November 27th, 2022

A STATEMENT regarding BILL C-21 and the Letter Writing Campaign:
 

Bill C-21 was introduced in the House of Commons at the end of May of this year. It is summed up by Public Safety Canada as, an "Act to amend certain Acts, and to make certain consequential amendments and regulatory amendments". It aims to "advance the national 'freeze' on handguns", and states that these actions "are part of a comprehensive strategy to address gun violence and strengthen gun control in Canada." (1) This bill will affect all of the Canadian Possession and Aquisition License (PAL) holders, which as of 2020 numbered over 2.2 million individuals (2). Further, it will have a reaching effect on the future of shooting sports and hunting in Canada.

 

On October 21st, the handgun freeze aspect of the proposed bill was implemented at midnight, with the public announcement not made until 8:30am. This came after assurances that Canadian firearms owners would be given time to make plans to accommodate this "freeze", which prohibits the transfer of all handguns between private individuals and businesses, and has stopped the import of firearms and parts that fall under certain descriptions.

 

Just the other day, on November 22nd, with the bill still being discussed in the House, a lengthy amendment was added by the Liberal/NDP coalition that will outlaw additional classifications of firearms. These firearms are listed by make/model, and the list comprises a document which exceeds 300 pages. (3) This amended proposal includes long-guns that are currently lawfully owned and used by Canadian hunters and target shooters that were not part of the Bill in its first reading in May. Bans on firearms are not the full extent of this lengthy and admittedly complicated proposal, which includes clauses that call for changes to the current legislation in matters of air-guns, punishments for offenders, "red flag"/"yellow flag" laws, related license suspensions, and more.

 

I contend that these proposed broad bans of firearms that have been an integral part of Canadian history and continue to serve Canadians and residents with the means of safe recreation and sustenance will not have a positive impact on firearms-related crimes in Canada. We can look to Australia, where the comparable Australian National Firearms Agreement of 1996 has been shown to have had no statistically significant impact on suicide or assault mortality attributable to firearms. (4)

 

The Conference Board of Canada released a report in 2019 revealing that Canadians on the whole spent 8.5 billion dollars on hunting and sport shooting. The same study showed that recreational weapons industry accounted for about 48,000 jobs in Canada that year. (5) Hunting and shooting in Canada is a big economic driver, and to purposely cripple this industry will have reaching effects as all Canadians deal with the effects of inflation and interest rate hikes. Adding insult to injury, while an associated "buy back" program associated with the firearms that will be made illegal through Bill C-21 has only been alluded to by the Liberal representatives promoting this bill, a very early estimate estimated that such a system could cost Canadian taxpayers $756 million (5), and that was before the addition of the recent amendment which will make millions more firearms illegal and subject to compensation to the owner.

 

We are not alone in our opposition of Bill C-21. Many voices are coming together to let our Parliamentary representatives know that there is a sizable contingent that does not support this serious and sweeping proposed legislation, including the Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF), who represents close to 15,000 members and approximately 100 affiliate clubs across the province. (6)

 

In association with our affiliate organization, the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), BRGFA is encouraging our 190 members to make their voice heard on this issue by joining a letter-writing campaign. We invite the rest of the community to join us. Through this initiative, individuals are composing original letters, as well we are making available a letter template to facilitate the effort. Letters are being addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino; NDP Public Safety Critic, Alastair MacGregor; Bloq Public Safety Critic, Kristina Michaud; and the MP who represents the individual's district. Additionally, letters are being sent to the Liberal and NDP MPs from Manitoba, namely: Niki Ashton, Daniel Blaikie, Hon. Jim Carr, Terry Duguid, Leah Gazan, Kevin Lamoureux, and Hon. Dan Vandal. Anyone who wishes to join us in this effort can send letters addressed to the above names to the single address (insert minister name), House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6.

 

If you would like to speak with BRGFA about this initiative, and our collective view on Bill C-21 and how it will impact our Association and the community, please reach out to myself, or BRGFA President, Jason Combe.

Thank You, 
Anika Evans, Secretary
Brokenhead River Game & Fish Association

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