The Sporting Clubs of
Newsletter
Volume 14, Number
2
April 2008
President’s Message
Well, Spring has arrived and
the political situation in
Meanwhile, Stephane Dion is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the weakest
Canadian political leaders in recent history and has been using every excuse
possible to avoid forcing a general
election. Even as I write this he has a mini-revolt brewing in the
Liberal’s
Meanwhile, “Taliban Jack”
So while an election should not be on the horizon till at least the fall, don’t be surprised if the Liberals force one simply to get rid of Dion and elect a leader they think has a chance of defeating Stephen Harper. If a snap election is called we will do an emergency election edition to keep you up to speed on any developments.
What, you may wonder, does all this election talk have to do with the firearm situation. Well, as long as the Conservatives are in power and Stockwell Day is the Minister of Public Safety it is unlikely that any serious anti-gun efforts will gain government support and that is fortunate since Premier Dalton McGuinty, Toronto Mayor David Miller and Attorney-General Chris Bentley have recently been pressuring the Feds for a handgun ban, fortunately to no avail so far.
By the way, I apparently misspoke when I commented two issues ago that Bentley couldn’t possibly be as bad an Attorney-General as Michael Bryant. While he may not have Bryant’s irritating nasal voice or desire to stick his face in front of any camera in sight, when it comes to effective gun control he has proven to be just as thick headed and irrational as Bryant ever was. When guns are involved, you apparently have to be terminally stupid to be appointed to a Liberal cabinet post.
While the Conservatives have been unable to make any major inroads in firearm legislation due to their minority situation they have recently introduced some regulatory changes regarding licence renewal fees, unregistered long guns and, most significantly, expired POLs. All of these measures will benefit the firearm community in the short run and are explained more fully later in the newsletter.
We continue to urge you to contact Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day and voice your support for him. Contact info is:
Mail: Hon. Stockwell Day
House of Commons
Phone: 613-995-1702
Fax: 613.995.1154
Email: day.s&parl.gc.ca (Note: Replace & symbol with @ symbol to get proper email address. Written this way to stop spambots.)
It only takes a few minutes but it helps immensely and we need him to know we are out there backing him up.
Gerry Gamble
Montague Sentenced
On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 Bruce Montague was sentenced to 18 months in jail after having been found guilty of 26 firearm offenses. The most serious of those were 3 counts of altering semi‑automatic firearms to fire automatically, as well as counts for removing serial numbers, possession of prohibited or restricted firearms stored loaded or with ready access to ammunition, possession of oversize magazines, improper storage of non-restricted firearms and possession of firearms without a licence.
We have no idea why Bruce had converted semi-autos to full auto, although the general consensus by everyone, the judge included, is that he did not do it for any criminal purpose. What is more disturbing is the number of ‘paper crimes’ like “possession ...without a licence” which would not have been an offense prior to 1998.
It is becoming rapidly apparent that this was, plain and simple, a government vendetta against Montague. To prove this, compare his sentence of 18 months in jail to that of a 60‑year‑old James Bay resident who pled guilty to 19 firearms offences including possession of tear‑gas grenades, sound suppressors and a machine gun and received a conditional sentence of two years less a day, to be served in his home or the case of an Alberta resident who smashed in another man’s skull with a baseball bat (he later died) and was freed after only after spending 18 months in jail.
Such cases have caused Montague’s lawyer, Doug Christie, to appeal the severity of the sentence. Inane comments from Justice John Wright like "He (Montague) has a vision of a world in flames with every man having to look after himself and his family.” paints a picture of yet another limp-wristed liberal political appointee who foolishly believes the police can protect citizens from the bad guys and punishes someone who takes the initiative to protect themselves and their family.
Bruce still intends to push his constitutional challenge forward and we encourage you to support Bruce in his, fight. He is an honest, decent man who challenged the government and they have persecuted him for it and he needs our support. Please send a donation in whatever amount you can spare. Make cheques payable to the:
"Bruce Montague Scrap C-68 Fund"
RR#2, Site 211,
More information on Bruce’s court case and constitutional challenge is available at: http://www.brucemontague.ca
Letters of support can be sent to:
William Bruce Montague
New Amnesties and Regulations
On March 1, 2008 the Conservatives proposed/revised three amnesties/regulations which, if adopted, will remove some legal liability from gun owners. Public consultations have been held and TSCON members submitted several letters of support for these changes. The changes would be in effect until May 16, 2009. The areas affected are as follows:
Unregistered Long Guns and Expired PALs
This amnesty was first brought in effective May 17, 2006. It protects from legal liability non-restricted firearms owners who are taking steps to obtain a licence and/or a registration certificate. If your firearm licence expired or will expire during the period from January 1, 2004, to May 16, 2009 you are protected from legal liability if you are in the process of renewing it. It should be noted that thinking about renewing or having a renewal form in your possession would be considered taking steps to renew and you would be protected.
Also, if you have unregistered non-restricted firearms and are taking steps to register them you are similarly free of liability. However, the police may seize the firearms until you can prove that you have obtained a licence and/or applied to register the firearm. Please note that this amnesty does not apply to unregistered restricted or prohibited firearms, and does not apply to anyone who has never held a POL or PAL.
Fee Waiver
On May 17, 2006, the Government of Canada introduced amendments to the Firearms Fees Regulations in order to waive, for a period of two years, the fee payable for the renewal of a firearms licence, including fees that may apply when changing from a POL to a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) or when an existing firearms licence is upgraded to include additional privileges. This fee waiver has now been extended until May 16, 2009.
Please note that the prescribed fee will continue to be paid on applications for first time firearms licences and applications made subsequent to a licence revocation or licence refusal or following the expiry of a firearms prohibition order. Applications for PALs submitted by individuals who previously held a minors licence must also be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
POL Renewal (This one is important)
Under existing regulations, individual firearms licences are issued for five‑year terms, and all licences may be renewed prior to their expiry. POLs, unlike Possession and Acquisition Licences (PALs), may not be renewed following expiry. Holders of expired POLs must successfully complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course examination, and then apply for a PAL in order to return to compliance with the Firearms Act. Of the more than 150 000 expired licensees unlawfully in possession of their firearms, approximately 108 000 are former POL holders.
With the coming into effect of these Regulations, up to and including May 16, 2009, individuals who previously held a POL and who remain in possession of registered or previously registered non‑restricted or restricted firearms may apply for a new POL. Applications would be made to the Canada Firearms Centre (CAFC) using the prescribed form and would be subject to the same checks and screening as any other new firearms licence application. A new POL would only be issued for restricted and non‑restricted firearms, and would expire five years after issue unless the licence holder renews the POL prior to this date. If an application for a new POL is successful, certificates for non‑restricted and/or restricted firearms that were revoked with the expiry of the previous POL may be re‑issued on application to the Firearms Registrar.
Some of this may be confusing so if you have any questions call TSCON and we will try to clarify it for you.
Welcome Back, Dennis!
Last year, MP Garry Breitkreuz’ extremely capable and hard working assistant, Dennis Young, was forced to retire due to some health problems. We are, therefore, extremely pleased to note that Dennis has bounced back nicely and is working part-time for Garry on the firearms portfolio. It’s great to once again see the e-mail inbox filled with lots of valuable information. Welcome back, Dennis!
Stolen Guns a Problem - Not!
Some recent high profile shootings in
However, Statistics Canada data released in Feb. 2008 shoots huge holes in that theory. In fact, MP Garry Breitkreuz says a Statistics Canada study proves that hunters and sport shooters have nothing in common with violent criminals.
Statistics
Unpublished Statistics Canada tables showed that
of the total homicides committed between 1997 and 2005, only 2.27 percent
were committed with a registered gun, and only 1.21 percent were committed with a firearm registered to the accused
murderer, and 2.14 percent were committed by a person that held a valid
firearms licence. Obviously, law‑abiding gun
owners aren’t the problem yet the Government of Ontario and the City of
Despite the hysterical cry for an handgun ban, knife and club attacks occur at a rate almost four times higher than guns. Looks like Stockwell Day had it right when he said “"The problem is not the approved collectors or the target shooters," he said. "We have to go after the criminals...”
12/6 Handguns
Hearings on the 12/6 firearms were held Jan. 28. However, the judge’s decision is not expected for some time, possibly as late as June. We will let you know as soon as we have any new information.
Anti-Gun/Anti Hunting List
Are you aware of any businesses or organizations which have demonstrated unfair anti-gun biases? If so, please forward their names to us. We will be happy to give them the publicity they deserve.
Keep Your Donations Local
Many of you have no doubt received appeals from the Conservative Party of Canada for donations to help them prepare for the next election. We advocate that you support the Conservatives because they have been the only party to demonstrate a willingness to work with gun owners to correct many of the injustices foisted upon us by the Liberals. However, it has recently come to our attention that if you make a donation to the national party, only 10% of the money is kicked back to your local riding. On the other hand, if you make the donation directly to the riding it gets to keep 100% of the donation.
Our three local MPs (Rick Dykstra, Dean Allison and Rob Nicholson) have proven to be very supportive of gun owners. For that reason we would ask that when you make a donation, send it directly to your local riding association. These gentlemen are on our side and we can help them out greatly by sending them money to help keep them elected and so they may continue that support.
Red Fridays
Remember to wear red on Fridays to show your support for our troops.
Push for 1000
Membership in TSCON currently stands at about 950 households and we would love to be able say that we have over 1000. How about convincing your shooting & hunting buddies and gun owning relatives and friends to join us.
2008 Memberships
All 2007 memberships expired on Dec. 31/2007. If the mailing label on your envelope does not read “08" YOU ARE NOT A PAID UP MEMBER FOR 2008. Non-members receive only one newsletter a year. Can you afford to be uninformed about the firearm issue? Not if you care about your guns, you can’t! Please take the time to renew right now. Maybe even throw in a few extra dollars as a donation if you can spare them.
T-Shirts/Sweat Shirts/Hats
We have a new supply of “The Sporting Clubs of Niagara” t-shirts, sweat shirts and hats (hats now available in 4 colours). They are good quality and available in a variety of sizes and designs. Get them while the supply lasts. Prices as follows:
T-shirts M-XL $16
XXL $18
Sweats - M-XL $20
XXL $22
Hats w/TSCON crest $15
TSCON crest alone $6.
Buy them at the gun show or from any member of the Executive.
Your Rights are in the Cards!
We continue to hear horror stories of police abusing their powers when dealing with firearm owners including one incident where a police officer parked outside a gun club and pulled over a member leaving the club for no reason except that there might be firearms in the car (after all it was a GUN club). Our laminated wallet-sized printed cards declaring your right to remain silent and ask for a lawyer when it appears that the police are overstepping their authority when questioning you in dubious circumstances are proving extremely popular (which is a little scary when you think of it). We are only asking for $1 per card to defray the cost of production. If you want cards mailed to you please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your request. More info on this is on our website in archived copies of newsletter Vol. 11 #4 and Vol. 12 #1.
TSCON Web Site
All our newsletters as well as other interesting and informative information are available on our web site:
http://www.vaxxine.com/scon Comments or suggestions?? Call John at 905-562-7686
Gun Show Dates
Confirmed dates for our 2008 gun shows are as follows:
April 25
Sept. 5
Dec. 12
Gun Show Location
Merritton Community Centre,
If you want tables for the April 25/08 show, contact
Notice to Gun Show Vendors
Late arrivals - If you think you are going to be late
to the gun show you should call
Free Classified Ads for Members
Classified ads for shooting related items are free for members. Please call 905-685-4480 and submit ads by the dates listed for inclusion in the next newsletter:
>Vol. 14 #3 Aug. 1, 2008
>Vol. 15 #4 Nov. 10, 2008
Classified Ads
For
Remington Sportsman Model 48 shotgun, 12 ga. semi-auto, $175. Call Don 519-747-2885 or leave message
For
For
For Sale: Bear Whitetail Hunter II compound bow, quiver, 6 XX75 Easton arrows, 6 broadheads, 6 field tips, arrow sights, bow case. $150 firm
Lee 12 gauge and 20 gauge shotshell
reloader, includes all powder and
shot bushings, crimping tools and some
For
For Sale: Excalibur Wolverine crossbow, 150 lb. pull, 15 yrs. old, excellent, Tasco ProPoint scope, extra blades, 12 bolts, safety harness, screw in & bolt-on steps and others. Asking $450. Call Richard 905‑309‑4403
Trigger Locks for
The Sporting Clubs of Niagara has trigger locks forr sale. They aren’t fancy and they take a few seconds to put on and take off but they are legal. Locks are only $1.00 each! Pick them up at the club table at the gun show or call any member of the Executive. Large quantities available!
TSCON Inquiries?
General 905-685-4480
905-937-2301
Memberships
905-685-4480
Gun Show 905-934-6469
FAX 905-934-8039
Mail TSCON
L2M 7X2
Weekly Meetings
Where?
When? Wednesdays, 7:00 pm.
Who? Members and non- members alike are welcome to attend.
Where? St. Catharines Game and Fish Building, next to the boat ramp on Lighthouse Road
Moved, Address Changes, Etc.
To notify us of address changes, duplicate mailings, to be removed from the mailing list or to request a copy of the newsletter call 905‑685‑4480.
"Going after guns to stop crime is like trying to stop the itch of poison ivy by scratching. It feels good for a short time but doesn't accomplish anything."....Unknown
DRAW PRIZE WINNERS
The following members are winners in our latest draw. Call Gerry at 905-685-4480 to arrange to claim your prize.
| Winner | Prize | Donated By |
| Morgan Patterson | TSCON t-shirt | The Sporting Clubs of Niagara |
| Victor Packard | Gun Cleaning Kit | The Sporting Clubs of Niagara |
| Jeff Leslie | Pocket Knife | The Sporting Clubs of Niagara |
| Howard Potter | Free PAL test (transferrable) | Firearms Education School (John Kellaway) |
>>G u n S h o w<<
Friday, April 25, 2008, 6:00-10:00 pm
Merritton Community Centre
ADMISSION $4
Buy, Sell or Trade, 100+ tables of Antique and Modern Firearms, Knives, Hunting Accessories and Gun Parts
For tables or information call:
“Remember Bill C-68 When You Vote”