Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Canada's Vision of Gun Control
18 April 2021
Bloomberg Opinion
At the same time that President Joe Biden was unveiling his plans this month to attack epidemic gun violence with all the tangential minimalism that U.S. law and politics can muster, I was 20 miles north of the U.S.-Canadian border watching what happens when people, and a nation, treat guns as if they might be dangerous.
In a small, carpeted classroom in Delta, British Columbia, a dozen of us filed in for the first of two days of classes — 15 hours in all —... (GunPolicy.org)
Optional Gun Buyback Programs Miss Mark: Expert
15 February 2021
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The Trudeau government is expected to introduce gun-control legislation this week that gives owners the choice of keeping recently outlawed firearms under strict conditions instead of turning them in for compensation.
However a gun-control expert who has studied buyback initiatives says optional programs, as opposed to compulsory ones, have a greater chance of missing the mark of making communities safer.
"The empirical evidence, the studies, show that a... (GunPolicy.org)
Forthcoming ASW Buyback Campaign and Ban in Canada
11 February 2021
CBC News (Canada)
Voluntary program will provide compensation to gun owners who give up firearms on blacklist
The Liberal government is expected to table a bill in the coming days that will set up a program to buy back assault-style weapons that were blacklisted last spring, Radio-Canada has learned.
The voluntary program will provide financial compensation to gun owners who give up their banned weapons, with the aim of taking them out of circulation.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Bans Civilian Ownership of Assault Weapons After Mass Shooting
1 May 2020
New York Times
Nearly two weeks after the deadliest mass shooting in Canada's history, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday introduced an immediate ban on what he described as "military-style assault weapons."
"These weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time," Mr. Trudeau said. "There is no use and no place for such weapons in Canada."
The ban means that Canadians will no longer be able to own... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
604 Homicides in Canada in 2015
24 November 2016
Highbury Clock (UK)
According to a report issued Wednesday by Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan reported the highest homicide rate in the country in 2015, with 3.79 per 100,000 people.
Saskatoon came in second with a rate of 3.22.
Quebec is among the provinces with the lowest provincial homicide rate - 0.93 per 100,000 people - while Saskatchewan has the highest rate: 3.79 per 100,000 people.
Despite this increase over 2014, the homicide rate in Canada in 2015 remains below the average... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control 'Eroded' in Canada, Now More Guns on the Streets
20 November 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Weakened gun laws and how they're enforced have led to a spike in the number of restricted firearms in the hands of Canadians — and ultimately in hands of criminals, a leading gun-control advocate says.
Wendy Cukier, president of the Coalition for Gun Control, said relaxed licensing processes and legislative changes under the past Conservative government "eroded strict controls" that limited access to certain firearms.
The number of restricted firearms — a... (GunPolicy.org)
Half of Toronto's Crime Guns Come from Local Dealers, Owners
19 November 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Danny Santapaga, a self-employed financial adviser, bought 14 guns on 10 different occasions over seven months.
Plumber Graham Jovanovic purchased nine firearms over five weeks. University student Justin Green obtained 23 handguns during a 22-month period, including 15 from one store. Security guard Andrew Winchester acquired 47 handguns in a six-month buying binge.
These Toronto men have no apparent connection to one another. But they share a common thread.
Each... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 1,000 Guns Surrendered During Amnesty in B.C., Canada
10 November 2016
Times-Colonist (British Columbia)
More than 1,000 guns are off the streets after a province-wide gun amnesty allowed people to turn in their firearms, no questions asked.
The province, the RCMP and municipal departments are to announce the results of the October gun amnesty at a press conference today in Surrey. Central Saanich Police Chief Les Sylven, president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, said Wednesday that more than 1,000 firearms had been turned in.
Nanaimo RCMP recovered 44... (GunPolicy.org)
Hundreds of Guns Turned In so Far During Amnesty in Canada
21 October 2016
Metro News (Canada)
Two weeks in and police departments throughout British Columbia have already collected hundreds of firearms during October's gun amnesty month.
The gun amnesty drive allows people to contact local police and dispose of any unwanted registered or unregistered weapons without the fear of prosecution, as long as they have not been used in a criminal offence.
During the first two weeks of the initiative, BC RCMP said more than 480 firearms and replicas have been turned... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Saw 50% Increase in Shootings So Far This Year [FR]
17 October 2016
Journal de Montreal, Agence QMI
[Translated summary: Over 325 shootings have been reported in 2016 in Toronto, an increase of 52% in relation to 2015. According to the police, there have been 54 homicides and 30 people killed by guns. In 2015 there were 18 gun victims and a total of 39 homicides.]
TORONTO -- La mort d'un adolescent de 17 ans, abattu de sang froid dans une pizzeria dimanche, a rappelé que la violence par arme à feu a grandement augmenté depuis le début de l'année à... (GunPolicy.org)
Ottawa Gangs Responsible for Half the Shootings This Year [FR]
16 October 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated summary: According to police sources, there are 435 gang members in Ottawa and they are responsible for 25 of the 54 shootings that happened so far this year. Police say most of them use hunting rifles or poor quality guns that can be used only once. Some revolvers and automatic weapons are imported from the US and resold on the streets.]
Certains sont de petits voleurs à peine sortis de l'adolescence. D'autres, des criminels de carrière, qui dirigent des... (GunPolicy.org)
In Buyback, Halifax Police Swap 152 Guns for Bus Tickets [FR]
4 October 2016
ICI Radio Canada
[Translated summary: Halifax regional municipality states that its gun amnesty program has been a success. In two weeks police collected 152 firearms, 123 of which were long guns, 18 handguns and 11 pellet guns. Owners who gave up their arms received 50 bus tickets.]
La Municipalité régionale d'Halifax affirme que son plus récent programme d'amnistie pour les armes à feu illégales a été couronné de succès. En deux semaines, du 12 au 23 septembre, la police... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada: 152 Guns Swapped for Bus Tickets in Halifax Amnesty
3 October 2016
CBC News (Canada)
Halifax is declaring its latest gun amnesty campaign a success after the two-week program saw 152 guns turned over to police for safe disposal.
Through the Fares for Firearm program, people were given 50 bus tickets — a $100 value — in exchange for their unwanted guns.
"I believe that with these weapons off the streets, it certainly increases the safety at large for the Halifax Regional Municipality," said Ted Upshaw, a public safety advisor with the city.
Out... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Terror Suspect Had Firearm Licence, Kept Buying Guns
30 September 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
MONTREAL — A young Montreal man suspected of having gone to Syria and adhering to "extremist Islamist" ideologies was able to keep his firearms licence for years and to legally purchase semi-automatic rifles while he was the subject of a terrorism investigation by the RCMP, a La Presse investigation has found.
The case of Samy Nefkha Bahri raises numerous questions about the control of firearms in Canada and the communication between police forces.
The police... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Terror Suspect Kept Gun Licence, Got More Guns [FR]
29 September 2016
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: A young man from Montreal who was suspected of having gone to Syria and adhering to 'extremist Islamist' ideologies was able to keep his firearm licence for several years. He also legally bought semi-automatic rifles while he was being investigated by the RCMP (federal police).]
Un jeune Montréalais soupçonné d'être allé en Syrie et d'adhérer à des idéologies « extrémistes islamistes » a réussi à conserver son permis d'armes à feu... (GunPolicy.org)
Ottawa Logs 49th Shooting, 13th Homicide so Far this Year
27 September 2016
CBC News (Canada)
With three months left in 2016, the number of shootings in Ottawa has already reached 49, matching the record-breaking tally set in 2014.
The record was matched early Monday morning, according to police. Twenty-five of the 49 shootings have involved victims who were struck by bullets, and charges have been laid in 11 of the 49 cases, according to guns and gangs unit Staff Sgt. Ian McDonell.
Meanwhile there have been 13 homicides so far in 2016, two of which occurred... (GunPolicy.org)
With 49 Shootings So Far This Year Ottawa Matches Record [FR]
26 September 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated summary: Ottawa police confirm that the shooting of last Monday was the 49th in the year. The city now registers the same number of shootings as in 2014, a record year.]
Le Service de police d'Ottawa (SPO) confirme qu'une 49e fusillade a eu lieu sur son territoire tôt lundi matin. La capitale nationale enregistre maintenant le même nombre d'incidents impliquant une arme à feu qu'en 2014, laquelle était une année record.
Vers 1 h 20 lundi matin, les... (GunPolicy.org)
Growth Industry for US Gun Owners: Shooting People Insurance
26 September 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
WASHINGTON — James Cook, father of two young girls, has insurance for a house fire, insurance for a car accident, insurance for a health problem.
For the last two years, he has also had insurance for shooting someone.
Cook, a 32-year-old defence lawyer in Colorado, has no plans to shoot anyone. But he is armed with a concealed handgun everywhere he goes except court, and he wants to be prepared for the minuscule possibility he will have to fire it in... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Offer Gun Amnesty, Free Home Pickup in Canada
22 September 2016
CTV News (Toronto)
Families across B.C. with unwanted guns and other weapons in their homes are being given a chance to give them up, no questions asked, for the month of October.
Police announced the amnesty program on Thursday, promising immunity for anyone who wants to turn in their documented or undocumented firearms.
"We recognize that some law-abiding British Columbians may find themselves in possession of firearms and other weapons that they're not legally entitled to," said... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Arrest Man Found With Loaded Rifle in Canadian Airport
19 September 2016
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
ABBOTSFORD — Police in Abbotsford, B.C., say a man has been arrested after being found in an airport washroom with a loaded rifle.
Const. Ian MacDonald with the Abbotsford Police Department says the man had an interaction with staff at a car rental kiosk that caused airport staff to call police on Sunday afternoon.
He says the man had a rifle bag over his shoulder during the interaction.
Police responded and found a 28-year-old man with a loaded SKS rifle and... (GunPolicy.org)
New Measures on Gun Control Coming Soon in Canada [FR]
13 September 2016
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: Reporters asked Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale if he is going to act to ban certain firearms, especially one Beretta rifle that resembles the CX4 Storm but is slightly modified to fit the non-restricted category, making it available to anyone with a regular licence. Goodale stated that he will present in the next few weeks new propositions to reinforce gun laws.]
Alors que la journée de mardi marque les 10 ans depuis la fusillade au... (GunPolicy.org)
As Assault Weapons Surge, Canada Drafts Tougher Gun Laws
13 September 2016
National Post (Toronto)
OTTAWA — The drafting of tougher gun laws has begun, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Tuesday on the day marking the 10th anniversary of the rampage at Montreal's Dawson College by a man firing a semi-automatic assault carbine still sold legally today.
Pressed by reporters as he headed into a cabinet meeting, Goodale deflected questions about the continued sale in Canada of the Beretta Cx4 Storm semi-automatic carbine, the restricted weapon used by Kimveer... (GunPolicy.org)
88% Increase in American Guns Seized at Canada Border [FR]
11 September 2016
Le Rempart (Canada)
[Translated summary: Between 2011 and 2015, the number of arms seized in the border posts of Southern Ontario has gone from 128 to 241. After an increase in Americans trying to enter Canada with their guns, the Border Services Agency launched a campaign to remind them of the rules: to avoid seizure, owners have to declare their guns before entering, leave them at the US border and retrieve them when they go back.]
La Région du sud de l'Ontario, telle que définie par... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory Minister's Secret Directive Lifted Gun Bans in Canada
9 September 2016
CBC News (Canada)
Former public safety minister Steven Blaney issued a secret directive in the dying days of the Conservative government that opened the door for firearms to be classified according to a gun manufacturer's suggestion, CBC News has learned.
Responding to complaints from firearms advocates and the industry, Blaney's directive gave the RCMP 180 days to evaluate a gun, decide its classification and issue the Firearms Reference Table (FRT) number needed to import that model... (GunPolicy.org)
Amnesty Exchanges Guns for Bus Tickets in Canada [FR]
7 September 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated summary: From September 12 to 23, citizens of Halifax, Canada, will be able to exchange a firearm for 50 bus tickets. City councillor Ted Upshaw has made the proposition in reaction to a series of shootings that affected the city in spring. There have been 5 gun homicides so far this year. The last amnesty in 2009 retrieved 1,074 firearms.]
La Ville d'Halifax approuve son programme d'amnistie pour les armes à feu illégales. Du 12 au 23 septembre, il sera... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian City Mulls Gun Amnesty to Slow Armed Violence
4 September 2016
CBC News (Canada)
If you had a gun, would you trade it in for 50 bus tickets? That's part of a proposed amnesty program Halifax regional council will consider Tuesday.
The proposal comes following gun violence in the Halifax area this past spring. There have been nine homicides in HRM in 2016 so far — at least five of those killings involved guns.
How it would work
The report said the program would run for two weeks — between Sept. 12 and Sept. 23 — and it would give people the... (GunPolicy.org)
More 'Assault Rifle' Firearm Models Join Police Guns in Canada
3 September 2016
Guns (USA)
Canadian police are integrating the controversial AR-15 into the hands of patrol officers as firearm related crimes more than triple in some provinces.
According to several Canadian news outlets, the cities of Winnipeg, Regina and Toronto steadily added the carbine to their arsenal for use in high risk vehicle stops and home entries this year.
"We're seeing stuff we haven't seen before," Sgt. Derek Lamer told the Regina Leader-Post. "We've gone to gun calls and (the... (GunPolicy.org)
9.5% Increase in Number of Restricted Firearms in Canada [ES]
2 September 2016
Radio Canada International
[Translated summary: The number of restricted firearms in Canada, such as semiautomatic rifles and handguns, increased 9.5% last year. In 2015, there were 795,854 registered restricted firearms, while in 2004 there were 384,888. Experts claim that fear of terrorism and the American gun culture are elements that contribute to the increase in ownership in the country.]
El número de armas restringidas en Canadá "se disparó" en un 9.5% el año pasado, llevando el... (GunPolicy.org)
Semi-automatic Rifles, Handguns More Popular in Canada [FR]
2 September 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated summary: The increase in the amount of restricted firearms (handguns and semi-automatic rifles) last year in Canada is particularly pronounced in Newfoundland and Labrador. According to the expert A. J. Somerset, Canadian owners are purchasing more of these firearms in fear of terrorism.]
La hausse du nombre d'armes à feu à autorisation restreinte en Atlantique est particulièrement prononcée à Terre-Neuve-Labrador, selon les données 2015 du... (GunPolicy.org)
Number of Restricted Guns Rose 9.5% Last Year in Canada
2 September 2016
Huffington Post (Canada)
The number of restricted guns in Canada shot up 9.5 per cent last year, bringing the number of restricted firearms registered across the country to its highest point in more than a decade.
Since 2004, the number of restricted firearms such as semi-automatic rifles and handguns in Canada has doubled.
According to the latest report of Canada's Commissioner of Firearms, there were 795,854 restricted firearms registered to Canadian owners in 2015 compared with 384,888 in... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Border Post Seizes 11 American Guns in 1 Day [FR]
1 September 2016
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: Canada Border Services Agency has seized 11 American undeclared weapons, one of them an assault rifle, in only one day and at one inspection post. Three travellers had to appear in court in relation to these seizures. Last year, the Agency seized 297 undeclared guns, most of them coming from or going to Alaska.]
L'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada (ASFC) a saisi en moins de 24 heures, à un seul poste-frontière albertain, onze armes à... (GunPolicy.org)
Americans, Don't Bring Your Guns to Canada - Border Police
22 August 2016
CBC News (Canada)
Dear Americans;
You're more than welcome to visit Canada, but for goodness sake, leave your guns at home.
That's the message from the Canada Border Services Agency on Monday as it launched a firearms awareness campaign, reminding U.S. travellers coming to Canada that their northern neighbour's firearms laws are strict.
Canadian laws are different than U.S. ones, the agency reiterated in a news release.
The CBSA says most firearms seized at land border crossings are... (GunPolicy.org)
The AR-15 Will Remain a Restricted Weapon in Canada [FR]
18 August 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated summary: The Trudeau government has officially said no to a petition signed by 25,249 Canadians and sponsored by a conservative party member. The petition demanded the declassification of the AR-15 assault rifle rifle as a restricted weapon in order to be able to use it legally for hunting.]
Le gouvernement Trudeau a officiellement dit non aux signataires d'une pétition qui réclamait la déclassification d'un fusil d'assaut semblable à celui qui a été... (GunPolicy.org)
By the Numbers: Guns, Licensing, Registration in Canada
14 August 2016
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
Gun Facts by the Numbers
2,026,011 – firearms licences in Canada, 2015
795,854 – registered [and] restricted firearms in Canada
182,493 – registered prohibited firearms, which can be "grandfathered"
Source: RCMP Canadian Firearms Program
[RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Lose 60 Pistols, Rifles, Machine Gun in Canada [FR]
7 August 2016
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: Between 2008 and March 2016, agents of the Canadian Mounted Police have lost 48 firearms. Another 12 were stolen from them. Types include rifles, shotguns, pistols and one machine gun. Police must store their arms safely; they can face criminal charges if they are responsible for the loss or theft.]
Une adolescente de Winnipeg atteinte par balle a frôlé la mort l'an dernier. Le pistolet de son assaillant s'est révélé être une arme de service... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Murder Attempts with Guns Increased 22% in 2015 [FR]
20 July 2016
VOA Afrique
[Translated summary: According to Canada Statistics, the rate of violent crimes has increased 6% in 2015 with more homicides, murder attempts and offences with firearms, specially in the western provinces. Murder attempts with firearms have increased 22%.]
Le taux de criminalité au Canada s'est aggravé l'an dernier, après une atténuation pendant une décennie, sous l'effet notamment d'une recrudescence de l'usage d'armes à feu, a indiqué mercredi l'institut de... (GunPolicy.org)
Fewer Than One in Five Canadians Say They Own a Gun
6 July 2016
CNews (Canada)
Less than 20% of Canadians say they own a gun, according to a new poll.
A Forum Research poll of 1,429 Canadians provided exclusively to the Toronto Sun found Ontario sits near the bottom of the pack of provinces when it comes to firearms ownership.
Overall, just 17% of those surveyed said they owned a gun of any kind. Less than one in 10 say they own a handgun.
In Ontario, just 15% said they owned a firearm of any kind and only British Columbia had a lower level of... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Like the AR-15 Are Tougher to Get in Canada
28 June 2016
CBC News (Canada)
Weapons like the AR-15 are more difficult to obtain in Canada than in the U.S., according to P.E.I.'s director of public safety.
"I think the gun culture in Canada is much different than the gun culture in the U.S. from what we see in media and what's reported," said Aaron Campbell.
"The interest in the safety of the public is something that is well-considered under the federal Firearms Act to ensure that communities are safe."
There are 1,297 restricted firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Province Collected 5,000 Guns in Amnesties 2006-13
16 June 2016
CTV News (Toronto)
For one month this fall, British Columbians are being given a chance to turn in old guns – including restricted and prohibited firearms – to ensure they never make it into the hands of criminals.
The province-wide amnesty program was announced Thursday by the Ministry of Public Safety, which said people will be welcome to unload any unwanted guns, other weapons and ammunition for the entire month of October.
"Stemming the flow of illegal weapons to gangs and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Lobby Wants Restrictions Eased on AR-15 Rifle
16 June 2016
Washington Post
OTTAWA – The timing for Canadian gun enthusiasts couldn't have been much worse. Just a few weeks ago, they presented an online petition to Canada's Parliament urging the government to loosen its severe restrictions on the AR-15 rifle.
More than 25,000 Canadians signed the petition from a group calling itself the Lawful Firearm Owners of Canada urging the government to take the AR-15 off the list of officially "restricted" firearms and allow it to be used for hunting.... (GunPolicy.org)
Québec to Replace Firearm Registry Trashed by Feds [FR]
9 June 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated Summary: Starting in 2018, Quebec will have its own firearm registry. The new law states that all firearms on Quebec territory must be registered with a unique number and recorded in a file. The measure has not been well received by everyone, specially in the rural regions where there are many hunters.]
Le projet de loi 64 sur l'immatriculation des armes à feu a été adopté jeudi, en fin de journée, à l'Assemblée nationale du Québec. Il vise à... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Confronts Worst Gun Death Toll in More Than a Decade
8 June 2016
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Toronto is on track to record its worst year for gun deaths in more than a decade.
Not since 2005, dubbed "The Year of the Gun," have more Toronto residents died by a bullet at such a pace.
This year's first homicide came on Jan. 4, when 17-year-old Joseph Petit was shot dead minutes after beginning a conversation with two men who showed up at his home in the Victoria and Danforth Aves. area.
His mother, Ana Pavao, found her son lying on the street near their... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizures at US-Canada Border Rose 42% in Past 4 Years
7 June 2016
Global News (Canada)
The number of guns seized at the Canada-U.S. border have increased steadily over the last four years, statistics provided by the Canada Border Services Agency show.
The count of total firearms seized and the number of total seizures (which can involve multiple firearms) all rose between 2011 and 2016.
Total seizures were up 42 per cent over the four-year period, and seizures of individual guns up 18 per cent.
Over the same period, Toronto has seen an alarming rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
300 Undeclared Guns from Alaska Seized at Canadian Border
3 June 2016
Juneau Empire, Associated Press
KETCHIKAN — Canadian officials are asking Alaska residents to leave their guns stateside before traveling.
The Canadian Border Service Agency seized about 300 undeclared firearms from travelers in 2015, with more than half coming from travelers crossing into Canada from Alaska, The Ketchikan Daily News reported (http://bit.ly/1ZfUsOT).
"Many of these travelers faced criminal charges and/or a monetary penalty that could have been avoided by simply declaring the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Authorises Assault Rifles Banned by RCMP [FR]
18 May 2016
Huffington Post (Canada)
[Translated summary: In 2014, the RCMP banned certain types of semi-automatic guns, judging them easy to transform into automatic rifles. Now Ottawa has invalidated this measure, using a new law that allows the government to go beyond police decisions.]
Quelques jours avant de déclencher les élections, le gouvernement Harper a infirmé la décision de la GRC de prohiber certains types d'armes semi-automatiques, comme la carabine CZ-858 utilisée par Richard Henry... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Owners Fund Public Awareness Campaign
17 May 2016
Market Wired
OTTAWA -- For the first time in Canadian history, licensed firearm owners are taking their message directly to the Canadian public. The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), a non-profit, member funded organization has sponsored a national public awareness campaign to provide accurate information regarding Canada's gun control system. "The campaign is designed simply to teach Canadians about the laws and regulations we currently have in Canada and the impact... (GunPolicy.org)
Re-creation of Québec Firearm Registry Moves Forward [FR]
11 May 2016
Info Dimanche
[Translated summary: A firearm registry bill received a majority of votes in the National Assembly of Quebec. Statistics show that firearm registration reduces the number of suicides, injuries, deaths and crime. Hunters will have to register their guns again.]
Le mardi 10 mai dernier, la mise en place d'un registre d'immatriculation des armes à feu a franchi une étape importante à l'Assemblée nationale du Québec lorsque 103 députés ont voté en faveur du... (GunPolicy.org)
Surprise Police Visits Find 500 Illegal Guns in Canadian City
4 May 2016
Vancouver Sun
Surrey RCMP is safeguarding 500 firearms and 3,000 rounds of ammunition after visiting licensed owners whose registrations for their prohibited and restricted guns expired more than a decade ago.
Most of the people visited last month asked police to hold on to the guns "while they complete the proper requirements needed to re-register their firearms," Sgt. Alanna Dunlop said Wednesday.
Those owners will have 90 days to get the paperwork started or they'll lose the... (GunPolicy.org)
1.6 Million Guns, 420,737 Licensed Gun Owners in Québec [FR]
27 April 2016
Le Reflet (Canada)
[Translated summary: Between 2010 and 2015, Roussillon police seized 700 firearms. Most of them were seized as a preventive action, in cases where the owner might be a danger to themselves or to others. In Québec, there are 1,654,239 non-restricted firearms and 420,737 license holders.]
Entre 2010 et 2015, la Régie intermunicipale de police Roussillon a saisi 700 armes, révèlent des données obtenues par Le Reflet en vertu de la Loi d'accès à... (GunPolicy.org)
Poll Shows 69% of Quebecers Favour Rebuilt Gun Registry
27 April 2016
Canadian Press, CBC News (Canada)
A new survey conducted for a gun-control advocacy group suggests that two-thirds of Quebecers are in favour of the registration of long guns.
Leger's poll for PolySeSouvient comes as provincial lawmakers study Bill 64, which, if passed, would create Canada's only provincial long-gun registry.
The survey, a copy of which was provided to The Canadian Press, found that 69 per cent of those polled were in favour of a registry, versus 26 per cent who were opposed. Five per... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Still Needs to Ratify the Arms Trade Treaty
25 April 2016
Open Canada, Opinion
Canada's leadership in banning landmines greatly impacted the international community. As a young adult, Amani Saini witnessed the effect first hand. Now, she asks: can we regain our role in the fight against illicit arms?
One August, more than 10 years ago, back when I was in secondary school, I sat on a stage in an auditorium in Kyoto, Japan, as a representative of Canada, at the closing ceremony of the international Ban Landmines! conference.
After delivering his... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Crime Makes Halifax One of Canada's Most Deadly Cities
25 April 2016
Chronicle Herald (Nova Scotia), Editorial
Halifax has a serious violence problem related to guns, young guys and the drug culture.
More serious than in most other Canadian cities. More like many American inner cities, with their cult of guns and their culture of gang-fodder violence. Young men settling scores, chasing status and killing each other with guns.
That message was delivered two years ago in a review by criminologist Don Clairmont of his 2008 report into Halifax violence and public safety.
Looking... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Has a Gun Problem: 80% of Gun Deaths Not Crimes
16 April 2016
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
Canada has a gun problem. These five words are sure to inflame passions and set off intense disagreement among some Canadians. This is because the words challenge many Canadians' view of themselves and what they believe to be their level-headed approach to firearm ownership.
After all, when it comes to guns, Canada is a haven of calm, social liberalism, isn't it? One that stands in stark contrast to the violent world of the neighbouring United States. It's a view... (GunPolicy.org)
Secret Gun Amnesty Programme in Surrey, Canada
11 April 2016
News 1130 (Vancouver)
SURREY – More than 100 weapons have been turned in to police as part of a secret amnesty program by the RCMP. The program has been operating quietly for weeks.
There have been more than 30 reports of shots fired in Surrey so far this year. In a move to tackle this situation Mounties have been offering amnesty to various people allowing them to turn over their illegal weapons without any criminal penalty.
"We're actually recruiting those that we know we should be... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Conservative MP Calls for Gun Amnesty Program
7 April 2016
CTV News (Vancouver)
Surrey parents who discover their children are keeping a gun in the house should be able to turn the weapon over to police worry-free, according to the city's former mayor.
Dianne Watts, now a Conservative MP, is calling for a temporary amnesty program that would encourage parents to help get firearms off the streets.
The details haven't been worked out, but Watts said parents who hand over guns could be assured their children won't be charged for having them. She... (GunPolicy.org)
Québec: Bill to Impose Mandatory Gun Registration [FR]
5 April 2016
Institute National de Santé Publique Québec (Canada)
[Translated summary: In Québec, suicide is the leading gun-related cause of death. Between 2009 and 2013, an average of 127 people died annually as a result of gun suicide - most of them men in their own homes. Bill No. 64 aims to make the registration of firearms mandatory again.]
Les enjeux liés à l'accès aux armes à feu vont bien au-delà de leur utilisation dans le cadre d'activités criminelles. L'accessibilité aux armes à feu constitue un facteur de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute National de Santé Publique Québec (Canada)
Quebec: Firearms Registration to Prevent Suicides [FR]
18 March 2016
Le Devoir (Quebec)
[Translated summary: Three suicides are committed every day in Québec (Canada). The mere presence of a firearm in a house multiplies by five the risk of suicide risks and nearly a third of persons using a firearm to commit suicide are not firearm owners, according to the president of the Quebec Suicide Prevention Association.]
Trois suicides sont commis chaque jour au Québec, alors qu'il s'agit d'une cause de décès évitable. L'une des mesures les plus efficaces... (GunPolicy.org)
Petition Against Firearm Registry for Québec Province [FR]
29 February 2016
Droit Inc, La Presse Canadienne
[Translated summary: A petition asks the Québec government not to re-create its own firearm registry, after the destruction of the Federal Long Gun Registry.]
Après avoir tenu plusieurs manifestations à travers le Québec ces dernières semaines, le mouvement "Tous contre un registre québécois des armes à feu" s'apprête à remettre une pétition de plusieurs dizaines de milliers de signatures au premier ministre Philippe Couillard.
La pétition, qui peut être... (GunPolicy.org)
Restricted Guns Up 82% in Canada Under Tory Government
11 February 2016
iPolitics (Canada)
The number of restricted firearms across Canada rose more than 82 per cent while Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in power, with the sharpest increase after the Conservatives formed a majority government.
The increase is found in calculations made by iPolitics from statistics found in several reports of the federal Commissioner of Firearms, which released its 2014 report last month.
One of the biggest increases was in Alberta, where the number of restricted guns rose... (GunPolicy.org)
A Comment on Canada and the UN Arms Trade Treaty
2 February 2016
Upfront Ottawa, Opinion
The Arms Trade Treaty was approved by the UN General Assembly on 2 April 2013
United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs – Strengthening Peace and Security through Disarmament
Trudeau-Dion Foreign Policy is more than formally agreeing to the UN Arms Treaty or seeking seats on the UN Security Council. It requires principled action on the "World Stage."
The United Nations, according to its mandate, is working "worldwide" to try and improve the lives and livelihoods... (GunPolicy.org)
Popularity of Restricted Firearms Jumps 75% in Canada [FR]
26 January 2016
ICI Radio Canada
[Translated summary: After 2010, the number of restricted gun owners in Canada jumped 75%. Restricted guns are any handguns that are not banned and any firearms that can fire in semi-automatic mode. Currently, restricted gun owners can use them only in authorised shooting clubs.]
Les Canadiens sont de plus en plus amateurs d'armes à feu à autorisation restreinte, qui comprennent notamment les armes de poing. Au Canada, depuis 2010, le nombre de détenteurs de permis... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada: Four Dead in Separate Killings at School, Home
23 January 2016
Guardian
Four people have been killed and at least two others injured in shootings at a school and a property in northern Canada that prime minister Justin Trudeau described as "every parent's worst nightmare".
The gunman is suspected of first shooting his two brothers at home before opening fire at the remote community high school in La Loche, Saskatchewan, a family friend and the town's acting mayor said on Friday.
The school was sealed off and one male was later taken into... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Killed in Mass Shooting at a School in Canada
23 January 2016
BBC News
Police say a male suspect is now in custody and children have been moved to safety after the shootings at La Loche Community School and another location.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said earlier that five people had been killed, but this was later corrected.
The school shooting was "every parent's worst nightmare", Mr Trudeau said. "The community is reeling."
Mr Trudeau, who was speaking in Davos, Switzerland, also praised "the first responders who acted quickly and... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,United Kingdom,New Zealand,Canada
How a Conservative-Led Australia Ended Mass Gun Killings
4 December 2015
New York Times
In the continuing debate over how to stop mass killings in the United States, Australia has become a familiar touchstone.
President Obama has cited the country's gun laws as a model for the United States, calling Australia a nation "like ours." On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton has said the Australian approach is "worth considering." The National Rifle Association has dismissed the policies, contending that they "robbed Australians of their right to self-defense... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,United States,Canada,United Kingdom
US Political Debate About Australian-Style Gun Laws
20 October 2015
Sydney Morning Herald
Asked about Hillary Clinton's suggestion that the United States consider Australian-style gun laws, one of the country's leading gun industry champions laughed.
"You've got to ask yourself how much the NRA paid the Clinton Foundation to get her to say that," Richard Feldman, a former National Rifle Association lobbyist said.
"Forget gold, that comment is worth its weight in platinum."
Australia has been raised again in the US debate over guns in the wake of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Canada,Mexico,Australia,United Kingdom,Russia,China,South Africa,United States,Israel,Norway,Finland,Germany,Switzerland
Three European Countries Lead US in Mass Shootings: WSJ
3 October 2015
Wall Street Journal
The latest U.S. shooting that ended in the deaths of 10 people at an Oregon college last week is reigniting calls for tighter gun laws and prompting comparisons to gun violence in other countries.
President Barack Obama asked why Americans can't follow the example of the U.K. and Australia. They crafted laws that "almost eliminate mass shootings," he said. "We know there are ways to prevent it."
Adam Lankford, an associate professor at the University of Alabama... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Federal Govt Can Destroy the Long Gun Registry
27 March 2015
TVA Nouvelles (Montréal)
[Translated summary: The Supreme Court of Canada has concluded that the Federal Government has the right to destroy data in the long gun registry.]
Le gouvernement fédéral a le droit de détruire les données du registre des armes d'épaule, a conclu la Cour suprême du Canada dans une décision très serrée à 5 juges contre 4.
Les trois magistrats québécois ont cependant exprimé leur dissidence devant la décision de la majorité.
Le plus haut tribunal du... (GunPolicy.org)
27 March 2015
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: 7,9 millions registered firearms in Canada before the destruction of the Long Gun Register]
OTTAWA - Le dernier round du combat entre Québec et Ottawa sur le registre des armes d'épaule doit se terminer aujourd'hui avec la décision de la Cour suprême du Canada qui tranchera si le gouvernement Harper est habilité à détruire les données québécoises du registre malgré l'opposition de la province. Sept questions pour mieux comprendre le... (GunPolicy.org)
Big Demand for Crime Guns in Canada
22 June 2014
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The men hugging each other in a Windsor bar looked like old friends catching up, but the police trailing them knew better.
Investigators say they were at Rack n' Roll Club on Forest Glade Drive for a gun sale, one of many that supplied Toronto gangsters with firepower as they peddled drugs, settled scores and waged a bloody power struggle.
The salesman was Windsor's Lamar Porter, who already had more than 20 criminal convictions. The buyers were Siyadin Abdi, also... (GunPolicy.org)
Unsuspecting Canadian Drivers Drawn into World of Weapons Smuggling
20 June 2014
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The gun smugglers called him "fool" – one of many Windsorites they used to unwittingly mule firearms over the border.
Buried in volumes of recently released Toronto police documents is the frightening revelation that Windsor gun runners hide firearms and GPS devices in the cars of unsuspecting Canadians to sneak them through customs.
For Windsor's Lamar Porter, who police say was the main source of guns for Toronto's murderous Dixon City Bloods, it appeared to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Rebel Dealer Jailed, Lost Licence, Guns: Agrees Fight Was 'Foolhardy'
3 June 2014
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
Bruce Montague was a northern Ontario firearms dealer so opposed to Canada's licensing laws that he stopped registering his guns in protest and dared the government to come after him.
Be careful what you wish for. Ten years later, the 54-year-old's act of what he saw as "civil disobedience" has resulted in an 18-month jail sentence, a lifetime ban from operating his trade and now he's just been ordered to hand over his $100,000 gun collection — his life savings —... (GunPolicy.org)
Handguns Easily Resold to Potential Criminals in Canada
7 May 2014
Toronto Star (Ontario)
There are no safeguards in Canadian firearms legislation to prevent people from purchasing a large number of handguns and then illegally transferring them to potential criminals.
It's an area of the law that gun control advocates say needs to be strengthened, and was recently highlighted after a Toronto man was sent to prison for legally purchasing 47 handguns from two stores over five months and then illegally transferring 43 of them to an acquaintance, who acted as a... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Russia,Germany,Thailand,Kazakhstan,Italy,United States,Canada,Norway
Kalashnikov Small Arms Production in Russia More Than Doubles in 2014
28 April 2014
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW – The Kalashnikov Concern produced 230 percent more small arms weapons in the first quarter of this year than in the year-ago period, the company's press service told RIA Novosti Monday.
"In the first three months of the year we had a record-high volume production of small arms in the amount of 31,000 items, which makes 41 percent of the total output of similar products for 2013," the company said.
"The current results are 230 percent higher than those in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Violent Gun Crime Down in Canada in 2012, Most Gun Homicides Gang-Linked
23 April 2014
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
New data from Statistics Canada show the rate of firearms-related crime in Canada and the number of victims are declining. Incidents involving firearms accounted for 2 per cent of all victims of police-reported violent crime in 2012, Statscan reported. Police reported approximately 5,600 victims of violent crime where a firearm was present in 2012, about 1,800 fewer victims of firearm-related violent crime than 2009. Quebec is excluded from the report due to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Airline Pilot Caught With Loaded Handgun at Canadian Airport
3 April 2014
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
Authorities confirmed the loaded handgun that an American pilot is accused of attempting to bring through Calgary airport security was a personal weapon.
In addition, he was not part of a federal program that allows certain trained flight crew members to be armed on flights.
The pilot with SkyWest Airlines was arrested after screening officers at the U.S. security checkpoint discovered what appeared to be a loaded firearm in a bag that was passing through an X-ray... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Couple Accused of Gun Trafficking, Over 45 Weapons Seized
24 March 2014
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
TORONTO - An Ontario couple has been arrested in a firearms trafficking investigation where more than 45 weapons were seized, Toronto Police say.
On March 16, the Canada Border Services Agency working on a tip from Toronto Police Service's Firearm Enforcement Unit stopped a man and a woman as they crossed into Canada on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls with their two children.
"These are gun smugglers and they sell them on the streets," Toronto Det.-Sgt. Rob... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Assault Rifle Fuss: Gun Lobby Aims to 'Americanise' Canada
9 March 2014
CBC News (Canada)
Both gun owners and gun control advocates say they're confused by the government's handling of a ban on a class of military-style rifles.
Gun owners say they don't know what the government's five-year amnesty on the Swiss Arms Classic Greens means.
The guns are semi-automatic rifles called Classic Greens and they've been available in Canada for about a dozen years.
Last week the RCMP changed the guns' classification from "non-restricted" to "prohibited" on its... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Move to Curb Swiss Assault Rifle, Canada Grants Instant Amnesty
3 March 2014
CBC News (Canada)
The federal government has granted a five-year amnesty to owners of Swiss Arms Classic Green semi-automatic rifles, who will be able to continue to possess their guns "without threat of criminal charges," according to a statement from the public safety minister's office.
Although the guns have been sold in Canada for a dozen years, the RCMP had been investigating a small group of rifles similar to the Classic Greens that were brought into Canada from the small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Rumoured Ban of Swiss Assault Rifle Reignites Gun Debate in Canada
27 February 2014
CBC News (Canada), Video
The gun debate may be flaring up again over what appears to be the imminent ban of a semi-automatic military-style weapon that has been legal in Canada for a dozen years.
Gun enthusiasts got word of the ban Wednesday evening, although the RCMP has made no official announcement.
According to Solomon Friedman, a lawyer for the National Firearms Association, the PE-90 rifle, made by SAN Swiss Arms AG, a Switzerland-based small arms manufacturer, is about to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Instructor Gives Licences After Helping Students With Exams
20 February 2014
CBC News (Canada)
A Winnipeg-area gun instructor is certifying people to buy weapons after less than three hours of instruction, and helping students with answers to their mandatory exam questions, CBC News has learned.
Before anyone can buy a gun in Canada, they have to pass a Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) from an instructor licensed by the RCMP. The police won't say exactly how long the instruction should be, but a cross-Canada CBC survey of courses found most range from... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Moldova,Austria,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Sweden,Canada,Switzerland
Experts Help Moldova Authorities Curb Gun Theft, Smuggling [DE]
17 February 2014
Österreich Journal
[Translated summary: Austria has sent experts to Moldova to advise on small arms and ammunition storage and management under the OSCE framework. Sweden, Canada, Germany and Switzerland will participate in the programme by 2017, which aims to prevent smuggling of stolen ammunition.]
WIEN (bmlvs) - Insgesamt zehn Experten des Bundesheeres unterstützen ab dem 05.03. die OSZE-Mission in der Republik Moldau. Dort werden vorerst vier Angehörige der Heereslogistikschule und... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada: Buying a Gun Like Buying a Fridge, Gun Lobby Linked Academic Says
12 February 2014
Maple Ridge News (Canada)
A Maple Ridge gun shop claims to be the first in Canada to offer selling firearms on yearly financial terms.
"Take your dream gun home today and pay it off in six or 12 months," is the advertisement from Wanstalls, noting that a Core 15 assault rifle can be had for $118 per month.
Matthew Mendel, a spokesman for the store on the Lougheed Highway in downtown Maple Ridge, said gun stores have offered layaway plans for a long time. However, customers might have had to... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Tory MP Apes Heston: Pry My Guns from 'Cold Dead Hands'
11 February 2014
Huffington Post (USA)
Conservative MP Blaine Calkins believes the Trudeau Liberals want to take away his firearms.
And to that, the Alberta native says they must pry them from his "cold, dead hands."
Calkins rose in the House during members' statements on Monday to highlight that Liberals will debate a resolution at their biennial convention later this month calling on any future Grit governments to reduce the number of firearms in Canada.
And to Calkins, who represents the Alberta riding... (GunPolicy.org)
Arrest of Gun-Toting American at Canadian Border Enrages US Gun Community
5 February 2014
National Post (Toronto)
"Screw Canada."
"Another reason not to venture to the dark north."
Gun-related message boards lit up this week over news of the arrest of an American man at the Canadian border.
Retired U.S. Army sergeant major Louis DiNatale and his wife were on a romantic getaway from Kentucky to Vermont when they say their GPS led them astray to the border.
When DiNatale failed to declare a loaded handgun in the centre console — he says he simply forgot it was there — he was... (GunPolicy.org)
Case Against US Man Illustrates Canada's Zero-Tolerance Gun Policy
3 February 2014
Los Angeles Times
Louis DiNatale didn't intend to enter Canada when he and his wife wound up on a bridge from New York state to Ontario province one day in September, misdirected by an unreliable GPS. What began as an American couple's getaway to Vermont quickly turned into a lesson on the stark difference between the U.S. and Canada when it comes to gun laws.
DiNatale, whose request to turn around and cross back into the U.S. was denied, then made another mistake. When a border... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Ruling on Handgun May Widen Rifle Magazine Loophole
28 January 2014
Global News (Canada)
An RCMP decision on whether to approve an Alberta man's exotic pistol could widen a loophole doubling the legal magazine capacity for semi-automatic rifles.
Last year Edward Osborne, a Calgary gun collector and competitive target shooter, imported a Czech-made VZ58 pistol, a shortened version of the popular CZ858 rifle, from the United States.
"I like it because it's very unique," he said in an interview. "I like the VZ58 platform in general, and this is one that I'd... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Running: A Lot of Canadians Want Smuggled Handguns
17 December 2013
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
Riccardo Tolliver pulled up to the Ambassador Bridge customs booth, his pulse quickening, his nerves rattling, firepower on his mind. But he dared not show anxiety – not with almost 40 handguns hidden in door panels of his black Hummer H2.
He had hired a friend to drive, it being the first time Tolliver personally smuggled guns across the Canadian border. He figured as a passenger he would not be flagged.
He was wrong.
Border officers noticed a drunk-driving... (GunPolicy.org)
Luck, Police Collaboration Nail Long-time US-Canada Gun Runners
17 December 2013
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The biggest Windsor-Detroit gun-smuggling ring ever busted came crashing down because of a seatbelt.
One unbuckled belt. One routine traffic stop. A bunch of odd answers. And 16 illegal firearms hidden in a trunk.
Special Agent Brian Beardsley with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, knew he had something big the night he took a call in March 2005 from the Monroe County Sheriff's Department saying officers found 16 handguns with serial... (GunPolicy.org)
Netherlands,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,United States,Belgium,Iraq,Algeria,Bahrain,Egypt,Mexico,Pakistan,Canada
Canada Increases Gun Exports to Countries with 'Dubious' Human Rights
8 December 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Bahrain, Algeria and Iraq, countries with dubious human rights records or a history of violent internal conflict, have recently become new buyers of Canadian-made guns and ammunition, an analysis of federal data shows.
The analysis by The Canadian Press found that Canadian exports to those countries swelled by 100 per cent from 2011 to 2012, the most recent figures publicly available.
During the same time period, exports of Canadian weapons also increased... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Delays Gun Tracing Regulations for Sixth Time
4 December 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — The federal Conservatives have once again pushed back regulations that would require gun manufacturers and importers to imprint the year and country of origin on their products.
It's the sixth time the federal government has punted the regulations, which are required by two international treaties, down the road for more consultations with industry. And the government is signalling the current review may result in the repeal of the regulations... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Syria,Israel,India,Ireland,Togo,Canada,United States,Afghanistan,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Sri Lanka,Germany,Russia
Growing Number of Personalised Firearms to Boost Safety Available
30 November 2013
Economist
To help push Soviet forces out of Afghanistan in the 1980s, America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) gave Afghan fighters shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missiles (pictured). Accurate and easy-to-use, the Stingers caused grievous losses. But after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, the CIA wanted to discourage the use of the leftover missiles. It got hold of some of those circulating on the black market and booby-trapped them, so that anyone who tried to fire one... (GunPolicy.org)
US Veteran Sentenced After Illegally Shipping Guns to Israel, Canada
28 November 2013
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
A military veteran from Wheeling, W.Va., has been sentenced to five years of federal probation for illegally shipping guns to Israel, Canada and elsewhere.
Michael Frank, 26, admitted in January that he sold 24 weapons to foreign customers. The U.S. attorney's office had argued that he deserved at least four years in prison, while his lawyer asked for an alternative to jail time. He was sentenced Tuesday.
The case began in May 2012 after authorities in Jerusalem... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Govt Launches Study of Gun Industry to Combat Crime, Smuggling
22 November 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — The federal government is launching an "in-depth" study of the country's civilian firearms industry as part of a program to combat gun crime and weapons smuggling and trafficking.
A request for proposal seeking research bids was posted this week by Public Works.
The study, "Characteristics of the Canadian Firearms Industry Supplying the Civilian Market," is to be completed by March 31, 2014.
Public Safety Canada wants up-to-date details on who is... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Used in Winnipeg Murder Last Registered to NYPD
19 November 2013
CP24 (Toronto)
WINNIPEG - A life sentence has been handed down to a man in Winnipeg who was convicted of shooting two men with a pistol that was last registered to the New York Police Department.
A courtroom heard Monday that a Glock nine-millimetre gun was used by Randy Murray Williams to kill Darren Joey Swampy and Lee Brady Spence in February 2011.
But the gun was not registered in Canada and the Crown admits no one knows how it got across the border.
Williams, who is 29,... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Find 'Staggering Collection' of Guns After Customs Tip-Off
14 November 2013
Times-Colonist (British Columbia)
Police unveiled a "staggering collection" of firearms Wednesday, seized from a Prince George home following an investigation that began when border guards came across two suspicious packages.
Karl Haus, 53, now faces 17 charges in relation to the haul from a Prospect Point home in the Hart Highlands where police uncovered nine rifles — a fully-automatic M-16 and a fully-automatic AK-47 among them — as well as three handguns, two of which were loaded, and two... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Man Allowed to Keep Gun Licence, Before Fatal Shooting
12 November 2013
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
A man who walked into a Victoria-area medical clinic with a high-powered rifle and threatened staff last year was given his weapon back only weeks later and was able to keep his firearms licence before killing two people, a coroner's inquest has heard.
Firearms officers did not question the police decision to return the weapon to Angus Mitchell and did not revoke his licence, although it was put under a temporary review, Terry Hamilton, chief firearms officer for... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Court Rules Stiffer Gun Sentences Unconstitutional, Govt to Appeal
12 November 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
The mandatory minimum sentences for possession of firearms brought in by the Conservative government in 2008 are unconstitutional, ruled the Ontario Court of Appeal in decisions released Tuesday morning.
They are "cruel and unusual punishment" and "grossly disproportionate," found the five-judge panel unanimously.
The sentencing laws struck down are part of Section 95, covering possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm or unloaded with ammunition easily... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gets 20 Months For Gun Smuggling
4 November 2013
Grand Forks Herald (Canada)
Two men who pleaded guilty to smuggling guns to Canada after being arrested in Grand Forks were sentenced last month to federal prison.
But his stepmother said undercover Mounties posing as Hell's Angels intimidated Shawn Hartnell for months to do a gun deal.
Hartnell, 30, was sentenced Oct. 17 to 20 months in federal prison, followed by two years of probation, with credit for the nine months he's served since his Feb. 5 arrest in Grand Forks.
His associate, Dylan... (GunPolicy.org)
'Cottage Industry' Feeds Illegal Gun Trade in Canada
24 October 2013
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Some B.C. residents are capitalizing on the illicit gun trade by making gun parts and even firearms to sell to local criminals.
Cpl. Frank Grosspietsch of the RCMP's National Weapons Enforcement Support Team said a "cottage industry" has sprung up in B.C. in recent years among people willing to arm gangsters and other criminals.
B.C.-made noise suppressors - which muffle gunshots and are commonly and inaccurately called silencers - have been used in recent murders,... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Owner with Assault Weapon Kills 2, Self
18 October 2013
CBC News (Canada)
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says that Brian Dawe was wearing body armour and had an AK-47 assault rifle when he used a handgun to shoot two people dead in Conception Bay South earlier this week before he killed himself.
In a statement Friday afternoon, the RNC said Dawe also had hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a 9-mm handgun on him when they found his body at a cemetery in Mount Pearl.
According to the RNC, Dawe was in possession of the firearms legally,... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 300 Guns Retrieved in Canadian Pixels for Pistols Amnesty
17 October 2013
CTV News (Toronto)
OTTAWA - Pixels for Pistols: Over 300 guns turned in and climbing!
The Ottawa Police Service has picked up over 300 guns from residents participating in the Pixels for Pistols gun amnesty program. Officers continue to pick up guns every day and getting to the new calls for pick up as fast as they can.
"We're getting all types of firearms, like shot guns, rifles, handguns," said Staff Sergeant Mark Patterson, head of the Ottawa Police Guns and Gangs Unit. "People have... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Cop, Top Shooter Charged with Gun Trafficking in Canada
16 October 2013
Lethbridge Herald (Alberta)
A retired Lethbridge police officer accused in an illegal Calgary gun ring now faces new charges.
Daniel Francis Bennett, 65, is accused of falsely reporting to police that several handguns had been stolen from his West Lethbridge garage and then filing a bogus insurance claim. Calgary police later uncovered some of those guns as they searched for the source of an illegal weapons trade on the streets of Calgary.
Bennett, who retired from the Lethbridge Regional Police... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Canada,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Canada Holds Off on Arms Trade Treaty Even After US Signs
25 September 2013
CBC News (Canada)
The Harper government faced sharp criticism Wednesday for its continued refusal to sign a landmark treaty to regulate the global arms trade.
A group of non-governmental agencies, called the Control Arms Coalition, said it was frustrated and disappointed that the government did not follow the United States and more than 90 other countries in signing the Arms Trade Treaty.
Meanwhile, the federal NDP accused the government of indulging in conspiracy theories because it... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada,Australia,United States,United Kingdom
Hard Evidence: Does Gun Control Work?
20 September 2013
SBS (Australia), Series
This week brought news of yet another gun massacre in the United States at Washington Navy Yard. It is the latest in a string of 146 mass shootings, with more than 900 victims since 2006. The tragedy gives us pause to reflect on the "common sense" gun controls proposed by president Barack Obama but blocked by gun lobby senators only a few months ago.
Among other measures, Obama's proposals sought to reform the national firearm purchase check system, so that offenders... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Owner Caught Selling Assault Weapons to Gangs
10 September 2013
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Times (Canda)
It's a major cache of weapons that police believe was destined to fall into the hands of criminals in the Lower Mainland and beyond.
On Tuesday, Mounties showed off the major haul of guns and ammunition seized by Coquitlam RCMP's street enforcement team during a raid back in June.
And as a result, Marc Wisdom, 41, of Maple Ridge is facing 50 criminal charges including 26 counts related to firearms and ammunition, 20 counts for possession of prohibited devices, and... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Trinidad & Tobago,Caribbean,Nicaragua,United States,Canada,Guinea-Bissau,Libya,Mexico,Colombia
Small Arms: The Worldwide Scourge
8 September 2013
Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago is awash with guns. Gang leaders, bandits, drug smugglers are armed and shooting at each other, at citizens, at the police without hesitation. The majority of the weapons are small arms and they are usually "imported" with illegal drugs or there is an exchange of drugs for arms. Drug cartels use their illicit profits to purchase these guns, the two trades being intertwined, according to the latest report from the United Nations Office for Disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Charged With Smuggling Handguns from US to Canada
6 September 2013
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
An Osoyoos man has been charged after allegedly selling dozens of smuggled firearms to gangsters in the Okanagan and Metro Vancouver.
Tyler Ryan Cuff, 30, is believed to have used his dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship to legally purchase Glocks and other handguns at various Washington State gun shows.
Cuff then allegedly smuggled the firearms into B.C. inside both a truck and car passing through the border crossing between Osoyoos and Oroville, Washington.
Sgt. Lindsey... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize 183 Guns from Licensed Canadian Owner 'Supplying Gangs'
30 August 2013
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Police have seized a 183-gun arsenal in a remote area of the B.C. Interior and arrested a man who investigators allege was purchasing assault rifles and other weapons legally and then selling them to the highest bidder, possibly to gang members and other criminals.
The province's Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit - an RCMP-led team that targets organized crime - announced the seizure.
Thursday, almost a week after raiding the home of a 63-year-old man in Tatla... (GunPolicy.org)
Dementia Bulge Looms as Major Problem for Gun Owners, Public Health
7 August 2013
Calgary Herald (Alberta), Editorial
Last week's police standoff with 71-year-old Isidore Havis of Montreal may look like a one-off incident, but its ramifications stand poised to echo through the years.
Havis, 71, the owner of an estimated 180 guns, fired a handgun at police during the tense, 20-hour confrontation. He will likely be charged with uttering threats, as well as firearms offences.
The whole thing started when Havis mistook workers from Hydro-Quebec for intruders on his property and it... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Use Last Registry Data to Seize 180 Guns from Home
1 August 2013
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
MONTREAL - The federal gun registry may be dead in the rest of Canada but it was put to use this week during a high-profile standoff in Montreal.
Police carried 180 guns and 40 bayonets out of a residence on a quiet tree-lined street after the occupant was brought down by rubber bullets early Wednesday, ending the incident that had gone on almost a full day.
Montreal police have confirmed they consulted the registry during the standoff to learn about their suspect but... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Man in Stand Off Had 182 Guns in His Name
31 July 2013
CBC News (Canada)
A 20-hour standoff between police and a 71-year-old man holed up in a Côte Saint-Luc, Que., home ended just after 8 a.m. ET after he was shot with a rubber bullet and taken into custody.
Const. Daniel Lacoursière of the Montreal police said Wednesday morning that a suspect was arrested by a police tactical unit without incident. He was identified as Isidore Havis by family lawyer Jeffrey Boro.
He did not have any apparent injuries, but was taken to hospital for... (GunPolicy.org)
Americans' Disregard for Foreign Gun Laws Often Ends Badly (2 of 2)
24 July 2013
KSL (Utah)
SALT LAKE CITY — A 19-year-old is now banned from Canada after she and a friend drove across the border by accident.
Tatiana McEwan and one of her girlfriends took their first road trip to Washington. For protection, her friend's boyfriend stashed a handgun in McEwan's car. When the teens unexpectedly found themselves at the Canadian border, their car was searched.
Finding the handgun, the patrolmen didn't believe the girls were merely lost.
"We're two 19-year-olds... (GunPolicy.org)
Americans' Disregard for Foreign Gun Laws Often Ends Badly (1 of 2)
23 July 2013
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
A major with the U.S. Air Force is expected to be released from custody later today or Wednesday after being arrested June 26 for smuggling guns into Canada.
Maj. Christopher Doyle Sanders, 46, is facing several charges of smuggling under the Customs Act and weapons charges after he was stopped at the Emerson border crossing June 26.
Provincial court Judge Dale Schille agreed earlier this afternoon to a joint recommendation from Crown and defence counsel for Sanders'... (GunPolicy.org)
485 Guns Surrendered During Canadian Pixels for Pistols Program
12 July 2013
City News (Toronto)
Toronto police announced they had received 485 guns and 22,000 rounds of ammunition during the Pixels for Pistols campaign, an initiative that allows gun owners to turn in their weapons and bullets in exchange for a free digital camera.
"It makes the City of Toronto a safer place," Chief Bill Blair said at police headquarters on Friday.
"It also gives the public an opportunity to receive something of value for turning in their firearm."
The program, sponsored by... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Appeal Court Says Gun Registry Data Can Be Destroyed
27 June 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
MONTREAL — The Harper government has won the latest round in its battle to delete, once and for all, the last remaining portion of the federal long-gun registry.
Quebec's highest court has ruled against the provincial government there, which is fighting to save data for that province from being destroyed as it has elsewhere in Canada.
In its judgment, the Quebec Court of Appeal said the province has no right to the registry data. It also ordered the provincial... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada,Thailand,Scotland,South Korea
Drunk Thai Student Shoots, Injures Three at Restaurant After Rejection
23 June 2013
Bangkok Post
Three foreign tourists were injured by gunshots in Chiang Mai after a drunk university student opened fire at a restaurant because a waitress rejected him, police said.
Chiang Mai police on Saturday arrested Don Praweenmeth, a 27-year-old sixth year medical student at a university in Bangkok.
Police said Mr Don confessed that he fired five shots from a 9mm handgun in a busy restaurant on Nimmanahaemin Road at about midnight.
The suspect said he was flirting with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Amnesty Nets 32 Guns at Halfway Point
18 June 2013
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
A handgun with a laser sight was among 32 firearms turned over to the Vancouver police department during the first half of the province's firearms amnesty program.
At the halfway point of the amnesty, residents of Vancouver have turned in 22 rifles, six handguns, and four shotguns. As well, six replica guns and / or pellet or air guns along with almost 700 rounds of ammunition have been collected.
"The idea of the program is to provide an opportunity for the general... (GunPolicy.org)
How Gun Law Loopholes Tripled Canada's Rifle Magazine Limits
11 June 2013
Global News (Canada)
After a gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle and 30-round magazine killed 14 women at Montreal's École Polytechnique in 1989, Canada's Parliament was plunged into a debate on how to stop it from recurring.
By the end of 1991, a package of gun legislation designed to respond to the massacre, backed by then-Justice Minister Kim Campbell, made it into law. One key part of the new law restricted the number of rounds rifle and pistol magazines were allowed to hold.... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Not Yet Among 60 Countries Signing Arms Trade Treaty
3 June 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Canada isn't saying whether it will join more than 60 other countries in signing a landmark treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade.
The federal government hasn't decided whether it agrees with the UN's arms trade treaty, despite having voted to move it ahead in the first place, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday.
"We believe that any treaty regarding the sale of munitions that helps move the international community closer to... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean,Barbados,Canada,Trinidad & Tobago,Jamaica
Barbados Authorities Tracing, Destroying Guns to Reduce Crime
31 May 2013
Barbados Advocate
This island's top cop has revealed steps are being taken – not only on the local front, but regionally – to arrest the problem of gun crimes.
Speaking during the hand-over of a hydraulic shears at the Central Police Station from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC), Commissioner Darwin Dottin noted that there were countries in this region where more than 80 per cent of all homicides... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Amnesty Begins in Canadian Province
30 May 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Police in B.C. will begin collecting unauthorized and unwanted guns on Saturday, as part of a month-long firearms amnesty program they say will help remove guns from communities and reduce the risk they could fall into the hands of criminals.
RCMP Insp. Brad Haugli said officers often encounter cases in which tragedy could have been averted if guns were not involved.
"As someone who has lost a loved one to suicide by firearm, I know that devastation first-hand,"... (GunPolicy.org)
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 [FR]
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)
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)
United States,Canada,Mexico,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 [FR]
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 [FR]
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)
Iraq,Lebanon,Venezuela,United Arab Emirates,Canada,Syria
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 [FR]
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 [FR]
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)