From: Cdn-Firearms Digest [owner-cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca] Sent: Thursday, 28 February, 2002 10:46 To: cdn-firearms-digest@broadway.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Cdn-Firearms Digest V4 #578 Cdn-Firearms Digest Thursday, February 28 2002 Volume 04 : Number 578 In this issue: Longtime criminal gets prison term for sub shop holdup TORY CANDIDATES ARE IN THE HUNT UNION LOOKS AT STUN GUNS TO BATTLE AIR RAGE, HIJACKERS MAN GETS EXTRA TIME FOR HAVING WEAPONS Free gun registration deadline looms Gun registry a failure - opposition re. Don't buy a Dell UNE COLLECTION DE REBUTS DE 7 MILLIONS DE DOLLARS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:22:54 -0600 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" Subject: Longtime criminal gets prison term for sub shop holdup PUBLICATION: The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) DATE: 2002.02.28 EDITION: Final SECTION: Local/Regional PAGE: A7 BYLINE: Lori Coolican SOURCE: The StarPhoenix - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Longtime criminal gets prison term for sub shop holdup - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Jeffrey Ronald Ens climbed into a getaway car with $50 and change after holding up the Subway sandwich shop on Eighth Street East two years ago. On Wednesday, he climbed into an RCMP transport van with a prison sentence of three years and four months after pleading guilty to the robbery in Court of Queen's Bench. "The public must be protected from the likes of him," Justice Paul Hrabinsky remarked as he passed the sentence. "The accused has had several run-ins with the law and the courts have been very lenient in the past." Ens, 24, demanded cash from the lone female clerk working at the restaurant in the early morning hours of March 10, 2000. He was carrying what appeared to be a rifle, but the weapon was never recovered by police, so there's no proof it was real. A large group of family and supporters looked on as Ens pleaded guilty to robbery and using an imitation in the commission of an offence. The getaway driver was acquitted earlier this week after testifying he didn't know Ens was going to rob the place. "I'm not the same person I was when this matter took place," Ens told Hrabinsky. He offered an apology to the clerk. "I've changed a lot on the past year and a bit. I'm willing to go through anything with a positive attitude, so I can get on with my life," he said. His criminal record includes 10 convictions, mostly for breaching probation and drunk driving, dating back to 1995. Ens has no record for violence, but reports filed with the court show a history of fighting, getting himself in "high-risk situations," and "blaming his behaviour on illicit drug use," Hrabinsky said. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:25:56 -0600 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" Subject: TORY CANDIDATES ARE IN THE HUNT PUBLICATION: The Toronto Sun DATE: 2002.02.28 SECTION: Sports PAGE: 99 COLUMN: Outdoors BYLINE: John Kerr ILLUSTRATION: 1. photo of JIM FLAHERTY Arrived early 2. photo of ERNIEEVES Has hunted - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- TORY CANDIDATES ARE IN THE HUNT - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Minister of Natural Resources John Snobelen was absent last Friday at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters annual convention in Kingston. First impressions were that this was a snub against the OFAH, Ontario's largest angler and hunter organization. After all, since the spring bear hunt was cancelled in 1999, relationships with Snobelen have been cool, and OFAH is challenging him and the province in court over the issue. According to OFAH delegates and MNR staff I talked to, however, Snobelen is missing in action a lot these days. They feel he's bored being the resources minister. Speculation is that he won't be around after the next cabinet shuffle by whomever replaces Premier Mike Harris when the Progressive Conservative leadership race wraps up later in March. All the leadership candidates were to show up on Saturday to woo potential new party members, but Finance Minister and Deputy Premier Jim Flaherty jumped the gun and arrived Friday for an impromptu press scrum. He's all for re-evaluating the bear hunt ban, moving quickly this spring to pass the Heritage Hunting and Fishing Act, and is against the federal government's Act, as it affects hunters. If he becomes premier, he would opt out of helping administer gun licencing and testing. (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and B.C. have already done so.) I couldn't stick around to hear the other candidates, but most have said previously they also would revisit the spring bear hunt, without actually saying they would reinstate it. The exception is Labour Minister Chris Stockwell, who announced in January that he would reopen the hunt on May 1. Ernie Eves, however, is the only leadership hopeful who actually has hunted. And his supporters were out in force at the conference. It's going to be a tight race for grassroots votes from anglers and hunters. Other conference news is that the MNR will streamline the fishing regulations, which have become a mishmash only lawyers can figure out, and start experimental cormorant control this spring. Muskie regulations will be first to change. Proposals are for only two opening dates to the angling season, depending on location, instead of the present 10. As well, muskie-size limits would be pared to five from nine, and the possession limit changed to one fish from two, to match the daily catch limit. Cormorant control, mainly oiling eggs and destroying or chasing them from nests, is proposed for several sites in Lake Huron's Georgian Bay and North Channel and Presqu'ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario. It's part of MNR's five-year study on how the growing cormorant population affects fish stocks and water quality, and destroys habitat in nesting areas. The OFAH, however, wants more widespread controls. It says there are 350,000 of the birds now -- and increasing -- and they eat 43 million pounds of fish each year. This is a hot-button issue, with most animal-rights advocates against interfering with the burgeoning cormorant population. Other people say oiling eggs and harassing the birds isn't going to do much overall and would be an expensive, ongoing process. Lethal culling should be done. My suggestion is to take them off the protected list. Include them in waterfowl hunting seasons, with a preliminary, cautious two-bird daily limit. This won't cost the government a penny. Have your say. The muskie regulations and cormorant proposals have been posted on the Environmental Bill of Rights registry. Go to www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/env_reg/er/registry.htm and search for registry numbers PB02E6004 and PB02E6005. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:28:01 -0600 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" Subject: UNION LOOKS AT STUN GUNS TO BATTLE AIR RAGE, HIJACKERS PUBLICATION: The Toronto Sun DATE: 2002.02.28 SECTION: News PAGE: 18 SOURCE: Toronto Sun BYLINE: Tom Godfrey - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- JOLT FOR PILOTS?; UNION LOOKS AT STUN GUNS TO BATTLE AIR RAGE, HIJACKERS - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Canadian pilots are considering keeping hi-tech stun guns on flights to stop terrorists or unruly passengers from causing problems in midair, their association says. Airline officials said the taser fires a 50,000-volt electric shock that temporarily disables an attacker until he can be handcuffed. "All sorts of things are being considered. Tasers came up as part of a list of ideas we're looking at," said Peter Foster, of the 3,400-member Air Canada Pilots Association. SELF-DEFENCE TACTICS In the U.S., United Airlines pilots expect to be issued tasers in weeks once the weapon is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. In April, United will begin training pilots how to use the taser. Flight attendants will be taught self-defence techniques. The company has purchased 1,300 tasers for $1 million. "This is one of many facets we are looking at," Foster said. "Whether it will go anywhere is anybody's guess." The taser and other weapons are being considered by Transport Canada, which is expected to make a ruling in months. John Mazor, of the Air Line Pilots Association, said his 65,000 members want tasers or . "Tasers would be effective for disruptive passengers," he said. "It would be great for flight attendants in the cabin." Meanwhile, pilots and police said little, aside from tougher screening, has been done to increase security at Pearson airport since Sept. 11. AUTHORITY TO COME Pearson officials said they haven't received bomb detection machines, nor have screening officers been certified or a Canadian Air Transport Security Authority created to oversee screening. Transport Canada spokesman Karyn Curtis said work is under way to create the authority, which will be in place in April. As well, the FAA said aircraft that do not have cockpit doors reinforced with steel bars by April 2003 won't be allowed to enter the U.S. Air Canada completed reinforcing its cockpit doors last year. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:32:13 -0600 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" Subject: MAN GETS EXTRA TIME FOR HAVING WEAPONS PUBLICATION: The London Free Press DATE: 2002.02.28 SECTION: City & region PAGE: B4 SOURCE: Free Press Justice Reporter BYLINE: Jane Sims - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- MAN GETS EXTRA TIME FOR HAVING WEAPONS - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- A London man charged along with his grandparents for possessing a stash of , admitted yesterday the weapons belonged to him. Michael Grebenchan, 20, was sentenced to an additional 90 days on top of five-and-a-half months already served for the weapons police found while searching his grandparents' house last September. Charges against his grandparents were dropped. Police acted on information from Grebenchan's ex-girlfriend, who had lived at the home months after he was convicted of criminally harassing her. She moved out in July 2001. Last August, she called police about property she believed had been taken and told police about Grebenchan's home, said assistant Crown attorney Laurie Tuttle. Police executed a public safety warrant on the home and found weapons in two of three bedrooms, including a loaded handgun, brass knuckles and a Taser gun. Grebenchan was under a probation order not to possess weapons. Grebenchan's lawyer, Robert Sheppard, admitted his client had a long criminal record, mostly for car theft. He said his client may have had a chance to fight the charges, but didn't want to burden his grandparents. "He accepts responsibility for having the in the house," Sheppard told Ontario Court Justice Deborah Livingstone. Grebenchan's sentence takes into account the five-and-a-half months he served while awaiting the outcome of the case. It equals 11 months in jail. He had a year probation tacked onto his sentence, was ordered to pay $500 for breaching probation, complete domestic violence counselling and was barred from owning weapons for life. Grandparents Zorka and Mihailo Grebenchan were ordered not to possess weapons for five years. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:37:01 -0600 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" Subject: Free gun registration deadline looms PUBLICATION: Calgary Herald DATE: 2002.02.28 EDITION: Final SECTION: City PAGE: B11 BYLINE: Marcelina Styczynska SOURCE: Calgary Herald; With files from The Canadian Press - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Free gun registration deadline looms - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Alberta gun owners have until March 19 to register their free of charge, but the need for the registry is still being questioned by some groups. "A lot of firearm owners have said they will not register," said Linda Toews, president of the National Association Alberta chapter. "Compliance will be a big issue here." Gun owners nationwide have until Jan. 1, 2003, to register their , but the $18 flat fee will be waived if early registration deadlines are met. Although the flat fee was reduced from the $45 to $60 range charged in 2000, Toews doesn't think it will make a difference. "I don't think saving $18 is a large enough incentive," said Toews, who believes gun registration is unnecessary for gun owners who mostly use for hunting and predator control on their land. Criminals will benefit from gun registration, not the public, according to Toews. "It's a shopping list for criminals. There's so many problems with it. Anyone can hack into that database." But the federal government disagrees, arguing that the registry is secure. "The database is as secure as any other police database," said David Austin of the Canadian Centre in Ottawa. "There are controls and safeguards in place." An independent study in the fall of 2000 showed 2.3 million active firearm owners nationwide, of whom 2.1 million are already in the federal database. "They're registering their guns in record numbers," said Austin, who added 40 per cent of owners in the database have yet to register their guns. In Ottawa, the Progressive Conservative Democratic Representative Coalition said Wednesday that Statistics Canada figures show the percentage of attempted murders that involved a firearm increased from 31 per cent in 1995 to 37 per cent in 2000 -- a jump of 20 per cent. The number of homicides that involved a gun also increased over the same time period. "What that shows is the registry isn't working. It's having no effect on deterring the use of to commit violent crimes, and at a huge cost," said PCDRC MP Jim Pankiw. The National Association says the federal government spent too much money --$689 million according to the Senate committee on national defence -- on a registry that isn't supported by a majority of gun owners. "The money would be far better spent somewhere else," said Toews. "We're squandering it here." Gun owners are legally obliged to register their , and may face jail time if they refuse. Gun owners can register their online, too. According to Austin, 100,000 owners have already used that service, which is free until the end of the year. The Act, requiring gun owners to obtain licences and register their , was passed in 1995. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:40:30 -0600 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" Subject: Gun registry a failure - opposition NOTE: Versions of this article also appeared in the Charolottetown Guardian, the Kingston Whig-Standard and the Victoria Times Columnist. PUBLICATION: The Chronicle-Herald DATE: 2002.02.28 SECTION: Canada PAGE: A14 SOURCE: The Canadian Press - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Gun registry a failure - opposition - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---- Ottawa - Opposition critics say statistics continue to show the gun registry is not working and the percentage of violent crimes involving firearms has actually increased since Ottawa passed its gun control laws. The Progressive Conservative Democratic Representative Coalition said Wednesday that Statistics Canada figures show the percentage of attempted murders that involved a firearm increased from 31 per cent in 1995 to 37 per cent in 2000 - - a jump of 20 per cent. The number of homicides that involved a gun also increased over the same time period. "What that shows is the firearms registry isn't working. It's having no effect on deterring the use of firearms to commit violent crimes, and at a huge cost," said PCDRC MP Jim Pankiw, who raised the issue in the House of Commons Wednesday. Justice Minister Martin Cauchon defended the much-maligned program, which was first introduced in 1994 and requires gun owners to obtain a license for their firearms. "We do believe in what we're doing," Cauchon told the House. By law, all firearms must be registered by Jan. 1, 2003. Penalities for not acquiring a license can result in up to five years in jail and seizure of any guns. However, Canadians have not been quick to comply. That forced Ottawa to waive the registration fees last October in an attempt to get more guns registered. Cost overruns, pegged by critics at over $600 million, have the federal government considering an outside agency to administer the program. Alliance MP Garry said crime statistics continue to stack up against the gun registry program, which he said is a waste of money that does nothing to prevent the misuse of guns. "We need to really examine what we're doing because it's having the opposite effect," he said. "We need to put those resources where they are best spent and that's putting more police on the street and going after the criminals because this is simply a bureaucratic paper-pushing exercise." "I would hope that the public would take notice of this soon." But Neil Boyd, professor of criminology at B.C.'s Simon Fraser University, said singling out a couple of years of crime statistics is misleading. "I think it's very difficult to use the statistics either for support of the gun registry or for arguing the gun registry isn't working," he said. "I don't think the statistics are dramatic enough or significant enough to draw anyone to any kind of cause-effect relationship." Wendy Cukier, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for Gun Control and a professor of justice studies at Ryerson University in Toronto, said overall crime rates involving firearms have declined over the past 30 years. She dismissed criticism about the effectiveness of the registry, noting that it's not yet completely up and running. NOTE: Handguns have been registered since 1934 BREITKREUZ'S FIREARMS QUICK FACTS http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/firearmsquickfacts.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:42:15 -0600 From: Thom McMillan Subject: re. Don't buy a Dell Forwarded by Thom MacMillan, NFA#21211 Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 00:24:31 -0800 (PST) original message from: "Stephen E. Ridenour, Jr" To: "FullboreList" Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 Subject: [Fullbore] Who do you support? OK... rant time. Check out this link and read over the header at the top. Then, check out who pays HCI for click-through sales... < http://www.progressivefunds.com/hci/> Is it just me or does anyone else smell something... It's sad to see such names as Borders (I thought they were a good book and music store), Gordmans (I thought they were a decent clothier), Crucial Technology (makers of quality memory), McAfee (antivirus),Dell Computers, Hickory Farms (the sausage and cheese guys?), FTD (the flower people), Hallmark Cards, American Express credit card, OfficeMax (like Staples or Office Depot), Franklin Mint (no more limited editions from them for me), and the World Wrestling Federation. This is, with the exception of WWF, a list of businesses that I have supported in the past, but no more. Time to start some letter writing. ===== END Thom MacMillan N.F.A. #21211 Email: or Brookfield, NS, B0N 1C0 Home Ph:(902)673-3015 Visit: __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Greetings - Send FREE e-cards for every occasion! http://greetings.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:46:17 -0600 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" Subject: UNE COLLECTION DE REBUTS DE 7 MILLIONS DE DOLLARS COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE Le 28 février 2002 Pour diffusion immédiate LE REGISTRE DES ARMES À FEU: UNE COLLECTION DE REBUTS DE 7 MILLIONS DE DOLLARS « Le ministère de la Justice a perdu la trace de 300 000 armes à feu enregistrées et de plus de 38 000 détenteurs de permis. » Ottawa - Le porte-parole officiel de l'opposition en matière de contrôle des armes à feu, Garry Breitkreuz, a rendu public aujourd'hui un recueil des dernières étourderies de la bureaucratie concernant le registre des armes à feu de 700 millions de dollars du gouvernement : DES ERREURS, D'AUTRES ERREURS ET ENCORE DES ERREURS. Le 7 février 2001, l'Edmonton Sun rapportait ce qui suit : [Traduction] Le président de l'Association canadienne de police, le constable Grant Obst, a déclaré hier qu'un grand nombre de policiers canadiens qui croient pourtant au principe d'un registre des armes à feu doutent sérieusement que celui du Centre canadien des armes à feu leur fournira un jour l'information dont ils ont besoin pour lutter contre la criminalité. « Ils ne sont pas contents de l'information recueillie, a-t-il dit. Ils se demandent si les renseignements sont exacts. » Le document de M. Breitkreuz répond à la question du constable Obst : « Si l'information contenue dans le registre n'est pas exacte, en quoi le registre peut?il être utile à la police? » « Qu'il s'agisse des quelque 300 000 armes à feu non réclamées dans l'ancien registre, des 38 629 détenteurs de permis dont on a perdu la trace l'an dernier, des 832 permis d'armes à feu délivrés en double, des dizaines de permis avec la mauvaise photo, des 57 certificats d'enregistrement établis pour 16 armes à feu appartenant à une seule personne, les bureaucrates du ministère de la Justice se sont révélés incapables de mettre à exécution le projet de loi C-68 et ne peuvent pas espérer tenir les promesses faites par le ministre, a commenté M. Breitkreuz. « Le registre des armes à feu est le plus formidable système de collecte d'ordures au Canada. Il n'est pas étonnant que les libéraux veuillent privatiser ce fouillis. » Un article paru en première page du Moncton Times and Transcript de lundi illustre à quel point l'exactitude des données contenues dans le registre des armes à feu est importante pour la police. [Traduction] La base de données est censée permettre aux policiers qui répondent à un appel de vérifier s'il existe des armes à feu dans la maison. L'agent saura ainsi s'il existe un danger grave à cet endroit. Mais certains patrouilleurs font valoir qu'il serait idiot de se fier à un registre que personne ne peut dire s'il est complet, et que les policiers qui ne sont pas conscients que tous les appels doivent être traités avec la plus haute prudence jouent avec leur vie. « À première vue, c'était un argument de vente excellent, a déclaré le policier de Sackville Ted Doncaster. Il s'est passé beaucoup de choses depuis, a-t-il ajouté en se moquant de ce dispositif de sécurité auquel les policiers peuvent se fier seulement à leurs risques. En somme, on s'est fait avoir. » « En dépit de toutes les preuves attestant du contraire, certains maintiendront que cette dépense d'un milliard de dollars pour le registre des armes à feu contribuera à améliorer la sécurité du public. Or, c'est malheureux, mais la sécurité du public est encore plus compromise par le registre des armes à feu, prévient M. Breitkreuz. Comme nous l'avons dit, les policiers peuvent être bercés par un faux sentiment de sécurité si l'ordinateur du registre indique qu'il n'y a pas de fusils dans la maison. À l'inverse, si l'ordinateur révèle la présence d'armes à feu alors qu'il n'y en a pas, les occupants sont en danger parce que les policiers sortent leurs armes avant d'entrer. Les erreurs présentes dans le système annulent le principe de base du registre. » « En 1995, le député de Leeds-Grenville, Joe Jordan, a déclaré à la télévision nationale que le registre des armes à feu n'était pas plus compliqué que le système d'impôt sur le revenu. J'imagine que c'est une coïncidence si le premier ministre a nommé un nouveau ministre de la Justice qui possède une certaine expérience de l'Agence des douanes et du revenu du Canada, a fait observer M. Breitkreuz. Lundi, le nouveau ministre de la Justice a affirmé fièrement au Parlement : « Nous sommes contents de ce que nous avons réalisé. Le registre des armes à feu fonctionne très bien. » (Hansard page 9201) « Regardez de nouveau, monsieur le ministre, les documents de votre propre ministère prouvent le contraire. » Le rapport de M. Breitkreuz DES ERREURS, D'AUTRES ERREURS ET ENCORE DES ERREURS est disponible à son site Web Cliquez ici: http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/errors-errors.htm Note: Translation of attachment still not complete. - - 30- ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V4 #578 ********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Moderator's e-mail address: mailto:acardin33@shaw.ca List owner: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca FAQ list: http://www.magma.ca/~asd/cfd-faq1.html and http://teapot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/Faq/cfd-faq1.html Web Site: http://teapot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/homepage.html FTP Site: ftp://teapot.usask.ca/pub/cdn-firearms/ CFDigest Archives: http://www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca/~ab133/ or put the next command in an e-mail message and mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca get cdn-firearms-digest v04.n192 end (192 is the digest issue number and 04 is the volume) To unsubscribe from _all_ the lists, put the next five lines in a message and mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca unsubscribe cdn-firearms-digest unsubscribe cdn-firearms-alert unsubscribe cdn-firearms-chat unsubscribe cdn-firearms end (To subscribe, use "subscribe" instead of "unsubscribe".) 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