6 - PRAIRIE POST - SHOWCASING BROOKS AND COUNTY OF NEWELL - Friday, April 20, 2012 Brooks Metro photo


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Many people are glad to see the long gun registry gone, especially those who hunt or choose to shoot for sport including trap shooting.


Many are glad to see long gun registry gone


BY STACEY LEE — ppost@prairiepost.com


It seems there are few tears being shed over the death of Canada’s long gun registry. The contentious registry has sparked emotional debate from both supporters and its opposition, but mounting maintenance costs and its little effect on crime sealed the fate of Bill C-19. Graham Reid, owner of REME Gunsmithing, says the effects of the registry on his business were negligent when C-19 was instituted, supporting the argument that it was wholly ineffective. “Most crimes, to the best of my


knowledge, are committed by people who have smuggled handguns (into the country) from somewhere… concealed weapons. People are glad the registry is dead in the water. Most of my customers are farmers, from all over, and they were just tired of it.” He says he feels sorry when he hears


of the odd incident where someone was injured by a long gun, but points out long guns have practical uses unlike handguns. “You have your trap shooters … shooting sporting clay or trap. You have your hunters who use shotguns for pheasant, duck, and goose hunting. You have your big game hunters who are using rifles for shooting deer, antelope, moose and elk and you have your recreational shooters who like to shoot gophers with a .22 or .17 caliber. None of them are out to commit crimes.” Both advocates of uncompromised


“You have to remember that we are


firearms owners… we don’t own weapons. That people that own weapons don’t register them, and don’t give a rip about the licensing or registration… and they are out there to commit a crime. That is when a firearm becomes a weapon.” He adds that, as dictated by federal


“Most crimes,to the best of my knowledge,are committed by people who have smuggled handguns (into the country) from somewhere ... People are glad the registry is dead in the water. Most of my customers are farmers, from all over,and they were just tired of it.”


—Graham Reid,owner of REMEGunsmithing


law, every firearm owner must hold a firearms license and calls that the injustice. “At one time we had what was called the Firearms Acquisition Certificate. The government changed that to a licensing system and put it in the criminal code. It is a criminal offence to own a firearm in Canada if you don’t have a licence… if you forget to renew your licence you could have all your firearms removed. You become a criminal,” explained Healy. The group has been actively lobbying the federal government to revert back to the FAC, which Healy says would decriminalize simple firearm ownership. “It wouldn’t


change much,” Healy says. “You would still have to pass a firearms course to get it … we just want ownership out of the Criminal Code; to get rid of


sections 91 and 92 of the Canadian Criminal Code.” The licence,


which is currently required, would no longer be necessary for the purchase of firearms or ammunition.


“The thing is … the people that this


ownership; Reid and Responsible Firearms Owners of Alberta Treasurer Cliff Healy say they are happy to see the issue resolved. “The long gun registry was just one


portion of the legislation… we would like to see (laws revert) back to 1995. We want to get rid of the Canadian Firearms Act,” says Healy. He explains the RFOA believes


current legislation to be unnecessary, costly, and an infringement upon the rights of individuals.


registry and licensing was supposed to catch… the guys shooting each other in downtown Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, or Vancouver are not registering their weapons. It is us guys, who want to target shoot or hunt, that have to jump through all kinds of hoops and are not committing crimes.” Neither of the men support efforts in Quebec, where the province is attempting to maintain the records despite the federal government’s decision to dissolve the national registry administered by the RCMP.


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