RCMP licencing screwup finally discovered after 12 years
Environment and Climate Change Canada moving towards using more lead-free ammunition
MP’s roundtable targets firearms bill
Gun control impasse leaves thousands of prohibited devices on the street
Goodbye, Gunny: R. Lee Ermey dead at 7
Nearly 270 weapons turned over to OPP mid-way through gun amnesty: police
NRA Applauds Nebraska Law Protecting Privacy of Firearms Records
Lawrie McFarlane: Why the anti-gun lobby is sorely misguided
OPINION: An act to amend rights
RCMP says it won’t know rifles, shotguns are being sold under new vetting
– Commentary –
The 2018 CSSA Annual General Meeting and “Stick To Your Guns” Dinner
The Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association was held at the St. Catharines’ Conference Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario, on Saturday, April 14, 2018.
The event, attended by CSSA members from across the country, showcased the association’s accomplishments for the past year and highlighted the challenges we face through the remainder of 2018.
Each year the CSSA elects 50 per cent of its board members to maintain board continuity. This year, the following individuals were elected or re-elected to our Board of Directors:
Gerry Gamble –– president and founding member of The Sporting Clubs of Niagara.
Dr. Judith Ross –– psychologist and life-long sport shooter.
Norm Gardner –– former politician and chairman of the Metropolitan Toronto Police Services Board.
Jack Wallace –– retired aviation engineer and former manager of the Calgary Gun Show for the Alberta Arms and Cartridge Collectors Association.
John Evers –– avid IPSC and Three-Gun shooter and past president of the East Elgin Sportsmen’s Association in Aylmer, Ontario.
Caron Ball –– daughter of a gunsmith, she is a life-long sport shooter and currently manages the Lambton Sportsman’s Club.
Joel Sturm –– psychologist and educator, he is an active sports shooter qualified as a tactical pistol instructor by Bank Miller, former chief instructor for the Drug Enforcement Administration and founder of The SIG Arms Academy.
After the Annual General Meeting, the CSSA hosted three educational seminars.
Ian Polzin of ThinkInsure Insurance spoke to members about the importance of primary insurance and proper liability coverage for hunting and shooting activities. He also explained the Hunting Land Lease agreement his company created for CSSA members. This liability coverage protects both the individual member hunting on land owned by other individuals, as well as the landowner, should an accident occur. CSSA members are encouraged to contact Ian Polzin at [email protected] for a copy of this agreement.
To listen to Ian Polzin’s insurance presentation, please visit HERE.
Tim Moen, leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada, spoke about the party, its aims and objectives, and shared how he views his party’s role in supporting personal responsibility and personal accountability –– two fundamental qualities lacking in our larger society today. His presentation struck a deep chord with the audience.
To listen to Tim Moen’s presentation, please visit HERE.
Lawyer, Ed Burlew, addressed the RCMP’s arbitrary reclassification of Ruger 10/22 magazines holding more than ten rounds of ammunition as prohibited devices, and the status of CSSA’s class action lawsuit over the confiscation of this property. CSSA Executive Director,Tony Bernardo,spoke about Bill C-71, what it means for gun owners, and how to fight the passage of this bill.
To listen to Ed Burlew and Tony Bernardo’s presentation, please visit HERE.
Our annual “Stick To Your Guns” dinner was a fantastic success and, despite a severe ice storm and bad roads, well attended.
After the dinner, Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke MP Cheryl Gallant took the stage to thank former MP Garry Breitkreuz for his dedication to the Canadian firearms community. His steadfast defence of our rights in Parliament throughout his political career is the reason the Long Gun Registry was destroyed.
Gallant then thanked the CSSA and its members for helping her win the nomination challenge in February of this year. She expressed her gratitude to the CSSA, its President, Steve Torino, and Executive Director, Tony Bernardo, for their assistance to her and every other member of Parliament to understand our gun laws.
Finally, she introduced our keynote speaker, Brian Lovig –– founder of RightEdition.com and the co-creator of Firearms Legal Defence.
Brian Lovig spoke about the importance of political action to defend our freedom before Tony Bernardo took the stage to announce Lovig’s $50,000 investment in the CSSA’s Shooting Rangers Junior Program on behalf of Firearms Legal Defence.
For just $95 per year –– $85 for CSSA members –– Firearms Legal Defence provides a qualified lawyer, pays legal expenses and covers court costs, should you run into trouble with police and Crown prosecutors. The CSSA believes so strongly in Firearms Legal Defence that the association covers the cost for its board members and employees.
We raffled off half a dozen firearms, including an Etro Pump Action Shotgun (12-guage), a Beretta A350 Semi Auto Shotgun and two Lazer shotguns.
Highlights of the evening included the auctions for a Radical AR-15 Semi-Auto rifle chambered in .223 Remington (Thanks to O’Dell Engineering), a gorgeous Typhoon shotgun and a mint condition 1945 Inglis Browning Hi Power Semi Auto handgun chambered in 9mm Parabellum, both donated by our friends at Trigger Wholesale.
Dr. Mike Ackermann, staunch defender of liberty and member of the CSSA Board of Directors, took home the Radical AR-15, much to the dismay of other bidders.
New CSSA Board of Directors Member Caron Ball refused to allow anyone to outbid her on the Inglis Hi Power. Her hand, held high for the duration of the auction, lowered only after she screamed in victory when special guest auctioneer, Brian Lovig, announced she won the auction.
We want to thank everyone who braved the elements to attend the AGM, educational seminars and the “Stick To Your Guns” Dinner. We also want to thank every CSSA member for their continued support as we continue the battle for our rights in the coming year.
MP Cheryl Gallant hosts C-71 Town Hall Event
By CSSA Staff | April 19, 2018
On Wednesday, April 11, 2018, Cheryl Gallant, federal Member of Parliament for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, hosted a Town Hall meeting on Bill C-71, The Firearm Owners Harassment Act,to educate her constituents about the latest attack on lawful firearm owners.
Approximately 400 gun owners flooded the Cobden Agricultural Hall to welcome Canadian Shooting Sports Association President Steve Torino, Executive Director Tony Bernardo, and author Christopher di Armani to learn how Bill C-71 will affect them if it becomes law.
“Current background checks go back five years. If you have a firearm licence, you pass a background check every day… via the RCMP’s Continuous Eligibility Program,” said Tony Bernardo. “If there is a hit… the police in your jurisdiction are notified that you are a firearm owner. They now want to go back [and examine your entire] lifetime.”
If a firefighter, emergency responder or military veteran suffers trauma from the horrific events they deal with every day, their desire to seek help in dealing with those traumas will now be used against them when they apply for or renew their firearm licence.
Under Bill C-71 there is no appeal for a licence refusal or revocation.
Steve Torino, who chaired the Firearms Advisory Committee from 1996 to 2014, explained the Liberal government’s changes to the Committee:
“The Firearms Advisory Committee, at this point, does not have anyone with any real knowledge of firearms. The people who are there are not on our side. The previous committee had experts and credibility. The government knew the people back then told the truth because the truth is on our side. We are not the ones committing the crimes. We are part of the solution. We are not part of the problem. There is no question about that. Getting that message across is very difficult.
Referring to Committee vice-chair Nathalie Provost, Torino explained: “If you get in a car accident you are not a master mechanic. Because someone got shot at, it does not make you an expert in firearms or legal proceedings.”
One attendee noted the words “gun registry” do not appear anywhere in Bill C-71, The Firearm Owners Harassment Act. He is correct. Bill C-71 does not explicitly say “gun registry.” It does, however, say “registrar” 16 times, “registration” 17 times, and “record” or “records” a total of 34 times.
The job of a Registrar is to maintain records in a registry. The intent of this legislation is clear, even if the Liberals refuse to call it a gun registry.
Mr. Bernardo talked about the writers opposed to Bill C-71, who received telephone calls from Ministry staff requesting they “correct” their articles and remove the word “confiscation.”
Bill C-71 confiscates firearms from law-abiding owners. It just doesn’t seize those firearms today.When you are forced to surrender your personal property to the government without compensation that is, by definition, confiscation, regardless of whenthat seizure takes place. Delayed confiscation is still confiscation without compensation, no matter how the Minister sugar-coats his poison.
To lessen opposition to C-71, the government will allow you to keep your guns until you die, at which point your firearms are forfeited to be destroyed.
Author and filmmaker Christopher di Armani, who traveled from British Columbia to attend the Town Hall, implored the audience to flood Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s office with letters, phone calls and emails, noting vocal opposition from gun owners could kill the bill.
“A petition does not flood the Prime Minister’s office with 1,600 letters per day. Writing a letter does that. A petition does not swamp Ralph Goodale’s office with complaints. It does not shut down his phone system, either. Dialing your telephone does that. A petition does not fire a shot across the bow of the Good Ship Lollypop to warn Justin Trudeau C-71 will cost him seats in the House of Commons. Flooding his office with letters and phone calls from law-abiding citizens does that.”
The bill passed Second Reading in the House of Commons when Justin Trudeau limited debate and rushed it to Committee, in an attempt to stifle opposition.
“Justin Trudeau has backed down from every promise he has made. Bill C-71 will cost him the only thing he cares about –– seats in the House of Commons.”
Tony Bernardo expressed his appreciation for Cheryl Gallant’s integrity, honesty and commitment to her constituents.
“One of the things I really need to say to you all, is you are very blessed. You have a really good MP. I’ve been doing this job for 25 years. I spend loads of time on the Hill. I talk to all of them. There are some really wonderful people there, but most Members of Parliament do a really great job of representing themselves. This lady, Cheryl Gallant, represents you.”
When asked if we can challenge or repeal C-71, Tony Bernardo said, “The Liberals hold a majority and if they pass this, then it’s the law. The best way to repeal C-71 is to vote the buggers out.”
RCMP licencing screwup finally discovered after 12 years
By CSSA Staff | April 19, 2018
When the RCMP changed its licence renewal processing software in 2003, a programmer’s error turned all Section 12(7) licence renewals into Section 12(6). The RCMP screwup gave 1,356 individuals the wrong Section 12 classification on their licences, an error that allowed these individuals to purchase additional Section 12(6) handguns.
Nobody noticed the problem for 12 long years.
These are Canada’s firearms “experts.”
Section 12(7) of the Firearms Actprovides an exemption for licenced individuals to own Section 12(6) handguns if they are acquired from an immediate relative and the firearm was manufactured prior to 1946. In other words, Section 12(7) allows family heirlooms to be passed down the family tree.
The RCMP programming error renewed all Section 12(7) licences as Section 12(6), granting full 12(6) category “privileges” to 1,356 individuals. Of those 1,356 individuals with newfound Section 12(6) “privileges,” 41 people purchased a total of 114 Section 12(6) firearms.
The RCMP now says those handguns were “unlawfully” acquired.
Really?
The RCMP approved each sale and issued registration certificates for every one of those 114 firearms over the course of 12 years.
The Briefing Note to the Minister of Public Safety[i], unearthed by Dennis Young as part of his ongoing Access to Information campaign against the RCMP, was difficult to obtain. He initially requested the document over a year ago and finally received it on April 17, 2018.
The RCMP went to great lengths to explain to the Minister of Public Safety the total number of Section 12(6) firearms did not increase due to this “error,” but under the heading of “Strategic Considerations” they claimed the following:
“The Firearms Registration Certificates for the 114 affected firearms were not acquired with a valid 12(6) privilege and may require revocation by the CFP’s Registrar of Firearms. To remain lawfully compliant, affected licencees will be able to: transfer the firearm to an individual who has a 12(6) licence privilege; give the firearm to a Public Service Agency or sell to a business (including a museum) that has a 12(6) privilege; export the firearm to another country in accordance with all applicable legal requirements; or, surrender the firearm to a Police Officer or a Firearms Officer for disposal (i.e. destruction).”
To recap, the RCMP screwed up their licence renewal system in 2003. They are so inept it took them 12 years to discover the problem and another 5 months to correct it. The RCMP claims, 12 years later, these firearms were “unlawfully” acquired.
Now, firearm owners who acquired 114 firearms, purchases approved by the RCMP complete with registration certificates issued by the Registrar of Firearms for the Canadian Firearms Program, are being told they must forfeit their guns.
“To date, 1,356 firearms licences were affected by the CFIS error and require corrective action to remove the 12(6) privilege and reinstate the 12(7) privilege. Of the 1,356 licencees, 41 have acquired additional 12(6) firearms they were not legally authorized to acquire and therefore corrective action is required.”
The RCMP could not find a toilet if it was strapped to their buttocks.
If you believe the RCMP is too inept to be placed in charge of finding the bathroom, let alone issuing firearms licences or classifying firearms, write to Ralph Goodale, our Minister of Public Safety, and express your opinion to him on this issue.
Section 12(7) licencees are not permitted to obtain additional 12(6) handguns. These individuals are deemed safe with the guns they acquired from their relatives, but are deemed unsafe to possess additional firearms. As with many government policies, their policy on firearms does not make sense.
Have you contacted your elected representatives to express your displeasure with Bill C-71?
Yes: 68.7%
No: 31.3%
Sad news for the Shooting Sprts’ community…
Don Ko Kishibe of London, ON, passed away in the early hours of April 7, 2018. He was 83.
Many of you may have known Don as a successful photographer for the Kumano Studio and as a medical photographer for the London Health Sciences Centre. He also taught medical photography at London community college.
But in our community, Don is best remembered for his infectious passion as a competitive target shooter -–– a passion that continued well into his retirement. He competed at countless matches and officiated at many events. He was a member of the Canadian National Team for five years, and one of his fondest memories was officiating at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. He had a home full of trophies accumulated over the years.
Don also served the shooting sports’ community working with both the Ontario Handgun Association and later with the Canadian Shooting Sports Association. He was a coach, mentor and advocate for so many of us in the shooting sports.
The CSSA Board of Directors and staff extend their heartfelt condolences to Don’s wife, Camellia, and the entire Kishibe family.
To leave a message for Don’s family, please visit HERE
Environment and Climate Change Canada moving towards using more lead-free ammunition
By Product Division | Environment and Climate Change Canada | April 5, 2018
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) would like your feedback on the recently published report on lead ammunition uses and releases in Canada. This report is available HERE.
This study, along with feedback received, will inform the development of an approach for encouraging lead-free ammunition in Canada. We welcome you to be part of this and future conversations on this subject. The easiest way to engage is by sending us your comments by email to [email protected] by June 1, 2018.
Please note that a similar study was also conducted for lead sinkers and jigs, and we welcome your comments on this report as well. The report is available HERE.
Feel free to forward this email to anyone that may be interested.
Paul Beasley is joined by Ryan Bronson from ‘Federal Premium Ammunition’, and they not only get into some great birds, but they will also be discussing some changes to the turkey hunting regulations in Ontario.
By Mark Nielsen | Prince George Citizen | April 9, 2018
The federal Liberals’ new firearms bill was heavily criticized during a roundtable discussion Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer hosted Monday.
A major point of concern was the lack of a process for appealing the classification of a firearm. A section of Bill C-71 would take away cabinet’s power to override RCMP’s decisions on such matters.
A nonpartisan board that would include other stakeholders as well as the RCMP, should be given the responsibility, argued one of the 11 people who attended the meeting at the Conservative MP’s Prince George office.
“I think that would be one thing that would make it a lot easier for the firearms community to accept,” said Brock Bailey, the sporting clays director for the Prince George Rod and Gun Club.
Whether to classify a firearm as non-restricted, restricted or prohibited is often based on the ease with which it can be converted from semi-automatic to automatic. But what can be achieved in an RCMP laboratory may not be so straight forward for a regular person, Bailey contended.
“In the (RCMP) firearms lab, they have all the tools and machines, etcetera and work on those things for quite awhile and make things fit,” he said.
It was one of a number of concerns raised during the meeting which drew other members of the PGRGC, a handful of guide outfitters, a gun-rights advocate and one non-gun owner.
Federal public safety minister Ralph Goodale pointed to a rise in gang-related homicides in which a gun was used as the reason the bill calls for extending background checks for criminal activity to a purchaser’s entire life from five years. According to the ministry gun homicides doubled over four years, rising to 223 in 2016, with over half of them gang related.
Depending on how the provincial governments respond, the background checks could include an examination of the purchaser’s mental-health history.
Looking back over a person’s entire life raised questions for PGRGC secretary Roy Nagel, particularly when if it’s applied to mental health.
“Do you go back to the point when Johnny was 14 and he used a slingshot to clear the cats off the front lawn and therefore he has the tendency to mistreat animals? Who knows where this can go?,” he said.
“Five years I always thought was adequate. If they wanted to go 10, I suppose that might be a bargaining point. But going back over a person’s entire life to find anything that could disqualify a person from owning and using a firearm is extreme and I don’t believe it is necessary.
“We live in the present. Most of the things we do are dictated by our experiences over the past five years or so.”
Gun retailers will also be required to keep records of firearms inventory and sales for at least 20 years and require the purchaser of a hunting rifle or shotgun to present a firearms licence, while the seller would have to ensure its validity. That move was roundly criticized as amounting to a “back-door registry” for long guns.
Charles Scott, who sits on a Conservative electoral district association, was the only person who does not own a gun who attended the meeting. He said the bill caters to a concern that “greater fire power equates to greater body count” and suggested there are more important priorities Zimmer could pursue.
Others suggested more thorough education on how Canada’s gun laws work, along with a more assertive publicity campaign, would help clear the air.
“It will pull the fuse out of the people who are gun control crazy and make it more apparent to the public out there, especially the news coverage, to show that there are sensible, reasonable people from all walks of life who know how to smooth out the humps of this thing and how to make our society safer without threatening individual privileges,” Nagel said. “And they’re privileges not rights.”
Zimmer said he hosted the event to get a sense of the direction he should take on the issue and had invited people in favour of tighter controls on firearms to attend but none took up his offer. He said the bill will be headed to committee when the House of Commons reconvenes next week.
This is a chance to make a difference as an outdoors person and represent the community you live and breathe as Outdoors Folks!! Please attend if you can.
Gun control impasse leaves thousands of prohibited devices on the street
By Dean Beeby | CBC News | April 8, 2018
Two years after sweeping RCMP prohibition, up to a million large-capacity rifle magazines remain at large
As many as a million large-capacity rifle magazines that were declared prohibited in 2016 remain in the hands of Canada’s gun owners — the fallout of a simmering legal dispute over the RCMP’s authority to ban weaponry.
Since the 1960s, owners of the popular 22-calibre Ruger 10/22 long rifle have been able to buy magazines with no limit on the number of rounds they can hold.
That changed in May 2016 when the RCMP, in response to a border-seizure incident, declared as prohibited any 10/22 magazines that can hold more than 10 cartridges.
The Mounties’ ruling was prompted in part by sales of a Ruger brand of restricted pistol — for which there are strict magazine size limits — that can use the large-capacity magazines designed for Ruger rifles.
The 2016 decision was not broadly or well communicated. Three months later, the RCMP posted a question-and-answer communique on their website after gun sellers and owners repeatedly asked about the rumoured change.
But almost two years later, tens of thousands of the problem magazines remain in private hands, in regulatory limbo.
The 22-calibre long rifle, widely owned in Canada, is frequently a beginner’s firearm. It’s often used to hunt small game, to control pests or for target practice.
The RCMP say they had not previously imposed any magazine-size restrictions for the Ruger 10/22, in part because of the rifle’s lower power. (Recent mass shootings in the U.S. have involved semi-automatic AR-15-style rifles and pistols using more powerful ammunition.)
An internal briefing note for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale warned in July 2016 about the large numbers of prohibited magazines still at large.
“The 10/22 rifle platform is popular – tens of thousands are estimated to be owned by Canadians,” says the document, obtained by CBC News under the Access to Information Act.
“Given the popularity of militarizing these platforms, the number of prohibited 10/22 magazines possessed by businesses and individuals is also likely in the tens of thousands. An accounting of these prohibited magazines is not possible since firearm magazines are not registered.”
‘Arbitrary ban’
The Criminal Code penalty for possession of such a prohibited device is up to five years in prison, says the document.
The head of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), which has 32,000 members, told CBC the number of 10/22 large-capacity magazines is likely much higher than the RCMP estimates.
“Our understanding is approximately 1.2 million of them in Canada,” said Tony Bernardo.
In an email, he dismissed the Mounties’ decision on the magazines as “another arbitrary ban from the ‘experts’ at the RCMP.”
Bernardo said his group plans to launch a class action lawsuit against the RCMP to challenge the ban. Meanwhile, the CSSA is warning gun dealers to take their large-capacity 10/22 magazines off the shelves, and telling its members not to transport them.
The RCMP’s estimate of tens of thousands of the large-capacity 10/22 magazines in the hands of gun owners and businesses remains valid, said spokesman Sgt. Harold Pfleiderer.
Pfleiderer said the RCMP does not maintain statistics on how many such magazines have been seized, and referred questions about any charges laid to the federal Justice Department, which declined comment. Bernardo said he knows of no CSSA members who have been charged with possessing a large-capacity 10/22 magazine.
But Ottawa defence lawyer Solomon Friedman, who often takes clients in gun control cases, said he’s had three such cases in the last year.
“It’s apparent to me that the Crown does not have an appetite to prosecute them,” he said in an interview. “The RCMP’s legal opinion is wrong.
“Every gun owner that I know has these magazines.”
The briefing note for Goodale says 25-shot magazines — known as Ruger BX-25s and able to be used in both rifles and pistols — were explicitly prohibited in 2013. And general information about a 10-cartridge magazine maximum was “well circulated on Canadian online forums” at the time.
“Magazines up to 110 shot capacity are available,” says the briefing note, signed by former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson.
“Although the 22LR [22-calibre, long-rifle] cartridge is less powerful than most, it is nonetheless lethal, and combined with high capacity magazines, presents a public safety hazard and an officer safety concern when responding to incidents involving these magazines.
Legal peril
“Notwithstanding the steps taken to inform the Canadian public and firearms businesses, it appears that prohibited 10/22 platform magazines continue to be imported into Canada and sold by unqualified businesses and individuals.”
Bernardo said the RCMP has misinterpreted the law, putting thousands of law-abiding gun-owners in legal peril.
“How can they just simply wave their magic wand and turn hundreds of thousands of people into felons?” he said. “Where did the police get this power?”
Friedman called Canada’s gun-control regime a “complete mess,” with the RCMP’s ruling on the 10/22 magazine issue a prime example of an erroneous legal opinion putting ordinary gun-owners in legal jeopardy.
“You don’t have a single, coherent firearms policy that informs the legislation and regulations,” he said.
In March, the Liberal government tabled long-promised gun-control legislation – Bill C-71 – that still leaves decisions on weapon classification with the RCMP.
R. Lee Ermey died at age 74 due to complications of pneumonia.
R. Lee Ermey served in the United States Marine Corps for eleven years, from 1961 to 1972, and has been a drill instructor in India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego from 1965 to 1967.
Medically discharged in 1972 as a staff sergeant because of several injuries incurred during his service, in 2002 Ermey received an honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant (E-7) by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James L. Jones.
R. Lee Ermey’s acting career began in 1978; the role of drill instructor Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Full Metal Jacket earned him fame and a Golden Globe nomination. Ermey would later spoof that very same iconic role several times all through his career, most notably in the 1996 horror comedy The Frighteners, helmed by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.
In everyday life, R. Lee Ermey was known as a family man, a kind and gentle soul, generous to everyone around him and especially caring for others in need. A testimonial for companies such as Glock and SOG Knives, he was also a common sighting at the yearly NSSF SHOT Show, and a well known supporter of gun rights.
“Marines die, that’s what were here for! But the MarineCorps lives forever. And that means you live forever.”
Many To One is a registered Canadian charity whose goals include developing a centralized online website of PTSD resources, promoting PTSD awareness in the community and working with established organizations to support our heroes in the military, police, fire and EMS sectors.
Awareness, education and training are the main tools used to combat and prevent PTSD. Our mandate is to build a PTSD website to guide those who have PTSD and supporting family members to treatment options and to develop training tools which can be utilized by front line workers in at-risk occupations.
How did Many To One start?
M2O started with a simple idea of doing online auctions to help raise money for existing charities that support our heroes in times of need. For two years, with the support of major corporations both in Canada and United States, we were able to raise funds and awareness for key organizations.
We quickly realized that PTSD was a significant issue which needed more focused attention. Through research and reaching out to the mental health community, it was evident that there were a great number of existing programs which served the needs of our military and first responders.
Our Mission
To become an online conduit of PTSD resources world-wide, connecting people to the help they need.
Many To One is committed to simplifying the process of finding PTSD resources. It can be a challenge at the best of times to find information on the internet, but when you are already battling PTSD or you are struggling to support a loved one, this challenge can seem overwhelming.
Many To One is dedicated to creating an online directory of PTSD resources, thus providing a centralized base of information and educational tools. We recognized that the programs already existed globally but we needed to make it easier for individuals and family members to find these resources both quickly and easily.
This challenge requires the collective support of corporations and the communities it will serve. Just as no war is won alone, PTSD cannot be addressed by a single organization. It is through the united efforts of many that we are able to provide a wide variety of resources to individuals and their support structures.
We need your support to build and maintain this resource for our heroes, both locally and abroad.
For information about the Charity Online Auction or how you can donate, please visit their website at ManyToOne or FaceBook page at ManyToOne.
Nearly 270 weapons turned over to OPP mid-way through gun amnesty: police
By Staff | Canadian Press | April 17, 2018
ORILLIA, Ont. – Provincial police say nearly 270 weapons have been turned over to the force mid-way through its month-long gun amnesty.
OPP say as of Monday, it had received 218 gun amnesty calls and officers picked up 267 items, including restricted, prohibited, replica, and vintage weapons.
They also say more than 5,200 pieces of ammunition have been surrendered, including a quantity of hollow-point bullets.
The gun amnesty is in effect until April 30 for any Ontario resident who wishes to voluntarily surrender unwanted or illegally-owned firearms, weapons, accessories, or ammunition.
However, no amnesty is offered for people who turn in weapons that have been used in the commission of a crime and no anonymous submissions will be accepted.
OPP say they will make appointments to pick up the weapons and under no circumstances should anyone try to deliver guns or ammunition directly to police facilities.
NRA Applauds Nebraska Law Protecting Privacy of Firearms Records
By NRA-ILA | Ammoland | April 18, 2018
Fairfax, VA – -(Ammoland.com)- The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action applauds Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts for signing into law legislation that protects the confidentiality of personal information associated with many firearm records.
On April 11 2018, Nebraska lawmakers passed Legislative Bill 902 (47-0) to ensure that personal information contained in Firearm Permit and Purchase records will be protected from public records requests.
The Nebraska State Patrol issues Concealed Handgun Permits and is required by law to keep those records confidential. However, a loophole in the state’s confidentiality law allowed unscrupulous media outlets and others access to related firearms records. LB 902 closes that loophole.
“This new law gives Nebraska’s law-abiding gun owners peace of mind knowing that gun control extremists won’t have access to their personal information,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Not too long ago, a newspaper in suburban New York published the names and home addresses of that community’s handgun permit holders on an interactive online map. This is the kind of sleaze the NRA is seeking to prevent in Nebraska.”
In addition to releasing the confidential, personally identifying information of law-abiding permit holders who simply wish to protect themselves, this information, if publicly released, would likely include the names and addresses of current and former law enforcement, judges, undercover officers, private investigators, victims of domestic violence and individuals with no-contact order or orders of protection.
“On behalf of Nebraska’s gun owners, I want to thank Gov. Ricketts and Sen. Bruce Bostelman for their leadership on this critical issue,” concluded Cox. “Both men have been steadfast in their support of the rights of Nebraska’s law-abiding gun owners.”
Lawrie McFarlane: Why the anti-gun lobby is sorely misguided
By Lawrie McFarlane | Times Colonist | April 8, 2018
In response to the recent school shooting in Florida, demands for gun-safety reform have reignited.
Hundreds marched to the legislature in Victoria, adding to the clamour. And in Ottawa, the federal government is putting the finishing touches on legislation intended to tighten gun regulations.
No surprise there. The Liberals have forgotten nothing and learned nothing. In 1993, then-prime minister Jean Chrétien introduced a long-gun registry, replacing the totally reliable firearms-acquisition certificate.
The change was largely optics, since the FAC already required rigorous police checks. The new system was not, however, inexpensive. A project that was supposed to cost $2 million a year ended up with a price tag of more than $1 billion.
What did we get for that? Nothing. After more than a decade of wasted effort, the federal auditor general found no evidence of any benefit to public safety.
The Conservative government of Stephen Harper eventually abolished the registry, though restrictions were retained on certain weapons.
But here is the point. Gun-related deaths in Canada have been falling for decades, with or without the involvement of government regulation. In 1974, the peak year the baby boom reached adulthood (no coincidence), firearm-related fatalities topped out at 3.03 per 100,000 population. By 2016, the rate had declined to 0.61.
And even that figure is misleading. Deaths due to legal weapons (rifles and shotguns) amounted to just 0.14. The majority of the fatalities were caused by handguns and sawed-off shotguns — that is to say, gangland shootings. But these weapons are already illegal or heavily restricted.
So where is the problem we’re trying to solve, and what options are there that we haven’t already discarded?
“Ban assault rifles” is the usual trope. Never mind that the U.S. tried this and it didn’t work. Never mind that we don’t permit them in Canada.
A true assault rifle is a machine gun, which keeps firing as long as you pull the trigger. Those are illegal in our country.
The assault rifles you hear about are nothing but semi-automatic hunting rifles with cosmetic add-ons to mimic the military version. These do nothing to increase the weapon’s lethality.
But can’t you fire a semi-automatic more quickly? Not if you intend to hit anything.
High-velocity weapons kick violently when fired: It takes two or three seconds to get the gun back under control. You can reload a standard rifle in that time.
Remember Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who killed president John F. Kennedy? Using a cheap bolt-action (the slowest of rifle actions), Oswald got off three aimed shots at a moving target in eight seconds, two of which were hits. You can’t fire a semi-automatic any faster.
How about restrictions on magazine size? I’m perfectly happy with limiting magazine capacity to five rounds in any high-velocity weapon (this is already the usual practice in hunting rifles).
But same problem. You don’t achieve much. Any experienced shooter can drop an empty magazine and shove in a loaded one with virtually no loss of time.
What about the risk that semi-automatic rifles can be converted to full automatic by an experienced gunsmith? First off, it’s almost unheard-of in Canada. Second, it’s already illegal.
And here we come to the real problem with calls for more gun control. The vast majority of fatalities are caused by gang members; suicides also play a role. In neither case will adding more legislation have any effect.
The first group aren’t bothered by laws. The second will find some other method.
The only people who suffer are law-abiding hunters, target shooters and farmers protecting their livestock.
Bottom line: This is a purely artificial crisis ginned up by the anti-gun lobby, helped along by politicians with attention deficit disorder.
By Dave Hanson, Guest Opinion | | The Guardian | April 12, 2018
New requirements sound very much like the creation of a new long gun registry
As president of the Prince Edward Island Rifle Association, Bill C-71, an act to amend certain parts of the Firearms Act, is receiving mixed reviews from our members.
There are a number of concerns with the bill as it is proposed. The first of which, is that this new legislation does little or nothing to tackle the issue of illegal firearms used by criminals. It does however target Canadas’ most vetted citizens (who are subject to criminal background checks on a daily basis, simply because they have a firearms’ license).
This bill is regarded by many as a matter of the government “picking the low hanging fruit” in order to appear to be tackling the tougher problem of gang-related violence. Ironically, Bill C-75 which was tabled just before the Parliamentarians broke for Easter, describes more lenient penalties for criminals including rape, homicide and those where illegal firearms are used.
Is there really a big firearms and homicide problem in Canada? The unfortunate news of individuals committing heinous acts in the U.S. tend to be over-reported in Canada to the extent that many Canadians believe that we too have a problem, when what we really have is a system in place where carefully screened citizens are both trained and licensed to have the opportunity to purchase firearms and ammunition.
These citizens understand the seriousness of the laws regarding firearms use and tend to uphold them to a very high standard. In fact, and according to Statistics Canada, the average Canadian has a higher likelihood of being struck by lightning than becoming a firearm related homicide victim.
Another and perhaps the most disturbing part of Bill C-71, it will be the sole responsibility of the RCMP to both make and enforce the law. There will be no oversight or ombudsman to review their decisions on classification and re-classification of firearms. For the average Canadian, this trend of handing off the creation of new laws should be very concerning, since in a democracy, these two actions are kept separate for good reason.
The new requirement for businesses and individual sellers to obtain a transfer number from the Canadian firearms registrar sounds very much like the creation of a new Long Gun Registry, since restricted and prohibited firearms are already subject to this requirement. The only difference, is that individual shop owners will bear the cost of this administration and the information contained within could be used for nefarious acts if it were to be obtained by criminals.
Changes in authorization to transport restricted firearms, the licensed owner will have to obtain permission to take their firearms to the range, gunsmith, and even to turn them in to the RCMP. These conditions were a standard condition of Bill C-42, the Common-Sense Firearms Legislation tabled before the last federal election and resulted in much less and simplified paperwork for licensed firearms owners and the chief firearms officer of the province. To this date, I have not heard of one instance where a firearms owner didn’t follow the conditions on their authorization to transport.
Up to this point, there have been many letter-writing campaigns and petitions across the country by licensed firearms owners who don’t wish to have their constitutional rights trampled on. The average citizen may well want to pay close attention too, as our federal government continues to erode the constitution. Sadly, many letters go unread or unanswered. This would lead one to believe that they are tied to the party post and cannot engage their constituents for fear of retribution. For those politicians that do respond, it’s by form letter which likens itself to question period in the House of Commons, where we hear talking points, not answers.
Here on P.E.I., there is work being done to host an open house in an effort to engage our politicians in open and moderated dialogue. A date and time will be widely posted prior to the event.
– Dave Hanson, President, P.E.I. Provincial Rifle Association
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RCMP says it won’t know rifles, shotguns are being sold under new vetting
By Tim Naumetz | iPolitics | April 10, 2018
A new Liberal gun bill governing sales of rifles and shotguns contains a licence vetting system so far from the former long gun registry that the RCMP will not even know whether individual long guns are actually being sold, the Mountie national firearms office says.
In reaction to a claim from the National Firearms Association that a new method of verifying licences and eligibility of gun buyers is, in effect, a new long gun registry, the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s office insist Bill C-71 does not reinstate the registry dismantled by the former Conservative government in 2012.
The bill, combined with new regulations to be passed by cabinet, proposes a numbering system originating from the Canadian Firearms Program to verify licences while at the same time keeping secret all details of rifles or shotguns being sold to buyers who have valid licences and are legally allowed to possess non-restricted firearms.
Under the plan, with details yet to be spelled out through regulations under the new statute, a gun retailer would be required to contact the national firearms registrar, technically the commissioner of the RCMP, to inquire whether the would-be buyer is qualified to go through with the purchase.
During the contact with the registrar, in effect officers in the Canadian Firearms Program, the retailer would not pass along any identifying characteristics of the gun.
If the licence is in order and there is no other up-to-date information that would prevent the buyer from acquiring the rifle or shotgun, the Mounties, also in charge of the National Firearms Registry of restricted and prohibited handguns and rifles, would issue a “reference number” to the retailer.
The retailer would be required to keep the authorizing number as a record, along with identifying details of the long gun and the buyer’s licence that would be available to police in case of a criminal identification.
“That is the same process as the registry,” Blair Hagen, vice-president of the National Firearms Association, said in an interview with iPolitics last week “The only difference is under that registry there was a reference number and a registration certificate number.”
“Under this registry there will just be the reference number; it will serve as the registration certificate number,” Hagen said.
Hagen, a licensed firearms retailer in Vancouver, said the number system of tracking a gun sale breaks a Liberal election promise that a Liberal government would not reinstate the long gun registry, which required the recording and registration of all details in the transfer or sale of non-restricted firearms, including the name and address of the buyer.
Individuals who sell non-restricted long guns under the new bill would also be required to obtain a go-ahead from the RCMP through the reference-number system, but they would not be required to maintain the same sales records as businesses in case of future criminal investigations.
In response to Hagen’s claim, the firearms centre, through Goodale’s director of communications, Dan Brien, responded by email saying, “It is important to note that Bill C-71 does NOT reinstate the long gun registry.”
The email addressed Conservative and gun lobby concerns that the retailer’s retention of the transaction details in a gun sale is in effect a registry. The firearms response to Blair’s claim noted the information of the purchase transaction would be available only to police through a court-approved order.
The RCMP, through the email from Brien, said the reference number requirement is “simply to make sure that the non-restricted firearm is going to someone who can legally possess a firearm in Canada.”
“No information about the non-restricted firearm involved in the exchange would be provided to the CFP,” the statement said.
“To be clear, the reference number provided by the CFP would only confirm that the buyer/recipient has a valid licence,” the email said.
“The CFP will have no knowledge whether the sale, in the end, took place,” the firearms program said.
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