Greetings to you all. I hope you are having a good (if fleeting) summer. It seems that in every President’s Message I talk about the possibility of a looming federal election and this is no exception. Last week Prime Minister Harper called three by-elections for early September, the results of which will probably determine if we go to the polls this fall. Currently the Liberals hold two of the seats and the Bloc one. If the Liberals win two or three seats then a fall election is a near certainty.

A loss of either seat will again call Stephane Dion’s leadership into question and an election before spring 2009 will be unlikely. Whenever it occurs, the next election will be a watershed for Canadian gun owners. A Liberal victory will be a near guarantee of a national ban on handguns and possibly all semi-auto long guns. A Conservative win MIGHT enable us to regain some of the ground that we have lost since 1995.

On that topic, I read several articles recently that have been highly critical of the Conservatives and their lack of movement on the firearms issue and to be honest, much of the criticism is well deserved. The Conservatives have been rather tepid (or downright timid) in their attempts to rectify the wrongs in the Firearms Act. Some gun owners are even advocating not voting for the Conservatives and I can certainly sympathize with the urge to teach them a lesson for not having more backbone.

Unfortunately, this is not the U.S. where we can abandon a CPC MP for a pro-gun Liberal and count on him to defend our rights in Parliament. First, there are very few pro-gun Liberals. Second, the few brave Liberal MPs who did defy party policy and voted against Bill C-68 were punished by removal from committees (costing them a lot of money) and were threatened with expulsion from the party, virtually guaranteeing they would not be re-elected. Therefore, while it is tempting, abandoning the only party that is even remotely sympathetic to gun owners really is a classic case of cutting off you nose to spite your face.

Another problem is gun owners themselves. While it is fair game to criticize the Conservatives, if the up to 5 million Canadian gun owners would vote in a block we could wield real power. However, how often have you heard a hunter say “Who needs a handgun?” or a target shooter say “Who needs an assault rifle?” I have many times and it always makes me cringe as this is the exact reason politicians don’t take us seriously. If we won’t even stand up to protect each other’s guns, how likely are they to fear that we can mount a concerted effort to vote an MP out of office.

Two other facts have prevented any real progress beneficial to firearm owners. The first is the minority Parliament situation. While I find it is wearing thin as an excuse it does have some validity. Any MAJOR modifications to the Firearms Act require action by Parliament. The Conservatives could introduce legislation tomorrow giving gun owners everything we want - no licencing, no prohibited firearms, no ATTs, etc. The problem is that these changes require the consent of Parliament and in the current anti-gun minority government situation, such a bill would never pass.

Second, (and this is where the Conservatives are no better than any other politicians), while in a minority position they will never introduce legislation which allows the opposition to paint them in a negative light regarding firearms. This is why supposedly pro-gun Conservatives have done nothing to help non-grandfathered 12/6 handgun owners - since the Liberals would try and twist it into “Conservatives allow more dangerous “Saturday Night Specials” on the streets”, and Stephen Harper won’t allow them that opportunity.

I realize that these explanations are not going to placate many gun owners who, after suffering under the Liberal yoke for 13 years expected the Conservatives to institute some significant positive changes in firearms legislation and have been disappointed so far. To them I say continue to bombard your MP’s, the Prime Minister and Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day with letters, e-mails and phone calls expressing your frustration. No matter what transpires there must be an election by fall 2009. At that time we will have a chance to give the Conservatives a majority and remove their major excuse for inaction. Then if they do nothing to help us we dump them faster than last week’s garbage.

Until that situation arises, however, it is much more productive to channel our energy towards making the Conservatives more dependent on us as we work towards giving them the opportunity to keep their word, scrap the Firearms Act and replace it with fair and effective legislation.

Gerry Gamble

Bruce Montague Update

In the last issue we detailed Bruce’s conviction on a series of firearm charges. At that time we questioned the impartiality of the judge and the sentence imposed. Apparently the Appeal Court of Ontario agreed with our observations as Bruce is now free on bail and his appeal application was accepted. We have spoken to Bruce at length about the case. However, since it is currently still before the courts there is information which cannot be divulged at this time in order to protect the integrity of Bruce’s appeal. Suffice it to say that issues relating to the original convictions were not as clear cut as they appeared in newspaper accounts.

Bruce still intends to push his constitutional challenge forward and we encourage you to support him in his fight. Bruce 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, Box 7

Dryden, ON P8N 2Y5

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

1430 River Dr,

Kenora, ON P9N 1K5

Toronto The Bad

By now most everyone has heard about Toronto Mayor David Miller’s campaign for a national handgun ban. So far the Conservatives have basically ignored him but he has caused considerable grief for Toronto gun owners. Two gun clubs being run on city property are being forced to close down despite spotless safety records and a complete lack of evidence that they have ever been a problem, safety or otherwise. Since Miller wants Toronto to have nothing to do with lawful gun owners (he doesn’t seem to bother the unlawful ones), it seems only fair that gun owners should have nothing to do with Toronto. To that end, CSSA has begun their “Toronto the Bad” campaign:

http://www.torontothebad.com

Send a message to Miller and the other assorted idiots on Toronto City Council that you will do everything in your power to boycott their city. Here are some easy links to do so:

http://www.torontothebad.com/E‑mail_Page.html

We further suggest that you contact your gun owning American friends and ask them to pass this information on to all their friends as well. Don’t forget to tell them to e-mail Miller so he is aware of how much money he is costing his city. With U.S. tourism to Canada down by some 2/3's since 2001 this is a good chance to give Miller and his socialist buddies a financial kick in the teeth.

Amnesties and Regulations Update

The proposed and revised three amnesties/regulations which were noted in the April newsletter are now official and are in effect till May 16, 2009. We outlined them in the last newsletter but because they are of some importance we are reprinting them here for your convenience.

Unregistered Long Guns and Expired PALs

This amnesty continues from 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. Unlike PALs, however, POLs could not be renewed if they were allowed to expire, and expired POL holders had to successfully complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course examination, and then apply for a PAL in order to return to compliance with the Firearms Act. 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. Application must be made to the Canadian Firearms Centre (at the moment the forms are not online so call 1-800-731-4000 to get them). 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.

We realize some of this may be confusing so if you have any questions call TSCON and we will try to clarify it for you.

12/6 Handguns

On April 14, 2008 a decision was rendered regarding the appeal that 12/6 status be granted to non-grandfathered 12/6 handgun owners. While sympathetic to the plight of these people, the judge ruled as follows:

“...there is no ambiguity in the legislation and it is not the function of the judicial branch to amend it. It is clear from the record that Parliament is aware of the applicants’ situation. It would be open to Parliament to amend the Firearms Act to extend grandparenting rights to them. Parliament has not chosen to do so. The refusals to issue licences and registration certificates to the applicants are confirmed.” CSSA is appealing this decision so a final resolution could still be a long ways off. We will let you know as soon as we have any new information.

TSCON Joins OLA

In the past month TSCON has made arrangements to join the Ontario Landowners Association as an associate member. For those of you not familiar with it, the OLA is a fast growing, very pro-active organization that believes in minimizing government interference in our lives and the protection of individual property rights. While based in rural Ontario, the principles the OLA espouses, particularly with regard to property rights, are very similar to our own. Many OLA members are already members of TSCON so forging a working relationship with the OLA is only a small leap for TSCON and we look forward to a successful programme of mutual support. For more information check their website at:

www.ruralrevolution.com

Firearm Inspections Halted

In Jan. 2008 we reported on an outrageous plan by the Ontario CFO (apparently at the urging of the Toronto Police Service) to inspect the homes of gun owners in Toronto over the age of 75 who possessed 10 or more firearms or restricted/prohibited firearms. After completing some 24 inspections the CFO decided against proceeding further. Deputy Firearms Officer Tony Cooper was quoted as saying “firearm owners who were inspected were not only found to be in compliance with the law but exceeded the requirements of the law.” Well “D’uh”, Tony. Did you really expect that they wouldn’t? We do have a few questions for Tony, however. How many of our tax dollars did this witch hunt cost? How many hundreds or even thousands of police hours were wasted harassing grandpa about his Lee Enfield rifle while drug dealers and gang bangers plied their illegal business unmolested? Is the OPP so flush with cash that they can piss it away on wild goose chases like these?

Perhaps the only good thing to come out of this fiasco is that maybe (but don’t hold your breath) they will think twice before embarking on another one of these snipe hunts at our expense.

A Good Read

For a brief but informative description of gun politics in general check out the following website:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_politics#Gun_ownership_and_rates_of_suicide_involving_guns

Red Fridays

Remember to wear red on Fridays to show your support for our troops.

2009 Memberships

If you received a 2009 membership card in this mailing or if your mailing label has no date or reads “07” or earlier you are NOT A PAID UP MEMBER of TSCON. 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:

Sept. 5

Dec. 12

Gun Show Location

Merritton Community Centre, 7 Park Ave., St. Catharines

If you want tables for the Sept. 5/08 show, contact Carson Moore right away - 905-934-6469 or 905- 650-7414 (cell). Shows usually sell out and often we do not have tables for all our vendors. If you want tables, call early!

Notice to Gun Show Vendors

Late arrivals - If you think you are going to be late to the gun show you should call Carson Moore ASAP at the Merritton Community Centre (905-682-0098) so he can hold your tables. Otherwise, he may rent them to walk-in vendors after the 6:00 p.m. cutoff.

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 #4 Nov. 10, 2008

>Vol. 15 #1 Jan. 20, 2009

Remember that you have to call each time you want the ad run. It will not be repeated without your confirmation.

Classified Ads

For Sale: Bases, rings and scopes for any gun. Call Jilly 905-894-6663

Niagara Firearms Repair: Repair, maintenance, scoping, accessories, Licenced Technician - Brian Litt, 905-356-9179

For Sale: Winchester Model 1300 camo turkey gun, pump, 12 ga., 22" barrel, 2 3/4" & 3" shells, $300

Mossberg Model 500 shotgun, pump, 12 ga., non-rifled slug barrel, 2 /3/4" & 3" shells, 3-9x scope, VG condition, $275

Belgian Browning A5 shotgun, semi-auto, 12 ga., 3" magnum, 31" vent rib barrel, new synthetic stock and forend, $400

Winchester Model 94 rifle, lever action, 30-30 cal., 19 ½" barrel, good condition, $225

Bell Percussion black powder rifle, 50 cal. VG condition, $150

Call Howie 905-835-2486

Winner	Prize	Donated By
Gordon Whiting	TSCON t-shirt	The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
Paul Blushak	Gun Cleaning Kit	The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
William Paxton	Pocket Knife	The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
John Rytzyck	Free PAL test (transferrable)	Firearms Education School (John Kellaway)