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 #531 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 Monday, October 24 2005 Volume 08 : Number 531 In this issue: Three killed in weekend gunplay Four grizzlies shot in Bella Coola Valley Caribou herds shrinking in NWT Audit targets bureaucrat over contract practices Sponsorship scandal was torment for Tremblay, confidant says Re: Society asks doctors to inquire about firearms Re: Making A Move Re: Brazilians reject proposed ban on gun sales Letter to Globe and Mail (unpub) ... Re: Brazilians reject proposed ban on gun sales Re: Feds target U.S. gun makers: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:08:53 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Three killed in weekend gunplay http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051024/SHO OTING24/National/Idx Three killed in weekend gunplay By CAROLYN ABRAHAM Monday, October 24, 2005 Page A12 Three men were shot dead on Toronto streets over the weekend in two separate, bloody and very public displays of gun power. Some time around 6:30 yesterday evening, two men were driving near the intersection of Finch Avenue and Martingrove Road in Etobicoke when two men on foot fired at them, police said. Their silvery-coloured vehicle then veered through the intersection and crashed into the fence outside Elmbank Junior Middle Academy School. "Both of the men were in the vehicle when they were shot," Toronto Sergeant Mike Rosina said last night as officers worked in the cold drizzle, gathering grim measurements at the scene. Inspector Mike Earl of 23 Division said the driver was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead. A passenger, whose body lay covered under an orange sheet on the sidewalk last night, died at the scene. The suspects were seen fleeing eastbound on foot after the shooting, said Insp. Earl. As a result, police cordoned off the intersection at all four ends and began a methodical hunt in the area that involved forensics teams and at least one German Shepherd. "Due to the amount of blood at the scene . . . we're also considering that there may be a third victim," he added. "We're just being cautious." Police could not say last night if the double shooting had any connection to the fatal gunfire that erupted just 26 hours earlier in north Etobicoke -- an area that has borne the brunt of this summer's gun-related violence. In that case, police received a 911 call at 4:25 p.m. Saturday reporting gun shots fired at Finch and Albion Road. When police arrived they discovered 22-year-old Brandon Archibold Sterling lying on the street in front of a townhouse complex. Mr. Sterling was pronounced dead at the hospital and an autopsy yesterday concluded he had died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Police are looking for information about a dark blue Dodge, or Chrysler, minivan that witnesses described fleeing the scene immediately after that shooting. Toronto has suffered a record number of fatal shootings this year, with this weekend's deaths bringing the total to 64 -- 42 of them gun slayings. Shortly before shots rang out at Finch and Martingrove yesterday, women who lost children to gunfire held a rally in Toronto calling themselves UMOVE -- short for United Mothers Opposing Violence Everywhere. Toronto police also reported yesterday that they had pulled the body of a white man in his mid-30s from the Humber River at about 4:15 p.m. The cause of death has not yet been confirmed. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:09:07 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Four grizzlies shot in Bella Coola Valley http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051024/BCG RIZZLY24/National/Idx Four grizzlies shot in Bella Coola Valley By PATRICK BRETHOUR Monday, October 24, 2005 Page S2 With a report from Canadian Press Conservation officers have trapped and shot a group of four grizzly bears that terrorized residents of the Bella Coola Valley last week -- capturing the animals less than 100 metres from the site where a 74-year-old man was mauled. All four bears were male, surprising officials who had believed they were dealing with a sow and her offspring. And a senior wildlife official said he was also taken aback by the fact that the animals lingered in the area where Jack Turner was mauled just a day before. "They're not scared of people; the opposite is true," said Doug Gillett, a manager with the Conservation Officer Service. Mr. Turner is undergoing skin-graft operations at Vancouver General Hospital after losing his left ear and a large piece of scalp in the attack, which occurred Wednesday evening as he walked to his daughter's house to feed her dog. The site of that attack is full of apple trees, with ripe and fallen fruit, an attractive food source for the bears, Mr. Gillett said. The four grizzlies were trapped within a three-hour span on Thursday evening and shot rather than being relocated. Mr. Gillett said their aggressiveness accounted in a major way for that decision, noting that one of the bears charged a bicyclist the morning after Mr. Turner was attacked. Another reason for destroying the animals was the fact that all four were males. Sows typically keep their offspring with them for several years, so a family grouping of grizzlies is common. A mother acting to protect cubs is usually seen as a less worrisome form of attack, with relocation often ending any problems. But it is highly unusual for adult male grizzlies to tolerate the presence of other males, as was the case with the four bears. Three were juveniles, likely around two years old. The fourth was much older, perhaps as old as six years, Mr. Gillet said. News of the capture is starting to filter through the Bella Coola Valley, on the B.C. coast north of Vancouver. Some residents say that while they are relieved that the aggressive animals are now gone, encounters with bears are a fact of life. "Bears are in my backyard all the time," said Brian Roe of Hagensborg. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:09:36 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Caribou herds shrinking in NWT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051024/CAR IBOU24/National/Idx Caribou herds shrinking in NWT By BOB WEBER Monday, October 24, 2005 Page A5 Canadian Press Northern hunters are considering changes to age-old traditions in the face of shrinking caribou herds that in some cases have declined by more than three-quarters. While some call for tight restrictions on sport or commercial operators, others suggest aboriginal hunters themselves should be restricted by quotas -- a shocking idea in a land where killing caribou is like grocery shopping. "[People] are beginning to see what these numbers mean," said Walter Bayha, chief of the Deline First Nation, who says caribou is on his table four out of every five times he sits down to eat. "They're beginning to realize they have to make some decisions." In September, the Northwest Territories released its latest population estimates for three of the main caribou herds in the western Arctic. The Cape Bathurst herd is down to 2,400 animals from 17,500 in 1992. The Bluenose West herd has fallen to 20,800 members from 98,900 in 1987. The Bluenose East herd has plummeted to 66,600 animals from 104,000 in 2000. Caribou populations go up and down. But the survey confirms the current drop is sustained, said Ron Morrison of the NWT's Environment and Resources Department. "With the 2005 data, the decline became much more apparent and the trend became very clear." Mr. Morrison has his suspicions about the culprit. "It's more than likely climate-change related," he said. Scientists suggest the western NWT is warming faster than almost anywhere else on the globe. That affects caribou forage, snow depth, ice crossings and other factors in the delicately balanced northern ecosystem. The result, Mr. Morrison said, is that too many caribou calves don't survive. Community meetings are now being held over the NWT to discuss the survey. Hunters agree they're seeing fewer animals. Others say they have to travel further and further to be successful. Robert Charlie of the Gwich'In Renewable Resources Board says the idea of quotas has already come up. Mr. Bayha has heard the same suggestion. Other options include hunting in the fall rather than the spring. That would give females a chance to deliver their young -- although unborn caribou is a Dene delicacy. Hunters could shoot fewer calves, or simply kill fewer animals. "If people can just limit the harvest to what they can use," Mr. Charlie said. Successful hunters could share with others to keep the harvest as low as possible, he added. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:09:51 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Audit targets bureaucrat over contract practices http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051024/AUD IT24/National/Idx Audit targets bureaucrat over contract practices Liberal MP's former firm got $1-million over five years, financial probe finds By DANIEL LEBLANC Monday, October 24, 2005 Page A4 OTTAWA -- A federal bureaucrat who has been suspended without pay following an audit of his contracting practices was a political ally of the Liberal MP whose company received some of the controversial deals, sources said. Frank Brazeau was a contracting officer at Consulting and Audit Canada whose performance came under the scrutiny of auditors at KPMG. In their recent report, the auditors raised allegations of irregularities in Mr. Brazeau's handling of contracts, finding a lack of documentation, backdating of contracts, manipulation of requests for proposals and irregular invoices. Mr. Brazeau was initially suspended with pay, but he is no longer receiving a salary "pending further review," according to a senior federal official. The audit has not been made public, but details were provided to The Globe and Mail this past week. Over all, the KPMG auditors probed $15-million in contracts that were handled by Mr. Brazeau between 2001 and 2005. The auditors estimated that Liberal MP David Smith's former firm, Abotech Inc., received about $1-million in contracts over the past five years. After Mr. Smith won a seat in last year's election, the firm was transferred to Mr. Smith's wife and their two children. As a direct result of that review, the federal government has terminated two active contracts worth a total of $200,000 -- of which about $150,000 had been expended -- with Mr. Smith's former computer-services consulting firm. Of the two terminated contracts to Abotech, one was awarded while Mr. Smith was still the president of Abotech, while the other one came while the firm was transferred to Mr. Smith's wife and their children. In addition to the past professional relationship between Mr. Brazeau and Mr. Smith, sources said that this past year Mr. Brazeau became the secretary of the Liberal association in Mr. Smith's riding of Pontiac, a rural area north of Gatineau, Que. Association president Luc Martel confirmed in an interview that Mr. Brazeau was elected after the 2004 federal election, in which Mr. Smith first entered the House of Commons. Mr. Martel said the Liberal association is not very active and that Mr. Brazeau did not attend many of its meetings, and that Mr. Brazeau sent a letter of resignation last month. "We didn't meet very often, and when we did meet, he wasn't available," Mr. Martel said. In an interview earlier this week, Mr. Smith said he met with KPMG auditors a few months ago and that he fully collaborated in their review. He said that he was unaware of any repercussions of their work, including the termination of the two contracts with Abotech, saying he and his wife do not discuss the business. Mr. Smith also said that after his election, he complied with the disclosure requirements for MPs, informing ethics commissioner Bernard Shapiro of his past involvement with Abotech. Mr. Smith said he informed Mr. Shapiro at the time of his convocation before KPMG. Following a story in The Globe, Mr. Smith also announced earlier this week that he asked Mr. Shapiro to look into the issue of Abotech once more, this time in relation with the results of the KPMG review. In an interview last week, Mr. Smith refused to say whether he has informed the ethics commissioner of Mr. Brazeau's past ties to the Liberal riding association in Pontiac. "I've always been transparent in this exercise," Mr. Smith said in a brief interview, adding he is waiting for Mr. Shapiro's report. A spokeswoman for the office of the ethics commissioner, Micheline Rondeau-Parent, said Mr. Smith has made an official request for "confidential advice," and she said she could not say anything about the specifics of the case. Mr. Smith took many Liberals by surprise when he won the Liberal nomination in Pontiac this past year, beating then Liberal MP Robert Bertrand after Liberal Leader Paul Martin ended the practice of protecting incumbents from nomination challenges. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:10:08 -0600 (CST) From: "Bruce Mills" Subject: Sponsorship scandal was torment for Tremblay, confidant says http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051024/TRE MBLAY24/National/Idx Sponsorship scandal was torment for Tremblay, confidant says By DANIEL LEBLANC Monday, October 24, 2005 Page A4 OTTAWA -- Pierre Tremblay, the former Liberal aide who later ran the sponsorship program, died a tormented man whose sense of loyalty prevented him from discussing the role of politicians who may have been involved in mismanagement of the national-unity initiative, a close friend said in a television interview broadcast last night. Claude Lamontagne is the first person close to Mr. Tremblay to speak publicly about Mr. Tremblay's views of the sponsorship scandal. Mr. Tremblay testified in private before a parliamentary committee, but died in 2004 before he could testify at the Gomery inquiry into the scandal. Mr. Tremblay was chief of staff to then-public-works-minister Alfonso Gagliano from 1997 to 1999, in the early days of the sponsorship program that aimed at raising the federal presence in Quebec. He was the bureaucrat in charge of the program from 1999 to 2001. Mr. Tremblay witnessed irregularities, but refused to divulge them before he died, according to Mr. Lamontagne, a long-time friend. Mr. Tremblay died from diabetes after battling alcoholism, a problem that people close to him said was exacerbated by the seemingly endless series of revelations about the sponsorship program. "I think Pierre died because he tried to protect the politicians," Mr. Lamontagne said in an interview with the CBC's French-language service. "The question for him was, 'Do I maintain my allegiance to the politicians or do I open up and reveal all the details of the practice?' " Mr. Tremblay was approached by the RCMP when it launched its investigation into allegations of fraud in 2002, but it is unclear how much he co-operated. Mr. Lamontagne is a psychology professor at the University of Ottawa, and supervised Mr. Tremblay's PhD thesis decades ago. Mr. Lamontagne remained a mentor and a confidant of Mr. Tremblay, other sources confirmed. Mr. Lamontagne said that his friend suffered to the end as he kept the secrets of the sponsorship scandal to himself. "Pierre told us, 'It's clear that the sponsorship program went to the upper levels. We're talking about the Prime Minister's Office, people close to the prime minister, minister Gagliano,' " Mr. Lamontagne said. Mr. Tremblay also felt he was the fall guy as various people involved passed the blame for the misspending of funds in the sponsorship program, Mr. Lamontagne said. "He wasn't naïve, he could see that he was the ideal scapegoat." At the Gomery inquiry last fall, a lawyer for Mr. Gagliano said that Mr. Tremblay's drinking problem forced Mr. Gagliano's staff to increase its involvement in the sponsorship program. Mr. Gagliano denied having any role in the selection of Mr. Tremblay to head the program in 1999. But Chuck Guité testified at the inquiry that he was told by Mr. Gagliano to hire Mr. Tremblay as his replacement, a version of events that was corroborated by Jean Pelletier, the long-time chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétien. Opposition parties have alleged the Liberals chose Mr. Tremblay to run the sponsorship program to ensure that contracts would continue to flow to advertising firms that financed the Liberal Party. Mr. Tremblay acknowledged before the public accounts committee in 2002 that he sometimes signed off on invoices without ensuring the work had been done. In particular, Mr. Tremblay approved an invoice of $375,000 from Groupaction Marketing Inc. on a contract for which the RCMP later alleged that little or no work was done. Mr. Lamontagne said Mr. Tremblay acknowledged that he made some mistakes. "He said yes, he did sign on documents for which he didn't have the full details of the story. But everybody knows that when you get into a new position, and that paper is piling up on your desk and you have to sign, it's clear that people will say, 'You signed it, you're responsible.' Pierre was well aware of that," Mr. Lamontagne said. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:10:35 -0600 (CST) From: "mred" Subject: Re: Society asks doctors to inquire about firearms - ----- Original Message ----- From: "10x" <10x@telus.net> > At 09:44 AM 10/22/05 -0600, you wrote: >>PUBLICATION: Cape Breton Post >>DATE: 2005.10.22 >>SECTION: Weekend Celebrations >>PAGE: D4 >>SOURCE: CP >>DATELINE: TORONTO >>WORD COUNT: 363 >> >>----------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>Society asks doctors to inquire about firearms >> >>------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >>Doctors should routinely inquire about the presence of firearms in the > home >>and counsel parents about the safety risks involved with firearms >>possession, the Canadian Paediatric Society says. > > Big snip >>"That would probably be the single most important thing," said Austin >>Leonard. "If there were a depressed teen male, the risk for suicide is >>greater when there's a firearm in the home." > > I have done an extensive literature search on increased risk in the home > due to the presense of firearms. > There is NO reseach that correlates any increased risk to the residents of > a home with firearms in it. > All references to increased risk go back to a rather biased and limited > conclusion by Arther Kellermann based on 365 homicides. 11 of these > homicides involved the use of a firearm present in the home. Other > references to "increased risk" cite back to unsupported statements and > speculation not supported by data or research. THEY CAN ASK ALL THEY WANT !ACCORDING TO REPORTS WE DONT HAVE TO TELL ANYONE anything , ACCORDING TO A RECENT SCC DECISION.Including police and their chorts. ED/ONTARIO ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:11:04 -0600 (CST) From: "mred" Subject: Re: Making A Move - ----- Original Message ----- > http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20051023-008/page.asp > > Making A Move > > CITY-TV > October 23, 2005 > > "We stand against it, it must stop now." > > But Police Chief Bill Blair says even though violence is still a major > issue in Toronto, groups like U.M.O.V.E. are extremely important and > making > a difference. > > "I think it's important for people to come forward and put a face to some > of the people that we've lost to this violence and to show the suffering > that families feel," said the chief. > > Suzette Cadougan, whose five-year-old son Shaquan survived a shooting in > the summer agrees, suggesting U.M.O.V.E. is all about showing others the > harsh realities of gun violence in the hopes their families won't have to > face similar tragedies. > > "I know how hard it is, and I don't want no other parents to go through > what we are going through right now," she said. Well all the kissy-kissy and whining to the perps to stop shooting wont do a thing . Get the perps off the street for life and we will see a major attitude adjustment ......until that happens welcome to the Wild West in TO and other major and not so major cities. ed/ontario ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:11:32 -0600 (CST) From: "mred" Subject: Re: Brazilians reject proposed ban on gun sales - ----- Original Message ----- > http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051024/brazil_guns_05 > 1024/20051024?hub=TopStories > > Brazilians reject proposed ban on gun sales > > from the upscale Ipanema beach district. > > About 39,000 people in Brazil are killed by guns each year, compared to > about 30,000 people in the United States, although the U.S. population is > about 100 million more than Brazil's, according to the U.S. Centers for > Disease Control and Prevention. > > According to UNESCO, Brazil ranks second in deaths by guns, with 21.72 per > 100,000 people a year. Only Venezuela has more - 34.3 gun deaths per > 100,000. > > But in shantytowns like Vila do Joao, the rate rises to around 150 per > 100,000. And for males between 17 and 24, the death rate is closer to 250 > per 100,000. Maybe they need more basketball courts and social activities to keep them from shooting each other ? ? Its supposed to be the answer for TO ? why not Brazil?(tongue in cheek) ed/ontario ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:12:04 -0600 (CST) From: "Robert S. Sciuk" Subject: Letter to Globe and Mail (unpub) ... Young and a lifer ... (fwd) Dear Sir/Madame, In your contrast between the harsh juvenile punishments for capital murder in the US, the "life without parole" sentencing, verses Canada's "parole without a sentence", you take a public health approach to rationalizing our lax sentences by pointing out that Canada had only 40 teens accused of murder last year. I would suggest that on a per capita basis, that rate is higher than it should be, and only marginally better than that in the US. Should youth be a mitigating factor in sentencing? Perhaps. Should a system in place allow for the proverbial second chance? Definitely -- and not just for the underage. What message do we send out, however if youth are not held to account for even a first offense? Our Youth Criminal Justice Act goes so far as to hide the identities of young offenders, when it should do just the opposite. By subjecting young offenders to the shame of making their crimes public they learn the first lesson of life in civil society. Restitution, not retribution should be the goal of our sentencing formulae, and through an arduous process the young would-be delinquent should learn responsibility and thus earn their way back into society. While nothing is gained by a draconian approach, you can't just let them off the hook by fiat as that is a sure formula for recidivism. Sincerely, Robert S. Sciuk Oshawa, Ont. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:12:27 -0600 (CST) From: "Jim S." Subject: Re: Brazilians reject proposed ban on gun sales Bruce - The gun-grabbers (aka "non-governmental anti-violence institutions") continue their shrill clamour about what rights the rest of us do NOT have. The gun grabbers are claiming the "psuedo right" to disarm us. Thanks to the good folks of CUFOA and the millions of gun owners who observe a higher moral law than parliament, the Liberals are left holding a program in tatters and trying to explain billions of dollars in squandered taxes to angry citizens. Jim Szpajcher St. Paul, AB. > Marianna Olinger, member of Viva Rio, a non-governmental anti-violence > institution, cries after her organization experienced an overwheling > defeat > in its quest to ban arms sales across Brazil. > (AP Photo/Renzo Gostoli) > > "Now, a lot of Brazilians are insisting on their right to bear arms. They > don't even have a pseudo right to bear arms. It's not in their > Constitution." > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:32:56 -0600 (CST) From: 10x <10x@telus.net> Subject: Re: Feds target U.S. gun makers: At 09:02 AM 10/24/05 -0600, you wrote: >PUBLICATION: Edmonton Journal >DATE: 2005.10.23 >EDITION: Final >SECTION: News >PAGE: A5 >SOURCE: The Canadian Press >DATELINE: TORONTO >WORD COUNT: 223 > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >Feds target U.S. gun makers: Manufacturers of firearms illegally brought >here could be sued > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >TORONTO -- The Canadian government is looking into ways to sue U.S. gun >manufacturers for the spread of illegal weapons into this country, a >Toronto newspaper reported Saturday. > >The action is just one part of a multi-faceted crackdown on gun crime >due to be unveiled by the end of November. > >The policy will also be seen as another shot by Prime Minister Paul >Martin's government across the bow of Canada-U.S. relations. > >The newspaper spoke with government sources who say Canada will be >looking into "every legal option" to stem a tide of crimes involving >weapons that make their way into this country illegally from the United >States, whether they are sold through the Internet or smuggled across >the border. > >The options include possible lawsuits against U.S. manufacturers, >launched either south of the border or in Canada if the firm has assets >here as well, the sources said. > >Although no precise estimates are available, Toronto police have said >repeatedly that almost half the gun crimes committed in Canada involved >illegal U.S. weapons. ALL of the gun crimes are commited by Canadian criminals in Canada. Maybe the Federal government should catch these criminals and incarcerate them. Then smuggled guns would not be an issue. ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V8 #531 ********************************** 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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