From: owner-can-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca (Cdn-Firearms Digest) To: cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Cdn-Firearms Digest V8 #473 Reply-To: cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Sender: owner-can-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Errors-To: owner-can-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Precedence: normal Cdn-Firearms Digest Friday, October 7 2005 Volume 08 : Number 473 In this issue: GANGS SUSPECTED IN CITY SHOOTINGS New rules in effect for hunting season POLICE CHIEF BEVAN: "We need more police officers." Suburban growth spurs need for 182 new officers, service says [none] Ethics czar called to explain probe of Tory MP Fears raised for impartial public service ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:29:20 -0600 (CST) From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 Subject: GANGS SUSPECTED IN CITY SHOOTINGS PUBLICATION: The Edmonton Sun DATE: 2005.10.07 EDITION: Final SECTION: News PAGE: 12 WORD COUNT: 146 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GANGS SUSPECTED IN CITY SHOOTINGS - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cops suspect gangs are involved in two shooting incidents in the downtown core that left two men wounded. Shots rang out near a downtown apartment at 109 Street and 107 Avenue minutes after midnight yesterday, leaving a 22-year-old man with gunshot wounds. A short time later a man arrived at the Royal Alexandra Hospital suffering from non-life-threatening bullet wounds to his ankle and buttocks, police said. A truck that the man arrived in at the hospital was riddled with bullet holes. Hospital staff called police. While the victim remains unco-operative with investigators, police say this incident is connected to one on Tuesday afternoon in the same area of town when a man was shot in the back. Police spokesman Karen Carlson confirmed the injured man had been at Tuesday's incident. "The same people are involved," she said. But Carlson added since the victims in each shooting are being unco-operative, cops are having a difficult time finding out what happened. "It's still too early to say the level of (gang) involvement," said Carlson. Police have identified what they call "people of interest" but no one is in custody and no charges have been laid. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:29:37 -0600 (CST) From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 Subject: New rules in effect for hunting season PUBLICATION: The Guardian (Charlottetown) DATE: 2005.10.07 SECTION: The Province PAGE: A4 WORD COUNT: 340 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ New rules in effect for hunting season - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hunters will see some changes in the field as the fall 2005 hunting season gets underway as new regulations come into effect. Hunting guides and outfitters will now be licensed by the province, and non-resident hunters must be accompanied by either a licensed resident hunter or a registered hunting guide while hunting in Prince Edward Island. Environment Minister Jamie Ballem said about 1,000 sportsmen come to the Island each fall to enjoy the excellent hunting opportunities that the province offers. Ballem acknowledged that many Islanders have friends visit for hunting trips. He noted a resident of P.E.I. who has a valid hunting licence can still accompany up to two non-resident hunters, but they may not accept payment or other compensation for these services. A registered guide may accompany up to four non-resident hunters. Guides may not actively hunt while guiding but may kill an injured bird for a client if necessary. A registered hunting guide licence is $30 for P.E.I. residents and $50 for non-residents. A registered hunting outfitter licence, which allows an individual or company to provide services, equipment, guides or guiding services in relation to hunting, is $50 for both residents and non-residents. Further information on the new regulations and copies of the licence application forms are available from the Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division, 4th Floor Jones Building, 11 Kent St., Charlottetown; at Access P.E.I. sites; and online. Those interested in being a registered guide or outfitter are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible. The woodcock and ruffed grouse season opened Sept. 26, and the season for ducks, geese and snipe began Oct. 3. The Hunting Summary 2005 is a source of information on hunting regulations, open season dates, and daily bag and possession limits, as well as hunter safety, and ethics and responsibilities. The booklet is available at the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry, Access PEI sites, and licence vendors across the province; and online. On the Internet: www.gov.pe.ca/go/huntingguides. LICENCE REQUIREMENTS Those applying for a Registered Hunting Guide Licence in 2005 must meet four basic criteria: - - They must be 19 years of age or older; - - They must have a valid P.E.I. hunting licence; - - They must have a valid firearm safety certificate; - - They must not be prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. Starting in 2006, applicants must have a valid emergency first aid and CPR certificate, and they must pass a competency test which will confirm their knowledge of applicable legislation, hunting practices, firearm and hunter safety, and other related topics. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:30:32 -0600 (CST) From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 Subject: POLICE CHIEF BEVAN: "We need more police officers." PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Citizen DATE: 2005.10.07 EDITION: EARLY SECTION: City PAGE: F1 / Front BYLINE: Vito Pilieci SOURCE: The Ottawa Citizen ILLUSTRATION: Photo: Jean Levac, The Ottawa Citizen / Mayor Bob Chiarelli,left, and police Chief Vince Bevan take questions from concerned Barrhaven residents. WORD COUNT: 421 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Barrhaven residents grill police chief on security: 300 residents cram into meeting - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Senior police and city officials last night faced Barrhaven residents angry about security issues in the fast-growing suburb. About 300 residents lined up dozens deep at the microphones at Walter Baker Centre to question police Chief Vince Bevan and Mayor Bob Chiarelli. The meeting came four weeks after 18-year-old Jennifer Teague was killed and her body concealed on a wooded trail. But Chief Bevan only touched briefly on that investigation. On that matter, Chief Bevan said there is nothing new to report, and said there are a number of details about the crime scene police will not release because they need to keep them secret to help them identify any suspect. The panel was part of Councillor Jan Harder's annual constituency meeting. Panel members faced residents who were often angry and critical of the services offered by police in Barrhaven. Resident Stephen Bates questioned police response time. "A neighbour of mine was outside when he witnessed a man break into a home on my street," said Mr. Bates. "He phoned police and it took more than 30 minutes for an officer to arrive. "I see all these nice parks and green spaces being erected. I would rather have my child play in a mud puddle than not have safe streets." Chief Bevan said there is a particular need for police officers in Barrhaven. "We need more police officers. In particular, we need more police officers in Barrhaven," said Chief Bevan. "Hopefully, the province will help us with that." According to police Supt. Lynda Gibson, there are only three police officers patrolling Barrhaven streets on a daily basis. If there is a serious incident, they can call in extra officers. The department hopes it can get the cash it needs from the province to get at least three more officers for the area. Residents tossed out questions and comments about street racing and drug abuse, graffiti and monitoring pedophile offenders who have been released from prison and are living in the community. Mr. Chiarelli said while he respects the concerns of the residents, they must also begin helping themselves. "You own the community, you own the neighbourhood. You take ownership of us," he told the crowd, adding that if only one per cent of Barrhaven's 70,000 people is engaging in questionable behavior, then only about 700 people are doing something problematic. He called on the community to help control that problem minority. Police encouraged residents to report any and all behaviour they considered to be strange. Complaining to your neighbour doesn't tell police what's going on, they said. Mr. Chiarelli said neighbourhood watch groups and community police initiatives are already established in older neighbourhoods. New neighbourhoods haven't had time to piece together these programs. The panel hopes to create a plan it can use to address policing issues and concerns in other fast-growing communities such as Riverside South, Orleans and Kanata. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:30:44 -0600 (CST) From: Breitkreuz@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Garry - Assistant 1 Subject: Suburban growth spurs need for 182 new officers, service says PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Citizen DATE: 2005.10.07 EDITION: EARLY SECTION: City PAGE: F1 / Front BYLINE: Patrick Dare SOURCE: The Ottawa Citizen WORD COUNT: 467 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Police seek Ontario's help to beef up force: Suburban growth spurs need for 182 new officers, service says - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Ottawa Police Service said yesterday it has formally applied for provincial assistance to hire 182 urgently needed officers. The force hopes to qualify under the province's "Safer Communities -- 1,000 Officers Partnership Program" to hire 90 more officers over the next three years, as well as pay retroactively for the recent hiring of 92 officers. Under the hiring program, 50 per cent of an officer's salary is covered by the province, to a maximum of $35,000. The city will know by Nov. 21. If the province agrees to pay for all 182 police positions being requested, the city would get $4.2 million in help. During the last provincial election, Premier Dalton McGuinty promised 1,000 more police officers on Ontario streets by the end of four years. Ottawa has been hiring officers and plans to hire more to cover rapidly growing suburban neighbourhoods such as Riverside South, Barrhaven and Orleans. Some of the officers will focus on problems such as youth crime, marijuana grow operations, child pornography and child exploitation through the Internet. The former Conservative government had a program to help municipalities hire more police, but Ottawa police officials believe they were shortchanged, getting funding for 32 more officers when the police service believed it should have been given help with 70 hires. Police spokesman Martin Champoux said the department couldn't understand why the funding was short under the Conservatives. Earlier this year, the police service told council it expected it would require an $11.2-million increase in its $174-million operating budget for 2006. With the province's assistance on hiring costs, the budget increase would be about $8 million, or 4.5 per cent. The police service says it needs to hire more officers to maintain a reasonable ratio of police to residents, currently one officer for 744 citizens. Public demands for service from city police are growing. In 2000, the force handled 257,989 calls. Last year, it handled 361,463 calls in Ottawa, including 76,655 classified as urgent. One recent initiative of the police is to hire more officers to enforce long-neglected traffic violations. Eighty-five per cent of the police service's costs are wages and benefits and some of those costs -- retention bonuses ordered by a provincial labour arbitrator, for example -- aren't under the control of Ottawa officials. The police service has been seeing large budget increases for the last several years, including a $15.2-million increase for this year. The police service has a gross operating budget of $174 million this year and a staff of 1,673. In a recent interview, Councillor Michel Bellemare, a member of the police services board, said police managers don't entirely understand why service demands are increasing as much as they are. But he said there's great reluctance to tamper with the budget of such an essential service as police. "I don't think we know exactly what's going on. It's just growing and growing and growing. The pressures on the police force are enormous." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:31:03 -0600 (CST) From: ;, Garry@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, -@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, Assistant@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca, 1@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: [none] Subject: REPORT ADDS FUEL TO GUN REGISTRY DEBATE Sender: owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Precedence: normal Reply-To: cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca PUBLICATION: The Edmonton Sun DATE: 2005.10.07 EDITION: Final SECTION: News PAGE: 27 ILLUSTRATION: photo of WENDY CUKIER Supports registry BYLINE: DOUG BEAZLEY, EDMONTON SUN WORD COUNT: 383 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REPORT ADDS FUEL TO GUN REGISTRY DEBATE - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Most murder guns in Canada are never registered with the Canadian Firearms Centre, according to a new Statistics Canada report. The new Juristat study - a version of which reported over the summer that Canada's murder rate jumped 12% in 2004 after a three-decade slide - says that registration information on murder guns was "unknown" to police in more than half of homicides reported between 1997 and 2004 where the gun was recovered. Gun registry opponents say that proves the registry - two years and more than a billion tax dollars later - is a failure. "First, 65% of firearms homicides involve handguns. We've had a handgun registry for decades, so obviously it didn't work either," said Dennis Young, a researcher in the office of Conservative MP and registry critic Garry Breitkreuz. "But look at who's actually committing murders. Two-thirds of murderers - and half of their adult victims - already had criminal histories. The federal government decided with the registry to go after law-abiding gun owners, when the people doing the killing are overwhelmingly criminals who'd never think to register their guns. What a waste." But gun control advocates say the figures actually prove the opposite - that the registry may be driving down murder categories that tend to involve long-barrelled weapons, like spousal homicides. "There's been a huge drop in domestic violence (since the registry was introduced)," said Wendy Cukier, president of the Toronto-based Coalition for Gun Control. Spousal homicides did drop for the third consecutive year in 2004; there were 74. But family-related homicides rose from 141 victims to 160 nationwide. On the other hand, the report says that rifles and shotguns accounted for most firearm homicides before 1990; in 2004, handguns were used in 65% of gun murders. And the weapon of choice for most murders is still the humble knife. Stabbings accounted for one-third of all killings in 2004 - 205 murders, 63 more than in 2003 and the highest number of stabbing homicides in over a decade. Guns dispatched only a quarter of all homicide victims. Cukier pointed out that the majority of handguns used to kill in Canada are smuggled up from the States - something the registry wasn't designed to address. "It's the reason why we need to establish better international protocols on gun trafficking," she said. Canada reported 622 homicides in 2004, 73 more than the year previous. Edmonton did more than its share to boost that number, racking up 34 murder victims in 2004 to just 22 in 2003. The West is bucking the national trend away from gang-related murders. The number of gang-related homicides in Alberta almost doubled to 15 in 2004 over 2003. But nationally, just 71 people died as a result of gang activity across Canada in 2004, down 13 from the year before. - ------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT FACTS FROM THE HOMICIDE IN CANADA 2004 REPORT http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/2005/641.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:31:36 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Ethics czar called to explain probe of Tory MP http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051006/obhrai_probe_0 51006/20051006?hub=Canada Ethics czar called to explain probe of Tory MP Canadian Press OTTAWA -- Ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro will be called before a House of Commons committee to explain an investigation he has launched into Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai. Speaker Peter Milliken, in a ruling Thursday, stopped short of finding any fault with Shapiro, but observed that some of the complaints raised about the probe by Obhrai are "troubling." He also noted that Shapiro's post is a relatively new one, and its mandate and procedures are not clear on some points. "I believe it would be beneficial both for the office of the ethics commissioner and for the House if the committee considered this matter," said Milliken. At issue are allegations that Obhrai was paid $40,000 to fast-track immigration paperwork in certain cases. The MP for Calgary East says the accusations are "frivolous" and were levelled by his estranged brother-in-law who now lives in India. Obhrai says Shapiro failed to give him proper notice that he was investigating the affair, and also damaged his reputation by speaking about the case to a journalist. "He should never have discussed confidential information before the conclusion of his inquiry," Obhrai said in a written statement Thursday. "By making public (the) allegations which were made against me, allegations that are without any factual basis, he has caused a great deal of unnecessary pain and suffering for my family." Shapiro had no comment, leaving a spokesman to say only that the commissioner "will be pleased to work with the committee" in its hearings. In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen during the summer, Shapiro noted that he had received documents alleging "something inappropriate was happening" in relation to Obhrai. "If true, it seemed worth looking into," he said. "If untrue, it will turn out not to be." This is not the first controversy since Shapiro assumed his post as overseer of the separate conduct codes that govern cabinet ministers and backbench MPs. He came under fire last spring over his handling of several sensitive cases, but managed to fend off calls for his resignation. Some MPs were dissatisfied with an ambiguous report he delivered on Liberal MP Judy Sgro, who resigned from cabinet last year over allegations of political meddling in immigration files. Shapiro found no evidence that Sgro knowingly violated ethics rules, but he did say her staff put her in a "conflict of interest environment." In another case, Shapiro said Conservative MP Gurmant Grewal was in an "apparent" conflict of interest when he asked constituents to post financial guarantees in exchange for his support on immigration visas. The commissioner concluded, however, that Grewal did not actually gain any personal financial benefit and didn't mean to break any rules. He continues to investigate another affair involving Grewal's claim that he was promised a political reward if he would cross the floor to join the Liberals last spring. At issue in that case are discussions Grewal secretly taped with Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and Tim Murphy, chief of staff to Prime Minister Paul Martin. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2005 10:32:02 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Fears raised for impartial public service http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051007/AUD IT07/National/Idx Fears raised for impartial public service Ministers' staff get jobs in sections where they used to play political role, official says By BILL CURRY Friday, October 7, 2005 Page A7 OTTAWA -- The impartiality of the public service is at risk because staff in cabinet ministers' offices are using a controversial program to land public-service jobs in the same departments where they used to give political direction, the president of the Public Service Commission warned yesterday. Using the government's "priority appointments" policy, members of a cabinet minister's political staff can be appointed to certain public-service jobs without competition provided they are qualified and have served more than three years. Commission President Maria Barrados said in her annual report to Parliament yesterday that 35 staffers, all Liberals, received government jobs in the past fiscal year through the program. The report said a large number of staff lost their jobs when several ministers in Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Cabinet retired or were demoted by his successor, Paul Martin. The report found 46.5 per cent of those who used the program ended up in the same department where they once worked as ministerial staff. Ms. Barrados said moving into the same department creates the potential for political interference. "The greater risk and what we are concerned about is the Public Service Commission is charged with maintaining a meritorious and politically impartial public service and when you have people moving from political offices, there is a greater risk that you might be compromising non-partisanship," she said. "I think when you have somebody going to the same department where they were holding a political position, I think you have an increased risk." One of the most publicized jobs awarded under the program involved Pierre Tremblay, chief of staff to then-public works minister Alfonso Gagliano. Mr. Tremblay received a priority appointment at Public Works to replace Chuck Guité, the bureaucrat who ran the sponsorship program that is now the subject of a public inquiry Mr. Gagliano told the Gomery inquiry that he urged Mr. Tremblay not to take a job in Public Works. "Perhaps you should look into another department," Mr. Gagliano said he recalled telling Mr. Tremblay. "Transferring from the minister's office into a position in the same department could create a perception that might not necessarily be welcome." Sources said that Mr. Justice John Gomery has received advice from former ministers and deputy ministers for and against the practice and he may touch on the issue in his report. Those in favour say it is a way of encouraging bright young people to take a job that carries little security, as it could end suddenly with a cabinet shuffle or an election. A chief of staff to a cabinet minister is allowed to earn up to $155,000 and a director of communications can make up to $122,000, according to Treasury Board guidelines. Treasury Board minister Reg Alcock refused to comment yesterday on the Commission's concerns. Conservative MP John Williams noted that the Commons public accounts committee, which he chairs, recommended the policy be eliminated. "It is a despicable thing when we claim to have an apolitical public service," he said. "It is a gaping, glaring loophole that allows ministers to park their friends and staffers in the public service." Ms. Barrados said her commission would monitor the program closely but could not stop the practice. "It was hotly debated and it was left in the new [public service] legislation, so I don't have any powers to stop that," she said. The Public Service Commission is an independent agency that reports to Parliament and used to control all hiring in the public service. It has recently become more of an oversight body to ensure departments are following proper hiring rules and objectives. Ms. Barrados is a former assistant Auditor-General and has boosted the number of auditors at the commission from five to 23. ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V8 #473 ********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Moderator's e-mail address: mailto:akimoya@cogeco.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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