From: owner-cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca (Cdn-Firearms Digest) To: cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Subject: Cdn-Firearms Digest V15 #34 Reply-To: cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Sender: owner-cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Errors-To: owner-cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Precedence: normal Cdn-Firearms Digest Friday, April 6 2012 Volume 15 : Number 034 In this issue: SK RCMP seized a stash of prohibited and improperly ... FW: Gun-Owner's ammo stores EXPLODE, destroys neighbourhood, ... CBC - Quebec's long-gun registry data spared by court injunction Harper Cons in collapse? Vote to kill gun registry a win for lobbyists, a loss for ... Long-gun registry finally destined for scrap heap of history NFA: Bill C-19 is law - Canada's Long Gun Registration Ends EMC Editorial: 'Stand your ground' laws invite injustice ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, April 5, 2012 7:33 am From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: SK RCMP seized a stash of prohibited and improperly ... ... stored firearms SASKATOON STAR PHOENIX - APRIL 3, 2012 Aberdeen man faces firearms charges http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Aberdeen+faces+firearms+charges/6401042/story.html VIDEO CAPTION: A 62-year-old man from the Aberdeen area faces 15 weapons charges after police seized a stash of prohibited and improperly stored firearms, ammunition and other weapons from his property. A resident of the Aberdeen area was expected to appear in provincial court Monday to answer to multiple Criminal Code charges pertaining to firearms-related offences. Saskatoon RCMP along with a member of the national weapons enforcement team executed a search warrant Friday on a residence located in the district. The search resulted in the police seizing 27 long-barrel rifles, an AK-47 assault rifle, one sawed-off shotgun, 12 handguns, three swords, multiple knives and prohibited devices, along with re-loading equipment and several thousand rounds of ammunition. The man was charged with unsafe storage and other offences. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, April 5, 2012 7:57 am From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: FW: Gun-Owner's ammo stores EXPLODE, destroys neighbourhood, ... ... FIFTEEN CHILDREN KILLED - Minister vows to end carnage Forwarded with the permission of the author. From: Richard Fritze [mailto:rfritze@fritze.com] Sent: April-05-12 7:06 AM Cc: pm@pm.gc.ca; earl.dreeshen@parl.gc.ca Subject: Gun-Owner's ammo stores EXPLODE, destroys neighbourhood, FIFTEEN CHILDREN KILLED - Minister vows to end carnage Uhhhh . . . this is a MADE-UP headline. Has anyone, ever, seen such a headline in Canada? Or anything close to it? The proposed changes to how we must handle and store our ammo, powder and the like are unnecessary - these new rules simply are another available avenue for the government, and its armed enforcers, to impinge on the rights and privacy of their special whipping boy, the law-abiding, responsible gun owners' community. Despite the rarity of such accidents and/or explosions, we have new, pending federal legislation promising to restrict enormously, and criminalize, the way responsible gunners and reloaders have acted for years. Why? Just because, apparently. Seems our federal government likes to play with fire. Give with one hand, take away with the other. Keep Quebec, the gun-grabbers and the man-haters happy . . . ? Pretend, no, PRAY, that the unorganized mass of shooters doesn't notice. And, if they do, the rationale is, after all, "If saves just one child . . . " It is getting hard to tell the difference between Chretien's Liberals and our current gun-grabbers. Who is calling the shots, Mr. Prime Minister? The police? The bureaucracy? Quebec? Unions? Betraying your loyal base, at this point, with games and chicanery, seems ill-advised. Just sayin'. Is there a point, some deep underlying rationale, for continually testing the mettle, the loyalty, of your support base? Mr. Harper: Please do not betray your base -- remember your promises: SCRAP C68. Please Note New Office Address RICHARD A. FRITZE Barrister, Solicitor & Notary "RIDING SHOTGUN FOR YOU" 403 343 2506 BUS. 403 749 3006 FAX 1 877 79 4GUNS toll-free [1 877 794 4867] WWW.FRITZE.COM #10, 22303 Hwy 21 RR2 Delburne, AB T0M 0V0 That rifle hanging on the wall of the working-class flat or labourer’s cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there. George Orwell ------------------------------ Date: Thu, April 5, 2012 12:32 pm From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: CBC - Quebec's long-gun registry data spared by court injunction CBC - Quebec's long-gun registry data spared by court injunction Bill to scrap long-gun registry and destroy all its records set to become law at midnight CBC News - Last Updated: Apr 5, 2012 1:59 PM ET Read 661 comments661 http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/04/05/pol-gun-registry-data-quebec.html A Quebec Superior Court judge has granted a five-day injunction against destroying data about Quebec gun owners found in the federal long-gun registry after the bill to kill the registry becomes law later today. The Quebec government sought the injunction in court in Montreal Thursday, in anticipation of royal assent for C-19, the Harper government's legislation to fulfil a longtime campaign promise to scrap the registry. The injunction granted Thursday will apply only to the data collected on residents of the province of Quebec. Legal arguments will continue on April 12 and 13 on the larger case brought by the Quebec government questioning the constitutionality of the federal government's legislation. Bill C-19, the Act to Amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act, passed at third reading in the Senate just after 5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, by a vote of 50-27. The legislation is expected to receive royal assent on Thursday afternoon, the final step in becoming law. The new law would take effect just after midnight. The bill not only ends the administration, enforcement and use of the long-gun registry, but would destroy all the data it contains about registered gun owners across Canada. Ministers from the Harper government were celebrating the imminent end of the oft-maligned registration system earlier Thursday. "Many of us have waited for this day for a very long time,” Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told reporters in Ottawa. 'Momentous time' Parliamentary secretary Candice Hoeppner, who has been the public face of the Harper government's efforts to kill the registry, said she was proud to stand with her colleagues to "mark this momentous time when our government's commitment to ... stand up for law-abiding Canadians and end the long-gun registry today is being fulfilled." "Free at last! Free at last! Law-abiding Canadians are finally free at last!" New Brunswick Conservative MP John Williamson said in Thursday's question period. Hoeppner noted in reply that two NDP MPs and three Liberal senators had voted in favour and helped pass the bill. But while Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government celebrates in Ottawa, the Quebec government is poised before a Montreal judge Thursday, armed with 68 pages of legal arguments filed Tuesday in an attempt to block the destruction of the records. In anticipation of its passage, the Quebec government filed arguments in court, seeking an injunction if C-19 becomes law to protect the registry's data until such time as a judge can consider Quebec's position that the federal government's actions are unconstitutional. Toews said Thursday morning that the federal government would "respect the law in every respect. "The data registry will be destroyed as soon as feasible," he said. Reporters asked him to clarify what impact the Quebec court case could have on the timing of the destruction of the data, but Toews declined to comment on the court case specifically. "As soon as the legislation is passed, there is a requirement to destroy the data. If there is no legal impediment to destroying the data, that process continues," Toews said, noting the process begins as soon as the legislation comes into effect. The prime minister's office later confirmed that the federal government would respect any injunction from the Quebec Superior Court. Federal government lawyers at the Quebec Superior Court in Montreal told reporters that because of physical, bureaucratic and logistical reasons, the data in the gun registry cannot be physically destroyed until August. The legislation allows for a phased implementation, the federal lawyer said in explaining the delay in the actual destruction of the data. Data destruction 'unconstitutional' Quebec Justice Minister Jean-Marc Fournier said Tuesday that more than a million long guns would disappear from the radar screens of law enforcement agencies in Quebec if the data is destroyed. "In 2010, we [seized] 2,500 guns from people who owned those guns, because they were dangerous [to] themselves or other people," Fournier said. The province believes that it has a right to the data because it helped collect it and claims that its destruction is unconstitutional. The federal government argues that a criminal law measure like the long-gun registry does fall under federal jurisdiction. Quebec has long demanded relevant registry information be transferred to the province, so it can create its own list. It says starting a new registry from scratch would be prohibitively expensive. "What we want is to have all the information that is pertinent, for our own registry," Fournier told reporters on Tuesday. Quebec's opposition parties support the preservation of the gun registry, but Parti Québécois justice critic Bernard Drainville accused the Charest government of waiting too long to make its move. The injunction, filed in Quebec Superior Court, asks for the registry to be preserved until a judge renders an ultimate decision. Feds believe data must be purged C-19 seeks to eliminate the requirement for gun owners to register their long guns and other weapons that are not restricted or prohibited. It also provides for the destruction of records that are currently held in the Canadian Firearms Registry, a measure that caught many off-guard when the bill was introduced in October. Opposition MPs were angry that the government is destroying the data, saying the records should remain intact for police or the provinces to use in the event they want to establish their own registry once the federal one is gone. The government wants to scrap the registry because it says it is a waste of money, ineffective at improving public safety and preventing crimes and it targets law-abiding gun owners instead of criminals. Getting rid of the registry means getting rid of the information in it, the government has said in defending the move to destroy the data. About 7.1 million non-restricted firearms were registered in the database as of September. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 12:35:22 -0600 From: "Joe Gingrich" Subject: Harper Cons in collapse? http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/debacle+demonstrates+collapse/6413757/story.html F-35 debacle demonstrates a gov't in collapse By Andrew Coyne, The StarPhoenix April 5, 2012 http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Cabinet+knew+billion+costs+says/6416254/story.html Cabinet knew F-35's $25 billion costs, says AG Montreal Gazette, Canada Thursday, April 05, 2012 http://www.canada.com/news/Coyne+debacle+demonstrates+system+government+collapse/6412407/story.html 'Government has gone to hell' 'Government has gone to hell' Wednesday, April 04, 2012 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, April 5, 2012 12:39 pm From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: Vote to kill gun registry a win for lobbyists, a loss for ... ... Canadians, CAW says Vote to kill gun registry a win for lobbyists, a loss for Canadians, CAW says Canada NewsWire - TORONTO, April 4, 2012 http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/653304 TORONTO, April 4, 2012 /CNW/ - CAW President Ken Lewenza called today's final vote to pass Bill C-19 and officially kill the national long-gun registry a win for gun industry lobbyists and a loss for Canadians. Bill C-19 aims to fully dismantle the long-gun registry, weaken the oversight requirements for gun purchases and destroy years of records used to track gun ownership. "Today, I can't help but think of all the victims of gun violence and the families of those victims, past and present, and shake my head at the Harper government's motivations," Lewenza said. "This registry was an important tool used to protect against dangerous weapons falling into the wrong hands. The Harper government is pushing an agenda of zero accountability for gun ownership. It's shameful and it's unacceptable." Canada's gun lobby has made it clear that the dismantling of the long-gun registry is only a first step in weakening the country's gun control program. Members of the Public Safety Minister's Firearms Advisory Committee have called for licensing to be weakened, including one member testifying at the Senate hearings that spousal notification should be eliminated, as well as questions screening for mental health problems. Lewenza said it is shameful that the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs opted not to invite women's safety experts or front-line women's organizations to participate as witnesses during the review process of Bill C-19 - despite the fact many organizations had requested to speak and that it is well-known that this issue disproportionately affects women's safety. The province of Quebec, who has been a strong proponent for maintaining the long-gun registry, has filed for an injunction with the province's Supreme Court to prevent federal government from deleting the existing registry data. The injunction is expected to be heard after Bill C-19 receives royal assent (anticipated to be this week). Lewenza said he is encouraged by the Quebec government's efforts. He hopes that other Canadian provinces will speak out and put a stop to the destroying of existing registry data and consider establishing sub-national registries. "There's an absence of leadership and lack of vision from the top of the house and it's incumbent on our provinces to pick up this ball in the best interests of Canadians." The CAW has been a long-standing supporter of strong gun control and the national long-gun registry. In 1993, the CAW Council (the union's parliamentary body made up of workplace representatives) voted to support initiatives aimed at stricter gun control in the wake of the 1989 fatal shooting of 14 women at L'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. In 1994, delegates to the CAW Constitutional Convention endorsed Bill C-68, An Act Respecting Firearms and Other Weapons, that called for the licensing of all gun owners and the registration of firearms. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, April 5, 2012 1:04 pm From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: Long-gun registry finally destined for scrap heap of history FYI From: cssa-cila-e-news-bounces@lists.cssa-cila.org On Behalf Of CSSA-CILA E-News Bulletins. Sent: April-05-12 8:00 AM To: Team CSSA E-NEWS Subject: [CSSA-CILA E-News] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Long-gun registry finally destined for scrap heap of history CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION / CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION Long-gun registry finally destined for scrap heap of history FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - (OTTAWA -- April 5, 2012) Good riddance to the long-gun registry -- possibly the most unfair and useless legislation ever to have been passed by Parliament of Canada. In the wake of many hours of debate and anti-gun rhetoric from the opposition and lobbyists, the Conservative party has successfully laid the registry to rest with Royal Assent on Bill C-19. Few issues have prompted so many Canadians to sound off on the shortcomings of a Canadian law. “The Firearms Act has been a thorn in the side of hunters, sport shooters, farmers and heritage firearms enthusiasts for 17 years,” says Tony Bernardo of the Canadian Shooting Sport Association. “We know the registry was a cheap political ploy from a previous government that pretended to keep Canadians safe. It wasn't gun control, and it wasn't designed to do anything but frustrate honest, law-abiding firearms owners.” The Senate of Canada passed 3rd reading of Bill C-19 to scrap the registry on April 4th. Meanwhile, the Government of Quebec has vowed an injunction to try to prevent the data from being destroyed so it can be turned over to the province. “Quebec wouldn't know what to do with this data if they got it,” says Bernardo. “The data is legendary for its inaccuracy and it's way beyond its stale date. Quebec couldn't build a workable registry from the dregs of this white elephant because it was never workable in the first place. It's hard to believe that Quebec voters want their tax dollars fed into a paper shredder like this.” The demise of the registry is the result of a coordinated effort by firearms enthusiasts, wildlife federations and associations from across the country. The Conservative party campaigned on scrapping the registry and its recent majority provides evidence of the widespread appetite for getting rid of this offensive legislation. “It's been a long, rough road, but we knew we could prevail if we just kept telling the truth,” says Bernardo. “The anti-gun faction had to torque statistics and align themselves with the unions and politically motivated left-wing advocates. Freedom from draconian laws should never be about the left vs. the right, or rural vs. urban interests. Freedom is always about telling the truth. We thank the Harper government and those who have worked tirelessly to put this legislative mess out to pasture.” -30- The CSSA is the voice of the sport shooter and firearms enthusiast in Canada. Our national membership supports and promotes traditional target shooting competition, modern action shooting sports, hunting, and archery. We support and sponsor competitions and youth programs that promote these Canadian heritage activities. For further information, contact: Tony Bernardo Canadian Shooting Sports Association Canadian Institute for Legislative Action 905-571-2150 abernardo343@rogers.com - ------- The Canadian Shooting Sports 2012 Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled for April 28, 2012 in Gatineau, Quebec. Gatineau (formerly Hull QC) is located just across the bridge from Ottawa. Special rates are available at the Clarion Conference Centre so book with us soon. The AGM will begin at 10:00 AM. The Stick to Your Guns fundraising dinner will take place on the evening of the 28th, cocktails at 6:00, dinner served at 7:00. It's a great opportunity to have a great meal at affordable prices, meet old friends and make new ones. There will be lots of exciting silent auction and raffle items that would look great in your home. And please let us know if you have items to donate, too. Come and join us for a great evening of camaraderie, great food and good times. For further information, contact the CSSA Office at 1-888-873-4339. To reserve rooms at the special CSSA rate contact: Clarion Conference Centre Gatineau 111, rue Bellehumeur, Gatineau, Québec Canada J8T 6K5 Telephone : 1-819-568-5252 Fax: 1-819-568-0753 Toll free : 1-877-568-5252 reservation@clarion-gatineau.ca Stick to your Guns Fundraising Dinner Tickets: Special PRICE of $49.95 ea before March 15th, 2012 $59.95 ea after March 15th- Buy 9, get one free Special guest speaker to be announced - ------- The CSSA is the voice of the sport shooter and firearms enthusiast in Canada. Our national membership supports and promotes Canada's firearms heritage, traditional target shooting competition, modern action shooting sports, hunting, and archery. We support and sponsor competitions and youth programs that promote these Canadian heritage activities. Joining the Canadian Shooting Sports Association is important and inexpensive! Be part of the solution. Help us oppose the anti-firearms groups that want to take away our sporting firearms. To join or donate to the CSSA, visit: http://www.cdnshootingsports.org/membership.html - ------ To subscribe to the CSSA-CILA E-NEWS, send email to: cssa-cila-e-news-subscribe@lists.cssa-cila.org - ------- CANADIAN SHOOTING SPORTS ASSOCIATION / CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION 116 Galaxy Blvd, Etobicoke ON M9W 4Y6 Phone 416-679-9959, Fax: 416-679-9910 Toll Free: 1-888-873-4339 E-Mail: info@cdnshootingsports.org Website www.cdnshootingsports.org ------------------------------ Date: Thu, April 5, 2012 1:05 pm From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: NFA: Bill C-19 is law - Canada's Long Gun Registration Ends CANADA'S NATIONAL FIREARMS ASSOCIATION MEDIA RELEASE - APRIL 5, 2012 Bill C-19 is law - Canada's Long Gun Registration Ends Bill C-19, the Conservative Government's bill ending the registration of non-restricted long guns was passed by the Canadian Senate Wednesday by a vote of 50 to 27. Two Liberal Senators voted for Bill C-19, one Progressive Conservative Senator voted against it. On Thursday April 5, 2012, Bill C-19 was signed by Governor General David Johnston and received Royal Assent. Now the bill is law and will need to be enacted. The Quebec government has filed an injunction to obtain the federal registration records to set up its own registration system. However, despite what Quebec does, Canada's long experiment with universal firearms registration has ended. Speaking from Prince George, NFA President Sheldon Clare pointed out, "When the Liberal's gun control legislation Bill C-68 was first introduced in 1995, Canada's National Firearms Association warned that government that it was making a serious mistake. It was clear that the legislation would be rejected and resisted by Canadians, that it could not be implemented for the ridiculously low cost estimates advertised by the Liberals, and that its firearms program - which included the licensing of all owners and the registration of all firearms - was destined to be a failure. This failure was confirmed by the Auditor General of Canada's report on the Canadian Firearms Program in 2002 which found that the Canadian Firearms Program was 500% over budget and still not fully implemented. Still, that government persisted with its doomed firearms program despite the national outrage and controversy over its assault on Canadian rights and our country's cultural tradition of firearms ownership. Successive Liberal governments championed this failed anti-freedom program right until their defeat in 2006. The Conservative Party of Canada made and campaigned on a policy of firearms law reform from its inception, and was elected in 2006, and re-elected in 2008 and 2011 based on this long standing policy and election promise. Conservative MPs Garry Breitkreuz and Candice Hoeppner deserve special recognition for their efforts to pursue firearms law reform over many years. The ending of long gun registration lays good ground work and is a positive first step in much needed and long overdue firearms law reform in Canada, but the 1995 Liberal C68 Firearms Act remains largely intact and is still the law of Canada. Today, this majority Conservative Government has delivered the first step towards keeping its promise to repeal Bill C-68 as part of a comprehensive firearms law reform program. As long as the Liberal Firearms Act remains law, the freedoms, rights, and property of all Canadians remains at risk. Fundamental firearms law reform will not have been achieved until the Government of Canada replaces the 1995 Liberal C68 Firearms Act with new legislation that respects the rights and property of ordinary Canadians. Firearms laws have often been sold under the guise of public safety when in fact these laws are merely a means to limit hard fought freedoms. Neither the firearm registration system nor the licensing program have ever truly been about saving any lives. These laws have really been about trying to change Canadian firearms culture. Canada's National Firearms Association and the firearms community of Canada celebrate this legislative affirmation of long time Conservative policy, and look forward to working with this government in the overhaul of all of Canada's broken and failed firearms control system. At over 50,000 members, Canada's National Firearms Association is this country's largest advocacy organization promoting the rights and freedoms of all responsible firearm owners and users. For more information contact: Blair Hagen, Executive VP Communications, 604-753-8682 Blair@nfa.ca Sheldon Clare, President, 250-981-1841 Sheldon@nfa.ca Canada's NFA toll-free number - 1-877-818-0393 NFA Website: www.nfa.ca ------------------------------ Date: Thu, April 5, 2012 1:21 pm From: "Dennis R. Young" Subject: EMC Editorial: 'Stand your ground' laws invite injustice KINGSTON EMC APRIL 5, 2012 EDITORIAL: 'Stand your ground' laws invite injustice http://www.emckingston.ca/20120405/editorials/'Stand+your+ground'+laws+invite+injustice EMC Editorial - Over the past few weeks, we have followed the story of Trayvon Martin's murder and found it to be deeply troubling. The 17-year-old African American teen was shot and killed in Sanford, Fla. by George Zimmerman, who claimed that he was acting in self-defence despite the fact that Martin was unarmed. Alarmingly, the local police department decided not to arrest Zimmerman under the state's Stand Your Ground law, which allows immunity from criminal charges for those who use deadly force in self-defence when there is "reasonable belief of a threat". We believe this law is an affront to the civilized legal systems found in most first-world democracies, and the fact that it exists in 10 different American states is shocking and pathetic. Anyone who kills another person should expect to have their actions and the evidence surrounding them examined and judged, in one form or another, in a court of law by an impartial judge or jury. Such decisions should never be left at the discretion of a police department. Everything about this incident also speaks to the problem of how racism is still alive and well in the Southern U.S., as we can probably all agree the Stand Your Ground law would likely not have been considered if the shooter had been a black man and the victim white. Here in Canada, we are often too eager to pat ourselves on the back when stories like this surface, and comment on our country's superiority to the U.S., with all its gun-crazed lunatics and rampant racism. Yet to assume that we are immune to these problems is a mistake, perhaps even a dangerous one. Racism against Canada's aboriginal population, for example, is very much a reality, as are many other forms of discrimination, indeed, it seems safe to say that criminals like Robert Pickton, who killed dozens of aboriginal sex workers, are not vilified nearly as much as people like Russell Williams and Paul Bernardo, who chose white women as their victims. Let us thus look at Trayvon Martin's murder and the Stand Your Ground law as warnings, of sort, and vow never to allow such an incident to occur in our country. ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V15 #34 ********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca Moderator's email: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca 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".)