supreme Court show-down over the future of the divisive national registry. It said the ruling... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Becomes Canada's Gun-law Control Group - Matt Gurney
16 April 2012
National Post (Toronto)
The long-gun registry was officially scrapped two weeks ago, on April 5. After it had passed through the House and Senate, Governor-General David Johnston signed off on the decision to shut down the registry, which kept records on who owned non-restricted firearms (mainly shotguns and hunting rifles). Destruction of existing records has begun, but is expected to take some time to complete — perhaps months.
But the Quebec provincial government filed a court injunction... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Police Say Scrapping of Long-gun Registry 'Challenges' Tracing
12 April 2012
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA - As it prepares to destroy millions of long-gun records, the RCMP says the Conservative government's decision to scrap the registry will make it tougher to trace firearms used to commit crimes.
The process that will lead to deletion of rifle and shotgun records in the registry is under way — with the exception of Quebec files at the centre of a court action, said Cpl. Laurence Trottier, an RCMP spokeswoman.
"It is a complex IT project involving the... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Court Injunction Delays Destruction of Long-gun Registry Data
5 April 2012
CBC News (Canada)
Just as the Harper government's bill to end the long-gun registry becomes law, a Quebec Superior Court judge has granted a five-day injunction against destroying the data about Quebec gun owners found in the registry.
The Quebec government sought the injunction in court in Montreal Thursday, in anticipation of royal assent for C-19, the Harper government's legislation to fulfil a longtime campaign promise to scrap the registry.
The injunction granted Thursday applies... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners in Canada Alarmed by Ammunition Rules, Storage Requirements
4 April 2012
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
Hunters and shooters are up in arms about the federal government's proposed new explosives regulations, which they say will interfere with everything from big-game hunting and ammunition storage, to re-enacting historic battles.
The changes require - for the first time in Canada - gun owners to lock away all ammunition. At present, guns must be locked, but not ammunition. The proposed rules will require all gun owners to install a locking box or safe in their... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Votes to Kill Long Gun Registry, Delete Data on Gun Owners
4 April 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
OTTAWA — The Conservative government vowed during the 2011 election to eliminate the long-gun registry. On Wednesday night, the bill to officially end the registry had its final vote in the Senate — leaving only a signature from the Governor General needed to officially kill the registry.
That signature signing Bill C-19 into law should come Thursday morning.
By a vote of 50-27, senators approved the bill, marking the last political hurdle needed to kill the... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Seeks Injunction to Stop Canada Deleting Gun Registry Records
4 April 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
After months of threatening legal action against the federal government to preserve records on the 1,560,359 long guns registered in Quebec, Justice Minister Jean-Marc Fournier announced Tuesday that he will challenge in Quebec Superior Court the constitutionality of Bill C-19, empowering Ottawa to destroy the records.
Quebec has asked repeatedly that records on Quebec residents be transferred so the province can create its own registry. As well, the National Assembly... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory MP in Hot Water after Guns-for-All, Especially Girls Speech in Ottawa
30 March 2012
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Saskatchewan Tory MP Garry Breitkreuz found himself in hot water Thursday after an Ottawa mother complained he told a Grade 10 class that everyone in Canada should be armed - especially girls.
Dianna Sakisheway wrote a scathing letter to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews this week. Her complaint stems from a speech Breitkreuz - known as the father of the legislation to repeal the long-gun registry - gave during a career day at Ottawa's Canterbury high school on March... (GunPolicy.org)
Year's Jail, Life Ban for Vet Caught Smuggling Gun Parts US-Canada
29 March 2012
880 CKLQ AM (Manitoba)
A 47 year old former member of the military has been sentenced to one year in jail for smuggling a submachine gun part into Canada from the United States.
He did so by hiding it in a bag of empty beer cans when crossing the border on November 5th, 2011.
Cameron Eugene Bell says he was going to just display the parts of the gun as art.
Along with one year in jail he was sentenced to a 15 year firearms ban and lifetime restricted weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Australia,Brazil,Nigeria,Canada
Canada Changed Its Arms Policy, Chose UN Delegate to Suit Gun Lobby
21 March 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The office of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird ordered last-minute changes to Canada's position on an international arms treaty, as well as to its delegation to meetings at United Nations headquarters, CBC News has learned.
According to documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, the minister's office ignored advice from the department and ordered civil servants to invite Steve Torino, president of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), to... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Stigma Drives Toronto Gun Hobbyists, Shooters Underground
18 March 2012
National Post (Toronto)
Ellen loads five bullets into her favourite pistol, a .22-caliber Browning Challenger, and demonstrates her favourite shooting stances. She begins with two hands holding the gun straight out in front of her, elbows slightly bent and feet hip-width apart for balance before changing poses, with her left hand behind her back, her palm facing outward, and the pistol in her right hand.
She is a Toronto grandmother of two in her mid-sixties and she is sharing her love of... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Gun Lobby Reloads, Plans to Attack Firearm Licensing Next
27 February 2012
Macleans (Canada)
The final House of Commons vote to end the federal firearms registry was greeted Feb. 15 on Parliament Hill with a low-key cocktail party. Long-time opponents of the 1995 Liberal gun control bill, still spoken of hissingly out West as C-68, gathered to celebrate with the Prime Minister. Perhaps surprisingly, there was little visible jubilation on the Prairies about the end of a nearly 20-year fight. The streets of Alberta and Saskatchewan did not live up to Torontonian... (GunPolicy.org)
