Cdn-Firearms Digest Sunday, December 21 2008 Volume 12 : Number 886 In this issue: Winnipeg Sun - Yank jailed on firearms charge Milton Champion - Cousins charged in robbery, police chase Re: Support in 2008 May Not Extend to 2009 "Police had information there might be guns inside, so SWAT..." Japanese Vehicles NOT built for cold? "Halifax: Hunter: Municipal gun bylaws 'ultimate nightmare'" Private Armies ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:23:13 -0800 (PST) From: Bruce Mills Subject: Winnipeg Sun - Yank jailed on firearms charge http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/winnipeg/2008/12/19/7799501-sun.html Yank jailed on firearms charge By DEAN PRITCHARD, SUN MEDIA Last Updated: 19th December 2008, 1:07am A Minnesota man caught trying to run guns across the border has been sentenced to five years in prison. Benjamin James Hamlin, 24, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiring to import firearms into Canada. Hamlin was one of 18 people arrested last December as part of an RCMP-led sting operation dubbed Project Drill. Hamlin came to police attention after he was spotted in the company of Andrew Janz, the brains behind a cross-border smuggling operation that provided a variety of submachine-guns and handguns to city gangsters. Project Drill targeted drug dealers and Hells Angels from Winnipeg and across the country. Police paid career criminal Scott Robertson more than $600,000 to buy drugs from Project Drill targets and recorded the proceedings. Janz was not an initial target, but came to the attention of Project Drill investigators after Janz learned Robertson was dealing drugs and offered his services to Robertson. Border officials were alerted Hamlin may be smuggling firearms for Janz and on Nov. 22, 2007 Hamlin was detained crossing the border at Sprague. Border guards searched Hamlin's Pontiac Firebird and found a semi-automatic gun and a hand gun stashed in a hidden compartment. Hamlin, who has no prior record, has learned a hard lesson about the difference between Canadian and American gun laws, said his lawyer Roberta Campbell. "When I first met him he was somewhat surprised as to what was the uproar about the guns because certainly having them in the U.S. is completely legal," Campbell said. Justice Murray Sinclair gave Hamlin double credit of 26 months for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to just under three years. Sinclair also ordered the forfeiture of Hamlin's vehicle. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:50:25 -0800 (PST) From: Bruce Mills Subject: Milton Champion - Cousins charged in robbery, police chase http://www.miltoncanadianchampion.com/news/article/227043 Cousins charged in robbery, police chase By Stephanie Hounsell, Canadian Champion Staff News Dec 19, 2008 Police are commending the bravery and calm actions of employees and customers during a bank robbery Tuesday afternoon that ended with two arrests. "This was a very brazen, takeover-style robbery," said Halton Regional Police's Det. Sgt. Murray Drinkwalter of the robbery at the CIBC on Maple Avenue near Thompson Road. Because of the level-headedness of the 12 employees and five customers present, police were able to get details quickly and effectively, Drinkwalter said. Additional information is now becoming available about the heist, which was followed by a police pursuit that ended when the getaway vehicle crashed. Police said two men, one openly brandishing a gun, entered the bank just before 2 p. m. As one robber watched the employees and customers, the other went behind the counter and demanded money. In the process, some people in the bank were pushed and shoved by the robbers, Drinkwalter said, but there were no injuries. The culprits fled with an undisclosed amount of money in a black Saab that police confirmed Wednesday morning had been reported stolen from Mount Forest in Wellington. Police pursued the vehicle, and the driver of the Saab soon lost control and struck a traffic light standard at Main Street and Maple Avenue. The occupants ran from the car. A man was arrested a short distance away. A second man was arrested following a 15-minute foot chase that led police to a vehicle parked in a garage on Newell Street - off Maple Avenue. "We were directed to this street by some construction workers, Drinkwalter said. "(Then) an officer noticed a garage door was open and just had a gut feeling." All the money stolen in the robbery has been recovered and police have seized a loaded, .380-calibre, semi-automatic handgun. A replica gun was also located Tuesday afternoon, but Drinkwalter said police don't believe it was used in the robbery. Contrary to a previous Champion story, in which police said both suspects entered the bank carrying guns, Drinkwalter said only one man appeared to be armed. "We're quite confident only one firearm was used," he said. Drinkwalter commended the police work of the uniform officers at the scene. A 38-year-old Clifford, Ont. man and his 19-year-old cousin, from Sutton, Ont., have each been charged with robbery, wearing a disguise, pointing a firearm, unlawful confinement and possession of stolen property. The younger suspect has also been charged with breach of recognizance, while the older man faces additional charges of possession of a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm, failing to stop for police, dangerous driving and possession of a firearm while prohibited. They were held for a bail hearing Wednesday morning at Ontario Court of Justice in Milton, and were remanded in custody to January 8. Stephanie Hounsell can be reached at; sthiessen@miltoncanadianchampion.com LTTE: miltoned@haltonsearch.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:50:28 -0500 From: "mred" Subject: Re: Support in 2008 May Not Extend to 2009 - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Clive Edwards" <45clive@telus.net> To: Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 4:23 PM Subject: FW: Support in 2008 May Not Extend to 2009 > To: > > From: Clive Edwards [mailto:45clive@telus.net]=20 > Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 1:20 PM > To: 'Irving R. Gerstein' > Subject: Support in 2008 May Not Extend to 2009 > > Dear Mr. Gerstein > > I have supported the Conservative Party “for some time”, as you put it, > because I am a legacy supporter of the Reform Party of Canada. > One of my most regrettable political moments was when I supported Brian > Mulroney’s government. Indeed, the difference between the Old > Conservatives and the Old Liberals was negligible. > > The reason I supported the Reform Party was simple – they were the party > of individual liberty and responsibility. Not since John A. Macdonald had > the individual been the basis of society, rather than the easily > manipulated “collective” we have seen since. Indeed most of our social > problems emerged not with immigration, which is desirable, but with not > having a free and moral society immigrants could aspire to assimilating > into. Seeing a corrupt society brimming with hypocrisy why wouldn’t “New > Canadians” form gangs to best take advantage of a culture of entitlement > rather than take pride in contributing to a culture of self-reliance? > > I support individual rights, sir. We do not have individual rights under > our “Peace, Order and Good Government” policy (the creed of all > dictatorships). Our Charter is, in all practical applications, a farce. > What use is the Right of Thought, Belief, Opinion or Expression when > Kafkaesque Courts, not substantially different from Inquisitions, threaten > all who claim those Rights? > > The most basic Human Right, sir, is the Right to Self Defense and the > ready access to the appropriate tools to exercise that Right. It is this > Right that guarantees access to all our other Rights and is the only Right > that can maintain the Charter of Rights & Freedoms as a Prime Document of > Freedom rather than the sullied fabrication is has been since its > inception. > > I had rather hoped Mr. Harper would have succeeded in removing all > political parties from the taxpayers’ tit. Funding (or choosing not to > fund) a political party is the first meaningful step in selecting our > representatives. Taxpayer funding inevitably leads parties to think of > themselves as rulers, since they no longer see citizens as critically > important to the process. > > I will contribute financially to the Conservative Party (and renew my soon > to expire membership) when the Conservative Party honors its commitment to > revoke the Firearms Act. Until then, I will be looking to Mr. Ignatieff > to rectify Mr. Rock’s folly. Whoever gets there first gets my vote and my > support. > > > Yours Truly, > > Clive Edwards > 48610 Auchenway Road > Chilliwack, BC V4Z 1B8 > 604-858-1893 (res) > 604-858-1853 (fax) > 604-250-7910 (cell) > 45clive@telus.net > > Firearms Chair, > Chilliwack Fish & Game Protective Association > Director, NFA – BC > Director, Bruce Montague Court Challenge for Liberty > NRA certified Pistol & Self Defense Instructor > IDPA Range officer Instructor > Instructor, CFSC > Motion Picture Firearms Level II > > > > From: Irving R. Gerstein, Chair, Conservative Fund Canada > [mailto:donate@conservativefund.ca] > Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 12:10 AM > To: Clive Edwards > Subject: [!! SPAM] Thank you for your support in 2008 > > Thank you for your support in 2008 > En Français | In English > December 19, 2008 > > Dear Mr. Edwards, > > As the year draws to a close, I thought I'd write a short note to thank > you > for your continued support in 2008. Not only did Stephen Harper and the > Conservative Party of Canada win an election, but we did it together, and > succeeded in strengthening our mandate. > > As a party, it's not enough to look back on 2008, we also need to look > forward to 2009, and find ways to ensure that the responsibilities > entrusted to us by Canadians are met. The new year will bring with it some > serious challenges, which is another reason I'm sending you this email: > > Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada need to enter 2009 on > firm financial footing and prepared to fight the Liberal/NDP/Bloc > coalition which is still a very real threat to the elected government. > > I noticed you've been a committed supporter for some time. Thank you. I > really need to ask you to make an extra commitment this year to make a > contribution of $200 or $100 on-line right now. As I just mentioned, the > need for your support is urgent ahead of the new year, and if you act > quickly, we will still be able to issue a 2008 tax receipt for your > contribution. > > I don't need to tell you that the Liberals are out there right now > building > their war chest to be prepared for a possible election call over the > budget > in January. We need to be every bit as prepared as they are. > > Now, more than ever, we need the help of supporters like yourself. 2008 > will be looked upon as a year of success for the party. I would like the > same to be said of 2009, but I need your help to make that a reality. > > Please, take a moment and make a contribution of $200 or $100 right now by > following this link. > > Sincerely, > > Irving Gerstein,C.M., O.Ont > Chair, Conservative Fund Canada > > P.S. – As the end of the calendar year approaches, so too does your > opportunity to receive a 2008 tax receipt for your contributions. Please > don't wait until the last minute. Follow this link right now and make a > contribution of $200 or $100 on-line. > > > DONATE NOW > Donate | Website | tax rules & FAA | tax calculator | unsubscribe | > privacy > policy Ho hum same old same old ~! if they didnt need your money you would be the stuff you scrape off your shoes in a dog park to them. I notice he doesn't mention the gun -registry , which is the basis of your post / He talks all around your concerns until it comes to funds for the CPC. I think you know what to do ? ed/on ------------------------------ Date: Sun, December 21, 2008 11:38 am From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 2" Subject: "Police had information there might be guns inside, so SWAT..." Subject: "Police had information there might be guns inside, so SWAT was involved" PUBLICATION: The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) DATE: 2008.12.20 EDITION: Final SECTION: News PAGE: A2 DATELINE: REGINA SOURCE: Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post WORD COUNT: 326 - ---------------------------------------------------------------- SWAT team member shoots, kills large dog - ---------------------------------------------------------------- A member of the Regina police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team shot and killed a large dog Friday as officers moved in to search a house. When police entered the backyard of a house at 1748 Ottawa St. on Friday morning, they were confronted by a large dog. Initially, two bean-bag rounds were fired "to try to discourage the animal," Regina police spokesperson Elizabeth Popowich said. Instead, they had the opposite effect. "The dog continued and attacked one of the members of the SWAT team," she said. The officer fired at least twice, fatally injuring the dog. She noted this occurred before officers entered the residence. "The focus has to be on the house itself and officer safety while you're getting into the house," she said. "It's very unfortunate because the dog would have been protecting property. . . . There really wasn't another option." SWAT, along with members of the street gang unit and regular patrol officers, went to the Ottawa Street house on Friday shortly after 8 a.m. to execute a search warrant. Police had information there might be guns inside, so SWAT was involved, Popowich said. "Anytime you have an indication that there are weapons present, it escalates the risk to safety," she added. Officers initially fired special "breaching rounds" of ammunition to break the door hinges and gain entry. Popowich said that ammunition is designed to break up on impact, reducing the risk posed by ricochet bullets. At least three firearms were discovered during a search, Popowich said. Police took the home's three occupants -- two males, aged 18 and 17, and a 15-year-old girl -- into custody without further incident. Firearms-related charges are expected to be laid, but police were still investigating Friday. Police went to the same Ottawa Street house on Sept. 26 in response to a report of an attempted home invasion. At that time, police said four people had entered the house and were confronted by a 35-year-old woman inside who hit one of the intruders with a bat. The break-in suspect had a large bandage on his head when he subsequently appeared in court. http://www.thestarphoenix.com/SWAT+team+member+shoots+kills+large/1098669/story.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:40:51 -0800 From: "Todd Birch" Subject: Japanese Vehicles NOT built for cold? We are in the grip of a cold spell. The temp during the day warms up to -25C, dropping to -36C overnight, before factoring in wind chill. My Shepherd/Husky cross cannot endure being outside for longer than 15 minutes. Cold enough for you? After not being plugged in for two days, I did so and one hour later, my '91 Toyota SR5 fired up. I had to keep the clutch depressed for quite a while as the transmission oil was like tar. In wrestling with my lady's Toyota ForeRunner, I managed to break off the plug of the block heater cord. Insulation on the extension cord simply flaked off, shattering like glass if you smacked it on a hard surface. I ended up placing two domestic heating pads on the battery, but they were too little too late and I ended up buying a battery heater from CanTire to be installed as soon as I finish this. Going into 65 kms in to town and back yesterday to get married and do necessary shopping, we owned the road. All the macho pick ups were noticeably absent. Saw a few smaller import vehicles. Prior to moving here from Merritt, BC, there were several cold spells of -38C and many vehicles simply quite running on the Coquihalla highway and the Kamloops/Okanagan connectors. I was driving back and forth in my '89 Toyota SR5 with impunity. TB ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:08:46 -0800 (PST) From: Bruce Mills Subject: "Halifax: Hunter: Municipal gun bylaws 'ultimate nightmare'" Subject: "Halifax Chronicle-Herald: Hunter: Municipal gun bylaws 'ultimate nightmare'" http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1096883.html Hunter: Municipal gun bylaws 'ultimate nightmare' By MARY ELLEN MacINTYRE Truro Bureau Sat. Dec 20 - 5:09 AM TRURO - Hunters are worried that if enough municipalities enact bylaws aimed at halting the discharge of firearms within their boundaries, Nova Scotia will become a hunt-free zone. "These bylaws are in conflict with existing provincial legislation," said Jim Power, a local hunter who has been researching the issue for over a year. "Truro passed a bylaw last year that forbids the discharge of a firearm within the town's limits and that's a huge geographic area," said Mr. Power. "There's 20 square kilometres up there, a large tract of wilderness where hunting has always taken place." Tony Rodgers, executive director of the Nova Scotia Federation of Anglers and Hunters, said Friday his group is concerned about the ramifications. "We're still investigating the issue and we've posed the question to the Department of Natural Resources but on the surface, this doesn't look very good," Mr. Rodgers said in a telephone interview. Mr. Power said he couldn't believe his ears when he heard Truro had enacted the firearms discharge ban. "I believe the original intention of these kinds of bylaws - and there are 12 municipalities out of 55 in this province with these bylaws - was to keep firearms from being discharged in densely populated areas," said Mr. Power. "It's the ultimate nightmare for hunters to have municipalities take control of firearms and hunting. The whole question is, do they have the authority?" The Truro bylaw states anyone discharging a firearm within town limits can be subject to a fine of $500 to $10,000 or subject to a term of imprisonment if there is a default in payment. Town solicitor John Rafferty said Friday the bylaw doesn't supersede provincial legislation but is merely complementary. "It includes all those lands that constitute the town of Truro," he said. Mr. Power figures hunters can just throw out the province's handbook of hunting rules and regulations. "If the bylaw is valid, then the handbook is invalid," he said. "The distances as set out by the province for how far away from a school or a residence you must be before discharging a firearm are very precise and if you follow the book but you're in the Truro area, you could be in big trouble," said Mr. Power. "How is a hunter able to determine if a municipality has such a bylaw? . . . It's a big chance to take." mmacintyre@herald.ca ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:52:50 -0800 From: "Todd Birch" Subject: Private Armies Just bought a couple of those "Tactical Rifle" magazines for want of reading material. There is a never ending stream of AR variants, calibres and accessories out there; and no end of professional 'private contractors' and 'wanna-be warriors' to use them. I think if I was an American, I'd be more concerned about these merc 'soldiers of fortune' than I would be of government troops. Regular troops that have had combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan are going to be pretty damn glad to get home and not take kindly to orders to turn their guns on US citizens. These REMFs and 'week end warriors' give the impression that the target and mission are not as important as the opportunity to prove how good they are with their man-toys. By the by, I popped into the local gun emporium to get a few reloading items and was advised to stock up. Word is that the supply from the US is drying up and many sources have stopped exporting. TB ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V12 #886 *********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca Moderator's e-mail address: mailto:drg.jordan@sasktel.net List owner: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca FAQ list: http://www.canfirearms/Skeeter/Faq/cfd-faq1.html Web Site: http://www.canfirearms.ca CFDigest Archives: http://www.canfirearms.ca/archives To unsubscribe from _all_ the lists, put the next four lines in a message and mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca unsubscribe cdn-firearms-digest unsubscribe cdn-firearms-chat unsubscribe cdn-firearms end (To subscribe, use "subscribe" instead of "unsubscribe".)