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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)
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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)
Canada Border Guards Seize 75 Guns Hidden in Truck, Charge American
22 February 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto) / CP
COUTTS, Alta. — Border officials in Alberta have seized a cache of guns hidden inside a vehicle trying to get into Canada.
Officers found 75 firearms, including 48 handguns, stowed inside a pickup truck at the Coutts crossing on Tuesday.
Officials say it is the largest handgun seizure in the port's history.
The driver of the truck told officers he was travelling to Alaska and was not carrying any firearms.
RCMP arrested 54-year-old George Foster of Florida.
He... (GunPolicy.org)
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Guns More Common in America Than in Much of Asia, Africa - LA Times
21 February 2012
Los Angeles Times
Guns are the new bling in India, as Mark Magnier reports for The Times. Rising income, rising crime and memories of terrorism have made Indians more eager to pack a pistol:
Government worker Deep Sidhu sits in his living room feeling the weight of the family's Luger, a German World War II-era pistol, in his hands. Guns are in the blood, he says beneath a painting of a man toting a shotgun.
"This forgiveness-peace idea will only make Pakistanis think we're soft... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Long-gun Registry Debate Over, But Gun Control Debate Heating Up
20 February 2012
CBC News (Canada)
Firearm lobbyists say the battle over the gun registry may be over, but the gun control debate is just heating up.
They are now going after the licencing system that came into effect with the registry 17 years ago.
"I think most guys at the gun counter will think it's over. Thank goodness," said Brian Ramakko, who owns an outdoors store in Sudbury.
But Tony Bernardo, one of Canada's most vocal gun advocate, disagrees.
"It's actually the beginning of the debate," he... (GunPolicy.org)
Conservatives, Enthusiasts Cheer End of Canada's Long-gun Registry
15 February 2012
National Post (Toronto)
OTTAWA — The Conservative government says its MPs will celebrate after a historic vote to end the long-gun registry Wednesday evening, despite vehement opposition to the move in Quebec and much of urban Canada.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told reporters Wednesday, hours before the vote, that the government's actions are long overdue.
"It does nothing to help put an end to gun crimes, nor has it saved one Canadian life," he said.
"It criminalizes hard-working... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Collectors, 'Law Abiding Canadians' Often Buy Illegal Firearms
10 February 2012
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The black-market gun trade includes not just menacing gang members but the firearms enthusiast next door, says a federal study.
The research report says "an important segment" of those who buy illicit firearms are so-called "law-abiding citizens" such as collectors.
The study of the illicit gun trade, commissioned by the Public Safety Department, was completed in September 2010 but only recently released under the Access to Information Act.
The researchers... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Registry Busts 'Prominent Enthusiast' who Stole 159 Guns
6 February 2012
Saanich News (Canada)
Semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, pistols – 159 firearms in total – were seized from the home of a man who worked as a manager at Island Outfitters.
Saanich police were contacted Thursday (Feb. 2) after more than $250,000 worth of merchandise, including the guns, 400 boxes of ammunition and a crossbow, as well as hunting and fishing equipment, went missing from the store's inventory.
A 40-year-old Saanich resident, a manager in charge of inventory and ordering, was... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Accused of Hiding Police Reports on Long-gun Registry
1 February 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
The NDP accused the government of suppressing RCMP reports on Canada's long-gun registry Tuesday, saying the government delayed releasing two reports because they clashed with Tory messaging on gun control.
NDP justice critic Jack Harris raised the issue in question period Tuesday.
"It is the second year in a row it has tried to hide a report that shows the public safety value of the long-gun registry," he said.
"Why is the government consistently hiding information... (GunPolicy.org)
Trial Sparks Debate Over Canada Confusing Gun Control Law
31 January 2012
National Post (Toronto)
WELLAND, Ont. — Canada's laws on the storage and handling of guns and ammunition are so complicated that a veteran judge needed to adjourn court to allow two experienced lawyers more time for legal arguments and a search of case law to help parse and dissect them.
It was a dud of an ending after two scheduled days of trial in the case of Ian Thomson, a 54-year-old Port Colborne man who fired three shots from a legally owned gun to scare off three masked men who were... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Rely Even More on Canadian Gun Registry Slated for Deletion
25 January 2012
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA - A new report shows that Canadian police services are using the firearms registry more than ever, relying on it more than 14,000 times a day rather than viewing it as an obsolete and unreliable database as the Conservative government claims.
The RCMP quietly posted on Monday annual report on the controversial firearms program which shows in 2010, law enforcement agencies across the country logged in and queried the Canadian Firearms Registry Online an average... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadians Own Millions More Guns, Many Unregistered as Laws Relax
24 January 2012
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
Canadians own more than half a million more firearms than they did in 2006, according to the 2010 annual report from the RCMP's Canadian Firearms Program.
But while federal firearms data show that the number of registered gun owners in Canada is dropping, the arsenal of each is getting bigger and bigger.
But many gun owners - and a Tory MP - say the government's estimates are off the mark and that there may be twice as many firearms, and firearms owners, in Canada as... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Police Ban, Seize 'Scarylooking Guns,' Registry at Death's Door
7 January 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
With the firearms registry on death's door, the RCMP are using what little time remains to reclassify and seize certain scarylooking guns from Canadian firearms owners.
Among the guns being seized is a small-calibre varmint rifle called the Armi Jager AP80. Like many non-restricted rifles, it is semiautomatic and fires the .22-calibre bullet, the smallest used in any long gun.
The AP80 has been singled out because it looks too much like the infamous AK-47 assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Federal Government Bans AK-47 Look-Alike
5 January 2012
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
OTTAWA -- The federal government is cracking down on a small game rifle, saying it was inappropriately classified as a non-restricted weapon.
But one firearms activist argues it's an end run by federal bureaucrats related to a long-running court battle.
Owners of the Armi Jager AP80 .22-calibre rifle received a letter from the RCMP in December saying the registration certificates for the firearm would be revoked and they had a month to dispose of their weapons - with... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Sues Ottawa to Save Long Gun Registry Records from Trash
13 December 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
QUEBEC – Quebec wants to create its own long-gun registry, using data already collected for the federal registry, and is prepared to go to court to stop Ottawa destroying gun ownership records.
Public Security Minister Robert Dutil announced Tuesday that Quebec would take legal action to recover the data once Ottawa's Bill C-19, abolishing the federal long-gun registry, becomes law.
Dutil said C-19 was "a step backwards" and called the destruction "unjust and... (GunPolicy.org)
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Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian MPs Mark Country's Worst Gun Massacre, But Tories Not Welcome
6 December 2011
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
As women across Canada mark the 22nd anniversary of the massacre at Montreal's École Polytechnique on Tuesday, Conservative women on Parliament Hill continue to work to scrap the long-gun registry that was created in response to those shootings.
That has people on the Hill so upset that government MPs have been purposely shut out from officially speaking at and attending an event on Parliament Hill to honour the 14 young women who were shot dead in 1989.
The two... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Laws, Scrapping of Long Gun Registry Explained, Debated
6 December 2011
CBC News (Canada)
The contentious long-gun registry is on the cusp of being abolished, meaning rifles and shotguns like those sold at Stephen Milton's King City, Ont., shop will disappear from government records.
But while police say that would make it harder for them to do their jobs, Milton says it would be a good move.
"We don't have a gun problem. We have a criminal problem, we have a gang problem, we have problems with people who have no regard for the law whatsoever," he said.... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Council to Debate City Ban on Shooting Ranges
1 December 2011
National Post (Toronto)
City council will fight a challenge to its gun bylaw at the Ontario Municipal Board, despite an assertion by the deputy mayor that the decision goes against expert advice.
In 2008, the city enacted a bylaw that restricts the manufacture of guns in the city, and bans any firing range and gun club that is not operated by the government. The Canadian Shooting Sports Association appealed the decision to the Ontario Municipal Board and had floated a "compromise" that would... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Government Rejects Long-gun Registry Amendments [Francais]
30 November 2011
Le Devoir (Quebec)
[Translated Summary: "A poisoned Christmas gift." Opposition attempts have failed and Bill C-19 will be sent back to the House of Commons: the long gun register will be abolished, as will its data, and no one will be able to revive it. This was the decision made by the Commons Public Safety Committee, made up of a conservative majority.]
OTTAWA — Malgré les critiques de plusieurs témoins, et notamment du gouvernement du Québec, la proposition des conservateurs... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Tories Reject Amendments to Repeal of Long Gun Registry
29 November 2011
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
OTTAWA - The Conservatives refused to bite on amendments put forward by the NDP Tuesday on the bill to repeal the long gun registry.
The Commons public safety committee has wrapped up its study of Bill C-19, which will be heading back to the House without changes despite the NDP's last ditch attempt to remedy what they see as serious problems with the proposed legislation.
Two amendments were shot down by the Conservatives - one forcing the feds to table the costs of... (GunPolicy.org)
Opposition's Honest Mistake Confirms Canada's Dysfunctional Gun Laws
29 November 2011
National Post (Toronto), Blog
The federal New Democrats have been left scrambling after nearly making an embarrassing mistake in an ad campaign criticizing the federal Tories for scrapping the long-gun registry. The NDP planned to run ads showing the Mini-14 rifle, which would no longer be subject to registration after the end of the long-gun registry. But the graphic showed the wrong variant of the Mini-14 — one that is considered a restricted firearm, and therefore won't be affected by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Destroying Canada's Gun Records Could Break Laws, say Federal Officers
22 November 2011
Hill Times (Ottawa)
PARLIAMENT HILL — Two of the most powerful officers of Parliament raised new questions Tuesday about aspects of a controversial bill the majority Conservative government is steamrolling through the Commons to dismantle the federal long-gun registry and destroy its entire database of records.
Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault warned MPs on the Public Safety Committee the legislation, Bill C-19, ignores "the spirit and the letter" of access to information law... (GunPolicy.org)
Federal Watchdog Criticises Plan to Destroy Canadian Gun Registry Data
22 November 2011
CTV News (Winnipeg) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal information watchdog says a government move to destroy gun-registry records sets a bad precedent.
Suzanne Legault told a Commons committee Tuesday that a federal bill to scrap the long-gun registry -- and delete millions of records -- violates the letter and spirit of the Library and Archives of Canada Act.
"It does raise major concerns in terms of transparency and accountability in general," Legault said.
"As information commissioner, I have... (GunPolicy.org)
Dumping Canada's Gun Registry Risks More Gun Running - Federal Memo
15 November 2011
CTV News (Toronto) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Scrapping the requirement to register rifles and shotguns could fuel illegal firearms trafficking across the Canadian border, warns an internal federal memo.
It says the move would weaken import controls by eliminating a requirement for border officials to verify firearms coming into the country.
"Such a loophole could facilitate unregistered prohibited and restricted firearm trafficking into and through Canada," says the declassified memo, originally... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles, Shotguns Set to Become Invisible if Canada Scraps Gun Registry
8 November 2011
McGill Tribune (Montreal)
On Oct. 25 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government introduced Bill C-19 to the House of Commons. This bill, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, seeks to abolish the current long-gun registry. If passed, gun owners will no longer be required by law to register rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, Bill C-19 would ensure the destruction of all existing records of these weapons in the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The Conservative government's... (GunPolicy.org)
New Canadian Law Would Allow Even Gun Dealer Sales to Escape Registration
5 November 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
As tensions mount between Quebec and Ottawa over the federal government's proposed law to abolish the longgun registry, a wide-ranging group of activists and politicians gathered at Dawson College on Friday to urge the province to take legal action to save the registry and its vast database.
Heidi Rathjen of Poly sesouvient.ca, a group that has tracked gun laws since the massacre at the École Polytechnique that killed 14 women on Dec. 6, 1989, said Quebec should do... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Privacy Czar Shoots Down Govt Excuse for Scrapping Gun List
1 November 2011
Globe & Mail (Toronto) / Canadian Press
Canada's privacy watchdog shot a big hole Tuesday in one of the Harper government's main arguments for destroying the records compiled by the long-gun registry.
Jennifer Stoddart said there's nothing in the Privacy Act that prevents the federal government from sharing the data with provincial governments.
Indeed, the Privacy Commissioner said the act actually permits disclosure of personal information, provided it's done through a federal-provincial agreement for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Bill to Kill Canada Long-Gun Registry Delists Sniper Rifles, Semi-Automatics
1 November 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — The powerful Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle used in the 1989 Montreal massacre and this summer's Norway bloodbath.
Sniper rifles that can pierce light armour from a distance of up to 1.5 kilometres.
Or one that can drop a target two kilometres away.
They are all weapons that will soon be declassified under the Conservatives' bill to kill the long-gun registry and freed from binding controls that now see them listed with the RCMP-run database.
They... (GunPolicy.org)
Deleting Canada Gun Registry Files a Massive, Costly Job, Expert Says
28 October 2011
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
OTTAWA — The RCMP is refusing to say how much it will cost to destroy all copies of the federal long-gun registry as required by the Conservative government's proposed law shutting down the contentious database.
The bill to end the requirement to register long guns introduced this week requires that the Commissioner of Firearms "shall ensure the destruction as soon as feasible of all records" in the registry of non-restricted firearms.
The law specifically says that... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec to Fight to Recover the Long-Gun Registry Data [Francais]
27 October 2011
Le Devoir (Québec)
[Translated summary: Quebec, with support of law enforcement, will fight to recover data from the long-gun registry. "These are tools to which we financially contributed through our taxes and others", says the Minister of Canadian Intergovernmental Relations - Ottawa indifferent.]
QUEBEC — Québec mènera un «combat» pour récupérer les données du registre des armes à feu, que le gouvernement Harper entend détruire. Le ministre de la Sécurité publique, Robert... (GunPolicy.org)
Demand Growing in Canada for High-Tech Guns Popularised in Games, Movies
26 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Whether it's computers, cars, motorbikes or guns, 28-year-old Greg MacDonald — a self-confessed "tech nerd" — is always looking for the latest and greatest technology.
A Newfoundlander and lover of fine machinery, MacDonald says the rigorous research and development that goes into modern military-grade firearms — known as "black rifles" within shooter circles — is a sort of poetry in motion.
"When I see a firearm, I see engineering, mathematics and physics,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Scrapping Canada Long-Gun Registry: Some Relevant Numbers
26 October 2011
CBC News (Canada)
Since the introduction of stricter gun laws in 1991, there has been a 65 per cent reduction in homicides by long guns, Statistics Canada data shows. The reduction in homicides involving any type of firearm was 37 per cent.
Statistics Canada released a report on Oct. 26, 2011, on homicides in Canada in 2010. That year, there were 170 shooting homicides, about 32 per cent of all homicides. The total homicide rate fell to its lowest level since 1966 (1.62 per 100,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Government Presses Ahead with Plan to Ease Gun Laws
25 October 2011
Reuters
OTTAWA - The government pressed ahead on Tuesday with plans to scrap a registry of shotguns and rifles, brushing off police complaints the move will make their life tougher.
The Conservatives - who enjoy considerable support in rural areas - have long argued that the long-gun registry is wasteful, does nothing to cut crime and unfairly targets law-abiding farmers and hunters.
"Our government will continue to uphold our commitment to effective gun control measures that... (GunPolicy.org)
Harper Government Pledged to Alter Canada's Laws Governing Self Defence
25 October 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
The Harper government has pledged to alter Canada's laws governing self defence, with an eye to giving citizens increased latitude to protect themselves and their property.
In recent years, Canadians who have used violence - and especially firearms - have often faced criminal charges for their actions.
When Ian Thomson awoke one night in August 2010 to find three men throwing firebombs at his rural home in southwest Ontario, he got out his revolver and fired a few... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Conservative Government to Ease Gun Laws
25 October 2011
Associated Press
TORONTO — Canada's Conservative government introduced legislation Tuesday to scrap a controversial law that requires the registration of rifles and shotguns.
Canada has long required registration of hand guns, but the long-run registry law passed in 1995 faced bitter opposition from rural Canada, the Conservative party's base, which considered it an overreaction to the problem of urban crime.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said they don't want laws targeting... (GunPolicy.org)
Bill to End Canada Long-Gun Registry Will Destroy Data Already Collected
25 October 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper has acted to kill any attempt by a provincial or future federal government to recreate the doomed long-gun registry.
In a surprise move aimed at putting a bullet in the registry for good, the Conservative government bill tabled Wednesday orders the commissioner of firearms to destroy "as soon as feasible" records related to 7.1 million long-barreled guns collected over the past 15 years.
If passed, Bill C-19 would, as promised,... (GunPolicy.org)
One Gun for Every Four People, Owned by 6 Per Cent of Canadians
24 October 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
The Canadian public loves its guns, and has a sizable arsenal to prove it.
According to the Canadian Firearms Centre, there are more than 7.6 million registered firearms in Canada, about one gun for every four Canadians.
More than 1.8 million Canadians - about six per cent of the population - have valid gun licences, with the largest concentrations in Atlantic Canada and the North.
The Yukon stacks up as the most gun-loving area of the country, with more than 84 guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Shooters, Tax Group Urge Tories to Gut Gun Licensing As Well
24 October 2011
CBC News (Canada)
As the federal government prepares to scrap the long gun registry, a number of groups are urging the government not to stop there.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Conservative MP Candice Hoeppner, whose private member's bill to kill the registry nearly passed in the last session of Parliament, are expected to announce the new legislation at an event near Ottawa Tuesday.
The Conservatives tried and failed to get rid of the controversial registry several times over... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Groups Want Some Guns Banned Before Registry Is Scrapped
23 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
After finishing a rotation through Afghanistan with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, 22-year-old Dan Styles is back in Canada, safe and sound with his young family.
When he's not caring for his one-year-old baby daughter, Styles now spends a lot of his personal time at the shooting range near his home at CFB Petawawa, in eastern Ontario. There, he hones the skills he relied on in the field.
"It's practice, practice, practice," he says. "The better you get at it,... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Woman Charged with Trying to Export Assault Rifle Parts to Lebanon
21 October 2011
National Post (Toronto)
MONTREAL — Young and striking in her black hijab, Mouna Diab was once active in a Quebec youth group that fought discrimination against Muslims by challenging the stereotypes that too often associate them with violence and terror.
But the outspoken 26-year-old activist had little to say this week after appearing in a Montreal courtroom to face a charge alleging she had violated a United Nations Security Council arms embargo that prohibits the export of weapons to... (GunPolicy.org)
Airguns Allowed into Canada Easily Converted into Real AK-47, Police Say
20 October 2011
CBC News (Canada)
The RCMP are racing to track down and seize hundreds of replica AK-47 BB guns imported from China that investigators fear can be easily reconfigured into deadly prohibited weapons.
The Mounties launched raids and seizures last week on a number of gun stores in B.C., Ontario, and Quebec. Investigators believe the toys — assembled with authentic parts from the Chinese Type-56 version of the AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle — can be transformed into weapons with a... (GunPolicy.org)
London, Ontario Gun Violence Fear: Toronto's Guns Land Here
19 October 2011
London Free Press (Ontario)
Many come from the U.S. - ripped off, smuggled across the border and often secreted here with the illegal drug trade.
But London also pays for crime in the Big Smoke - Toronto, with many of the illegal guns seized here by police originating in the mega-city as well. As recently as four years ago, four of every 10 guns seized by a special London squad could be traced back to the Toronto area.
But the truth is, illegal weapons scooped off London streets - 441 so far... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Firearm Dealer, Offsider Jailed for Gun Trafficking
18 October 2011
Province (British Columbia)
The son of a cop who was arrested after police found 127 firearms in his vehicle was sentenced Monday to 61/2 years in prison.
Marc Gougeon, a native of Montreal who was living in Vancouver's West End at the time, was convicted in May of trafficking in firearms.
Gougeon, 33, the son of a Montreal police officer, was arrested in September 2006 in Burnaby while driving a rented vehicle with the handguns, all of them semi-automatic weapons with the serial numbers... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Registry a Suicide Prevention Issue, Say Physicians
8 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia), Opinion
Re: Gun killings unaffected by firearm control, Oct. 6
The Conservative's principal argument has been that the provisions of the Gun Control Bill have not been effective as a crime control measure and that the bill victimizes rural, long gun owners.
They conveniently forget that 75 per cent of firearms deaths in Canada are due to suicide. Rural Canadians are overrepresented in this sad statistic and the great majority of these are caused by long guns.
For Canada's... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Control Not Linked to Homicide Rates - Study
5 October 2011
National Post (Toronto)
Criminal record checks, 28-day waiting periods, the long-gun registry: none has done anything to stem Canadian firearm homicide rates, according to a new study by an emergency-medicine academic.
"No significant beneficial associations between firearms legislation and homicide or spousal homicide rates were found," reads the abstract on the study, written by Caillin Langmann, a resident in the division of emergency medicine at McMaster University, and himself a vocal... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Safety Double Standard - Lorne Gunter on Lost Police Guns
5 October 2011
National Post (Toronto), Opinion
Since Bill C-68 became the law of the land more than 15 years ago, one of the most common charges police have laid against gun owners has been for unsafe storage. The reason for this is that the federal firearms law is very unclear about what constitutes safe and unsafe storage.
Is it enough to have one's firearms locked away in a gun safe or must they also have trigger locks installed? How secure must the safe's lock be: strong enough to keep a thief out for two... (GunPolicy.org)
Stepfather Charged After 10-yr Old Shoots, Kills Teen in Canada
4 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Charges have been approved in connection with the shooting death of 17-year-old Fernie resident Michael Voth.
Voth was fatally shot by a 10-year-old boy during a gathering at a home in Jaffray, B.C. on June 16.
Police determined that the child found a shotgun in the home, and accidentally fired it at Voth while he held it in his hands.
Voth was killed instantly.
The owner of the gun, 51-year-old George Lewis Phillips, who is the boy's stepfather, has been charged... (GunPolicy.org)
428 Police Guns Lost or Stolen in Canada, Says Pro-gun Group
30 September 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
A group opposing Canada's firearms registry says it has discovered that 428 guns have gone missing from police forces or other public agencies.
And Canada's National Firearms Association, which obtained the figure through an access-to-information request, said it suggests police are part of the problem of guns falling into the hands of gangsters and other criminals.
"It seems to me there is a little bit of a double standard here," NFA president Sheldon Clare of Prince... (GunPolicy.org)
85% of Gun Suicides Committed with Hunting Rifle in Quebec [Francais]
28 September 2011
La Seigneurie (Canada)
[Translated summary: With automn's arrival, many Quebecers take out their hunting equipment. The Director of Public Health would like to take this opportunity to remind hunters to be vigilant when handling their firearms to ensure their safety and that of their loved ones. Indeed, no less than 85% of suicides and 17% of homicides with firearms in Quebec are committed with a hunting carbine or shotgun.]
Avec l'arrivée de l'automne, de nombreux Montérégiens sortent... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Long-gun Registry on the Block
18 September 2011
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
OTTAWA - The government has long set its sights on scrapping the long-gun registry - a political hot potato that has pitted cities concerned about gun violence against rural areas dependent on hunting and farming.
Attempts to kill the registry have failed because of successive minority governments, but now that the Conservatives have a majority the life expectancy of the registry will be short.
The government wants to exempt hunting rifles and shotguns from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Kills his Parents and Himself with Legally Owned Gun in Quebec
16 September 2011
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
A Gatineau man shot and killed his parents and then shot himself with a handgun that he legally owned, police said Thursday.
Police confirmed Patrick Mongeon-Johnson, 32, used his licensed and registered nine-millimetre handgun to kill his mother and stepfather before turning it on himself at 115 De Saguenay Street on Sept. 7.
An autopsy confirmed Lucie Johnson, 51, and Denis Lagacé, 59, died of gunshot wounds.
A handgun is considered a restricted firearm under... (GunPolicy.org)
College Shooting Revives Debate Over Canadian Gun Registry [Francais]
14 September 2011
CapAcadie.com (Canada), Editorial
[Translated summary: The fifth anniversary of the Dawson College tragedy brings back the debate over the abolition of the firearm registry. The number of homicides in Canada involving a carbine or shotgun has dropped between 1975 and 2006, from 183 to 36. Pure coincidence?]
Il y avait exactement cinq ans hier, un étudiant du Collège Dawson à Montréal ramenait au souvenir des Montréalais et de tous les Canadiens le drame de la Polytechnique: armé d'une arme... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Make Chicago 7 Times More Violent, Deadly Than Next-door Toronto
21 August 2011
Sunday Gazette-Mail (West Virginia), Editorial
Chicago and Toronto are roughly equal in size. Yet Chicago averages 450 gun murders per year, while Toronto has fewer than 60. Why are Chicagoans seven times more violent and deadly than Toronto residents? Maybe it's because Canada has sensible gun control laws.
Chicago's public radio station is airing a series titled "Under the Gun." The first episode featured the contrast with Toronto. Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant said he nearly was impeached by irate... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Chooses Flabby Furball, US States Go for Guns as State Symbols
19 August 2011
Canada.com, Opinion
Know what I like best about Canada's national symbol, the beaver?
It's not imperial. Not for us the American eagle with its razor talons, the British bulldog with its gobful of teeth or the ballsy Gallic rooster that struts symbolically for France.
Canadians chose a docile rodent with buck teeth, a pot belly and a tail that looks like it was run over by a Zamboni. We could have opted for a ferocious wolf, a majestic moose, a mighty bison or a fearsome polar bear.
We... (GunPolicy.org)
All Canadian Women Should Own Guns for Self-protection? - Opinion
17 August 2011
British Columbia Local News (Canada), Opinion
Recently someone suggested for self-protection all Canadian women should own guns, a notion as sane as a daycare handing every 3-year-old a pair of sharp scissors before inviting them to join in a game of tag.
The suggestion stems from the shocking statistic of how many women even in this country are murdered, maimed, beaten, or abused every day often by someone they know.
Current gun laws decree ensuring firearms are unloaded at all times when stored, secured by a ... (GunPolicy.org)
Lack of Guns Makes Riots Safer in London Than in Los Angeles
15 August 2011
Economist, Blog
To an American visiting London, one of the more striking aspects of last week's riots was how few people died. Not including the police shooting death that touched off the original disturbance, five deaths have been attributed to the riots and looting. By contrast, 53 people died in the rioting that followed the acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles in 1992.
At least part, if not most, of the difference is down to the fact that... (GunPolicy.org)
Truck Driver Charged with Smuggling 16 Guns at US-Canada Border
15 August 2011
CJOC News (Alberta)
A 48 year old Canadian man is facing several charges after a large weapons seizure at the Canada/U.S. Border crossing south of Cardston. Kevin Lorne Swanson was arrested when Canada Border Guards found 16 firearms, 10 prohibited magazine clips, and one silencer concealed in crates on a flat-deck trailer at Carway on August 9th. C.B.S.A. Director Kevin Hewson says something just wasn't right about Swanson, as the suspect was nervous, was away from Canada for a long... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Owner, 76, Charged Over Illegal Guns, Drug Trafficking
13 August 2011
St Albert Gazette (Alberta)
A St. Albert senior is facing drug trafficking charges after a search warrant on his home found marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs, 11 rifles and one handgun.
Police raided the home of a 76-year old man at 80 Salisbury Ave. on Friday, Aug. 5, and discovered the extensive cache of drugs and weapons that were put on display Thursday afternoon.
In total, they discovered 133 grams of marijuana, eight grams of crack cocaine and a single gram of powdered cocaine. They... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Canada,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States
US Gun Lobby, Arms Makers Raise Alarm Over UN Global Gun Trade Process
5 August 2011
Fox News (USA)
A controversial U.N. proposed treaty aimed at regulating guns worldwide has been shrouded by confusion and misinformation.
Known informally as the 'Small Arms Treaty,' its detractors have charged the proposed agreement with secretly trying to take guns out of the hands of Americans and circumventing the 2nd Amendment.
While that is unlikely, a working draft proposal obtained by FoxNews.com contains language that some gun advocates say could have a real impact on... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,Brazil,Argentina,Australia,Mexico,United States,Canada,Africa,Sweden,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Canada Gun Lobby Influence on Foreign Policy: Arms Trade Treaty
3 August 2011
Embassy Magazine (Canada), Opinion
Canada has never been a strong supporter of international efforts to negotiate an effective Arms Trade Treaty. But in mid-July, it reversed its previous low-key but constructive role at the United Nations ATT preparatory meetings to become a potential treaty spoiler. All indications point to this change of heart arising from the domestic gun lobby's influence on Canadian foreign policy.
After years of preparation, member states of the United Nations will devote a month... (GunPolicy.org)
Iran,Canada,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
UN Global Arms Trade Treaty Could Dangerously Weaken US Gun Rights
1 August 2011
Albany Democrat-Herald (Oregon), Editorial
For five years the United Nations has been working on a comprehensive treaty to control the international arms trade. The last preparatory meetings were held in New York on July 11-15, and the organization is preparing the final version to be adopted and released for ratification by the member nations in 2012. The process represents a constitutional threat to Americans with, unfortunately, the support of President Obama.
The treaty seeks to control and restrict arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Tracking Guns in Canada - With or Without the Federal Registry
30 July 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
There are ways to track firearms with or without the federal long-gun registry, which is expected to be scrapped this fall:
TRACKING GUNS
Toronto Police Chief William Blair, the current president of Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, wrote federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews on May 19 with a few ideas:
--That the long-gun regis-try's existing data (firearms descriptions, serial numbers, owners' names and addresses) be transferred within the RCMP to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control in Canada: Crime and the Long-gun Registry
30 July 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
MONTREAL - There are two basic crime scenes when it comes to gun violence in Canada. One involves weapons that are traceable - sometimes using the $1 billion long-gun registry that is likely to be scrapped by the Conservative government this fall, as promised. The other - far more common - involves guns that are not traceable because they are not registered, the registration number was erased or the guns used to kill are never found.
The looming question as MPs get set... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-toting Americans Busted at Canadian Border, 6 Firearms Seized
21 July 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Two American tourists spent five days in jail, put up $50,000 each in bail and are facing three years behind bars after border guards seized a small arsenal of firearms at the U.S.-Canada border crossing last week.
Danny Cross, brother-in-law Hugh Barr and their wives were on their way to Alaska to celebrate Cross's wedding anniversary when they were stopped at the Aldergrove-Huntington border on July 11.
Cross is 64 and from Texas; Barr is 70 and from... (GunPolicy.org)
11 Guns Seized Last Week, 75 This Year at Canada's US-BC Border Posts
20 July 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
VANCOUVER - Canadian border officers in B.C. seized 75 firearms so far this year, included 10 loaded handguns.
The seized weapons were mainly from U.S. travelers who failed to declare them, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.
It is illegal to bring undeclared firearms into Canada.
A total of 461 firearms were seized last year at border crossings across Canada, with 141 of those seized at B.C. crossings.
The CBSA provided a list today of the most recent... (GunPolicy.org)
3 Teens and 2 Men Arrested in Toronto on Firearm and Drug Charges
19 July 2011
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
TORONTO - Three teens and two adult men were rounded up as Toronto Police used tips from the public to track down four illegal handguns and ammunition at two homes.
Among the accused are a 17-year-old boy who was banned for 10 years by a court from possessing weapons, and a teen who has two separate court-imposed firearm bans, including a life-time ban, police said Monday.
Det. Rick Proctor of 31 Division said a team of detectives and the Gun and Gang Task Force... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Tries to Exempt 'Hunting Guns' from UN Arms Trade Treaty
15 July 2011
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
OTTAWA - The Canadian government is trying to spare hunting rifles and sporting arms from a United Nations one-size-fits-all international standard to regulate the flow of weapons around the world.
Gun advocates in Canada praised the feds Friday, but gun control advocates and the opposition blasted the move as an irresponsible ploy to hamper the UN's efforts to save lives.
On Thursday, Canadian diplomats at the treaty's preliminary negotiations in New York tried to... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,Oceania,Asia,Americas,Africa,Canada
Canada Tosses Gun Lobby Wrench Into UN Arms Trade Treaty Negotiations
15 July 2011
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
Canada has thrown a wrench into negotiations toward a UN arms-trade treaty by proposing hunting rifles be exempted from the draft accord, gun-control groups say.
But firearms advocates are praising the move, calling it evidence the Harper government is on their side when it comes to gun control.
Preliminary talks on a future Arms Trade Treaty are being held this week at the United Nations in New York. The treaty would establish common international standards for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Consider the Quebec Long-gun Registry Realistically, Not Emotionally
14 July 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
MONTREAL - With a Conservative majority government now ensconced in both houses of Parliament, it is no longer a question of whether a vote to abolish the national long-gun registry will pass.
The question now is when it will happen, and that seems most likely to be this fall.
In light of this impending abolition, the Quebec government is now considering the idea of setting up its own long-gun registry for the province. Public Security Minister Robert Dutil said he... (GunPolicy.org)
Ottawa Firearms Registry and the Pretext of Confidentiality [Francais]
14 July 2011
Cyberpresse (Canada), Opinion
[Translated summary: The Harper Government demonstrates once again of its right-wing ideology along with of its stubbornness when it warns Quebec that it will not share the accumulated data in addition to denying any financial support in the event that it abolishes the firearms register (the hunting long-guns especially) and that Quebec decides to take over creating its own.]
Le gouvernement Harper témoigne encore une fois de son idéologie de droite en même temps... (GunPolicy.org)
Ontario Judges Firing Out Tougher Sentences for Illegal Gun Possession
14 July 2011
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
TORONTO - The era of soft time for gun crimes is officially over.
The time for tougher sentences for thugs packing prohibited and restricted firearms has arrived in Ontario courtrooms.
Lyvon Lambert received the latest and perhaps longest sentence for gun possession in Ontario courts with a nine-year term.
It's only one year below the maximum 10 years imposed by Ottawa in 2008 when Parliament tripled the mandatory minimum sentence for possession of prohibited... (GunPolicy.org)
Provincial Shotgun Registries, 'Foolish' Says Canadian Conservative MP
12 July 2011
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
OTTAWA -- Provinces would be foolish to set up their own gun registry when the national database is scrapped this fall, said the Manitoba Conservative MP who led the charge against the federal long-gun registry last year.
"(The registry) has been proven to be a complete waste of money and a complete waste of effort," Candice Hoeppner said.
"It doesn't combat crime, it certainly doesn't combat violent crime. The registry does nothing to stop individuals from acquiring... (GunPolicy.org)
Ottawa to Provinces: Feel Free to Create Your Own Shotgun Registries
11 July 2011
The Star (Canada) / Canadian Press
MONTREAL—The federal government says it would welcome proposals from any province wishing to set up its own long-gun registry if the Canadian program is eventually abolished.
Ottawa reacted Monday to a report that the Quebec government has a so-called "Plan B" to set up its own registry if the federal program is scrapped.
"Quebec or any of the provinces are free to move forward with any proposals within their jurisdictions," said Michael Patton, a spokesman for... (GunPolicy.org)
Long Gun Registry: Quebec Will Have to Do Without Ottawa [Francais]
11 July 2011
Radio Canada / CP
[Translated summary: If Quebec wants to build a Provincial Long Gun Registry, it will have to do without Ottawa, said the Canadian Ministry for Public Safety. The Federal Ministry added that it will not provide financial support and will not share data from its Registry.]
Québec ne pourra pas compter sur l'aide du gouvernement fédéral s'il veut mettre sur pied son propre registre d'armes d'épaule lorsqu'Ottawa abolira le sien, comme il s'est engagé à le... (GunPolicy.org)
If Tories Scrap Canada's Gun Registry, Quebec Ponders Having Its Own
10 July 2011
CBC News (Canada) / CP
Quebec is considering the idea of having its own long-gun registry if the federal government scraps the current version.
Public Security Minister Robert Dutil told The Canadian Press that civil servants are considering a so-called "plan B" — a provincial registry — if the Conservatives deliver on their promise to ditch the federal one.
"Certainly the people in the department have been told to look at all possibilities and to see how we could react to any number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Loosens Restrictions on Carrying Guns in Polar Bear Territories
7 July 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
OTTAWA — Canada may not have the second amendment, but the government will soon allow some people to bear arms in national parks with polar bears.
Parks Canada announced it will be loosening restrictions in nine of its parks to allow specially licensed individuals to carry firearms for protection from polar bears. At the moment, there are significant restrictions on who may carry firearms in national parks.
"There's lots of places where people should never be in... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,Bulgaria,Russia,West Africa,Pakistan,France,Australia,United Kingdom,Canada,Germany,Italy,United States,Haiti,Côte d'Ivoire,Madagascar
Study Finds Small Arms Have Serious Impact on Fragile States
6 July 2011
Voice of America
A new study finds the global authorized trade in small arms, light weapons, and their ammunition is worth nearly $7.1 billion a year. In its annual report, the independent think tank, the Geneva Forum, also examines the serious impact small arms proliferation is having upon three so-called fragile states-Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Haiti.
Arms exporters
The survey finds in 2008, the United States, Italy and Germany topped the list of 14 top exporters of small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian 12yr-old Boy Facing Charges for Illegal Handgun Possession
4 July 2011
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
A 12-year-old boy is facing six charges after a loaded illegal handgun was allegedly found in his bedroom in Toronto.
The owner of the house where the child lives called police after finding a loaded P-11 Luger 9 mm gun. When discovered, the gun was wrapped up in the boy's pajama bottoms, police said.
The boy lives with his parents near Lansdowne Avenue and Queen Street West.
"We are concerned that a 12-year-old boy was in possession of a firearm and we take this... (GunPolicy.org)
Debates over Gun Control Laws are Ongoing in Canada and US
2 July 2011
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba), Opinion
The debates over gun laws that are ongoing in Canada and the United States take place in quite different contexts. In Canada, owners of long guns wonder why they are being persecuted by a law passed by a Liberal government that had been intimidated years ago by feminists after one lunatic killed several women in the so-called Montreal massacre. Two minority Conservative governments tried to repeal that law, but were stymied by an opposition centred in Ontario and... (GunPolicy.org)
