The Sporting Clubs of
Newsletter
Volume 15, Number 4
November 2009
President’s
Message
A funny thing happened to Michael Ignatieff's plan to bring the Conservative government down on a non-confidence vote in the fall of 2009 - his support collapsed like a house of cards.
In spring 2009, with the recession in full motion and Iggy having just been anointed the new Liberal saviour, the Liberals had actually pulled even or slightly ahead of the Conservatives in the polls. Riding this perceived wave of popularity, Iggy started making threats to topple the government the first chance he got. However, having just come through an election eight months earlier, even most non-Conservatives were not in any mood to go back to the polls just to elect what was sure to be another minority government. Slowly, surely, the Liberal poll numbers began to slip.
By the time the summer was over there were early signs the recession was easing, government stimulus money had begun to flow and it appeared that the economy was again headed in the right direction.
Apparently unable to see what most everyone else did, Iggy pressed on with threats to force an election at the earliest possible opportunity, ignoring slipping poll numbers and the fact that the NDP, which was also losing support, would be unlikely to support a non-confidence motion.
With no viable alternative economic plan except "We're not the Conservatives", the Liberals appeared interested in nothing more than getting back into power and that did not appeal to most of the voting public.
Attempts at non-confidence motions by the Liberals went nowhere while at the same time making Iggy appear alternately power hungry and politically inept, never a good combination for an aspiring Prime Minister.
In my September message I noted that Ignatieff "...may well roll the dice and hope to steal an election victory before the economic recovery is in full swing." Unfortunately for him (and lucky for us) the strategy flopped and now, consistently trailing in the polls by 10-14% all indications are that the Liberals will not attempt to bring down the government before the 2010 spring budget at the earliest. In fact, if the economy continues to improve and the Conservatives can avoid any major gaffes we may not see an election for a year or more and that is potential good news for gun owners.
The other big news is that Bill C-391, MP Candice Hoeppner's private member's bill to scrap the long gun registry cleared a major hurdle when it passed Second Reading in the House of Commons on Nov. 4. While the bill still has along way to go and many obstacles to overcome before it becomes law there is some cause for optimism. More on this in an accompanying article.
Let me remind everyone that TSCON memberships expire at the end of December 2009. If you received a membership card with this newsletter your membership is due for renewal. Please help us be financially prepared for the next election by renewing early.
Lastly, I would like to welcome Bodo Eichhorn back as the newly elected President of TSCON for 2009-2010. Bodo is an exceptionally hard working individual who did a fine job as President in his first stint in the position and I know with that experience under his belt will be even better this time around.
Gerry Gamble
Carson Moore
It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the passing of Executive member Carson Moore. Carson was 2nd Vice-President of TSCON and until his health forced him to step down last year also did a wonderful job as our gun show chairman.
Carson was the classic little man with a big heart. While small in stature he had a strong work ethic, a positive attitude and good sense of humour and could always be counted on to get the job done.
He was also an avid hunter and fisherman and looked the part with his plaid shirt, blue jeans, suspenders and full beard. Most of all, however, he was a gentleman and exemplary citizen. We will miss you Carson.
Our sincere sympathies go out to his wife Judy, his children and the other members of his family at this difficult time.
Bill C-391
For many of us who were there when TSCON was formed it has been a long time coming but it looks like the hated long gun registry might finally be relegated to the scrap heap of history. On Nov. 4, 2009 Bill C-391 (an act to get rid of the long gun registry) passed Second Reading in the House of Commons by a vote of 164 to 137. Voting for the bill were 143 Conservatives, 8 Liberals, 12 NDP (including local NDP MP Malcolm Allen) and one independent. It was hoped that perhaps 15-16 opposition MPS would vote for it but in the end 21 did, which was a very pleasant surprise.
While the vote overcomes a major hurdle to the bill becoming law it still not out of the woods yet. First it must go to committee where anti-gun MPs are sure to try and sabotage it. Then it goes back to the House for Third Reading. If it passes there it goes to the Senate for approval and it is expected that Liberal anti-gun senators may again try to torpedo it. On the plus side, since it is a bipartisan bill it will be harder for them to justify doing so. Also, early in 2010 Stephen Harper can appoint enough new Conservative senators to the upper house to give them a majority there as well.
Time may be our biggest enemy, however. If the anti-gunners can drag things out long enough we may be into another election and that would end all pending legislation. We have to hope now that the Conservatives keep their lead in the polls to deter the other parties from wanting to engineer an election.
And make no mistake - the anti-gun forces are now desperate and they will stoop as low as they have to to prevent the bill's passage. No lie will be too big, no truth stretched too far, no weeping tale too tall if they think it will help them achieve their goal.
Having now gained enough opposition votes to pass the bill it is critical that we retain them. For that reason we are asking you to contact as many MPs as you can to thank them for their vote and ask them to continue their support. Please take a few minutes to send some e-mails or make some phone calls to solidify support for the bill. Many of you contacted MPs asking them to vote for the bill and now that they have we want them to know we appreciate their courage in standing up for their constituents.
Contact information is as follows:
Liberals:
Scott Andrews
Andrews.S@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 992 4133
Riding Office (709) 834 3424
Larry Bagnell
BagneLL@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 995 9368
Riding Office (867)668 6565
Wayne Easter
EasteW@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 992 2406
Riding Office (902) 964 2428
Keith Martin
MartiK@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 996 2625
Riding Office (250) 474 6505
Anthony Rota
RotaA@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 995 6255
Riding Office (705) 474 3700
Todd Russell
RusseT@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 996 4630
Riding Office (709) 896 2483
Scott Simms
SimmsSc@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 996 3935
Riding Office (709) 256 3130
NDP:
Malcolm Allen
Allen.Ma@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 995 0988
Riding Office (905) 788-2204
Charlie Angus
AngusC@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 992 2919
Riding Office (705) 567 2747
Niki Ashton
Ashton.N@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 992 3018
RidingOffice (866) 785 0522
Dennis Bevington
BevinD@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 992 4587
Riding Office (867) 873 6995
Nathan Cullen
CulleN@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 993 6654
Riding Office (250) 877 4140
Claude Gravelle
Gravelle.C@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 995 9107
Riding Office (705) 753 3760
Carol Hughes
Hughes.C@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 996 5376
Riding Office (705) 848 8080
Bruce Hyer
Hyer.B@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 996 4792
Riding Office (888) 266 8004
Jim Maloway
Maloway.J@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 995 6339
Riding Office (204) 984 2499
John Rafferty
Rafferty.J@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 992 3061
Riding Office (807) 623 6000
Peter Stoffer
StoffP@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 995 5822
Riding Office (902) 861 2311
Glenn Thibeault
Thibeault.G@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 996 8962
Riding Office (705) 673 7107
Independent:
Andre Arthur
ArthuA@parl.gc.ca
Ottawa (613) 992 2798
Riding Office (418) 285 0018
By-Elections
The Conservatives also came up big in by-elections held on Nov. 9. Of the 4 seats up for grabs they took two including a surprise win in a Bloc riding in Quebec. This means they have two more votes towards passing C-391 when it comes up for Third Reading.
Check Your Licence Renewal Date
We are getting more and more complaints from people who have received snotty letters from the RCMP regarding expired licences that include threats to confiscate their firearms
if their licence is not renewed so a few things should be pointed out here.
The Canadian Firearms Centre is supposed to send out renewal applications 60-90 days in advance of the licence expiry date. In many cases this does not happen. Sometimes the CFC screws up or the person has moved and forgotten to notify the CFC of their new address or the post office loses it, etc. etc.
To avoid undue hassles we advise everyone to check the expiry date on their licence. If the expiry date is coming up within the next 3-6 months we advise that you apply for the licence ASAP.
It should also be noted that normally if you had a POL which you allowed to expire you had no choice but to get a PAL with the accompanying tests and fees. However, under the
current amnesty, people who held POLs which expired on or after January 1, 2004 may be eligible to apply for a new POL. The forms are not available online but may be obtained by calling 1-800-731-4000.
Confused? Call TSCON & we will help you through it.
Current Amnesty Extended to May 16, 2010
The expiry date for current amnesties for unregistered long guns and expired POLs
and PALs has been extended May 16, 2010.
We have printed the content of the amnesties in the past couple of newsletters and they are available on our website. However, if you have any questions you can always call TSCON for further information.
REMEMBER that even though Bill C-391 is working its way through Parliament it is not yet the law and you are required to at least be in the process of registering currently unregistered long guns.
Bruce Montague Update
By a fortunate series of circumstances Bruce was in the Niagara area in early September and was able to attend our gun show where he spoke to many supporters and was able to update people on his court case. We also managed to raise about $500 for his legal defence fund through donations and the proceeds of a 50/50 draw. Special thanks to TSCON member Jeff C. who won the draw and then donated his share to Bruce. Bravo, Jeff!
Bruce now has a court date for his appeal which is Feb. 18, 2010 in Toronto. Bruce informs us that his case management team and lawyer have been working very hard over the past six months in preparation for the Ontario Court of Appeals hearing and they will be ready when the court date arrives.
Bruce is extremely grateful for all the support, both moral and financial, that he has received to date.
If you are in the Toronto area during the hearing come out and witness this historic fight for our rights. We continue to encourage you to send Bruce a donation in whatever amount you can spare. Make cheques payable as follows:
"Bruce Montague Scrap C-68 Fund" c/o Roger Nordlund, Trustee
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
Bruce is always thankful for the support he receives. If you want to drop him a note to let him know you appreciate what he is doing
for gun owners he can be reached at:
Bruce Montague
RR2 Site 216 Box 46 Dryden, ON P8N 2Y5
12/6 Handguns
(From the CSSA)
On September 17, the CSSA was in Ontario Superior Court appealing the CFC and CFO refusal to
honour the grandfathering provisions of Bill C10A. Unfortunately, they were not successful in convincing the courts to overrule the interpretation of the CFC and the decision at the Superior Court level was against them.
Those who were part of the action have to rid themselves of the offending firearm(s), and have only 60 days to do so. The options are:
- transfer the firearm to a person who is grandfathered turn in the firearm to the police for destruction de-activate in accordance with the most recent regulation
- since it is only the barrel that is the prohibited device (except for .25 and .32 calibres), you could hand in the barrel and re register the handgun as "frame only."
- have the gun re barreled by a gunsmith. Unfortunately, that would require an ATT to transport the gun. The CFO is looking into whether they can issue an ATT for an un registered, prohibited handgun. As of this writing, we have not received an answer. If you are considering modifying the handgun to change the class, please contact the CSSA and they will find a way to do it. If you are considering handing in the handgun to the police for destruction, we suggest the following. As a service to you, the CSSA can make arrangements to transfer the gun to a grandfathered individual then set up a special auction to sell them. You will be sent the net proceeds of the auction or you can donate all or part of the proceeds to the CSSA legal fund, your choice.
If you wish to take advantage of this offer, please contact the CSSA office immediately so arrangements before the 60 day deadline can be made.
Contact us if you have any questions or need any further information.
2009-2010 Executive
The following people are the Executive of "The Sporting Clubs of Niagara" for 2009-2010 (save for future reference)
President
Bodo Eichhorn 934 2532
1st Vice President
Bob LeGrand 892 3445
2nd Vice President
Al Rostic
Secretary
Verna LeGrand 892 3445
Treasurer
Ladi Plut 937 2163
Gun Show Chairman
Rick McConnery 227 0724
Past President
Gerry Gamble 685 4480
Executive Directors
Barry Devereux Honourary
Sam Arnold 646 2242
Vlad Bjel 651-4325
Ivan Chamberlain 934 6882
Ken Durham 957 7279
John Gayder 937 2301
James Houlden 934 4250
John Kellaway 984 4189
Paul Kovacs 562 7159
Jerry Lemick 562-5378
Robert Lockhart 358 8923
Al McKie 682 7498
John Orth 562 7686
Ron Penfound 934 0844
Gilbert Pinney 937 3579
Dave Rempel 685-6685
Peter Rempel 688-5221
Bill Staff 562 5737
Richard Stewart 309 4403
Ted Valliere 935 3893
Jack Warner 937 8397
2010 Memberships
If you received a 2010 membership card in this mailing or if your mailing label has no date or reads "09" 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.
Your Rights are in
the Cards!
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.
T-Shirts/Sweat Shirts/Hats
We have received a new supply of AThe Sporting Clubs of Niagara@ t-shirts, sweat shirts and hats (hats
available in 4 colours including hunter orange).
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$25, XXL$27
Hats w/TSCON crest $15
Buy them at the gun show or from any member of the
Executive.
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
Red Fridays
Please remember to wear red on Fridays to show your support for our troops.
Gun Show Location
Merritton Community Centre, 7 Park Ave., St. Catharines
If you want tables for the Dec. 11/09 show, contact Rick McConnery right away (905-227-0724). Shows usually sell out and often we do not have tables
for all our vendors. If you want tables, call early!
Gun Show Dates
TENTATIVE Dates for our 2010 gun shows are as follows:
Feb. 26
April 23
Sept. 10
Dec. 10
These dates are TENTATIVE. We will have confirmed dates by the Dec. 11 gun show.
Notice to Gun Show Vendors
Late arrivals - If you think you are going to be late to the gun show you should call Rick McConnery ASAP at the Merritton Community Centre (905-682-0098) so he can hold your tables.
Otherwise, he will 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. 16 #1 Jan. 30, 2010
>Vol. 16 #2 Mar. 30 2010
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: Ruger Single Six (3 screw), .22 rimfire, blue, 12" barrel, good condition $400.00
Daisy lever action BB air rifle, good condition, $35.00
Call Mike 905-945-1961
For Sale: Enfield Jungle Carbine, .303 cal., with Tasco scope, 10 shot, VG, $450
Marlin Semi auto rifle, .22 rimfire, 15 shot tubular magazine, VG-EX, $180
Call John 905-935-0796
For Sale: Moisin-Nagant carbine, Polish manufacture, 7.62x54, bayonet, sling, VG, $200 or best offer
Moisin Nagant carbine, Russian manufacture, 7.62x54, G-VG, $200 or best offer
Russian TOZ rifle, .22 LR, bolt action, 5 shot magazine, with small scope, EX, $200 or best offer
Chinese SKS rifle, semi auto, 7.62x39, with scope. VG-EX, $200 or best offer
Call Gerry 905-685-4480
TSCON
Inquiries?
General 905-685-4480 or 905-937-2301
Memberships
905-685-4480
Gun
Show 905-227-0724
FAX 905-934-8039
Mail TSCON
Box 21047
St. Catharines, ON
L2M 7X2
Trigger Locks for Sale
The Sporting Clubs of Niagara has trigger locks for 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!
Weekly Meetings
Where? St. Catharines Game and Fish Building,
next to the boat ramp on Lighthouse Road in St.
Catharines in Port Dalhousie
When? Wednesdays, 7:00 pm.
Who? Members and non members alike are welcome to attend.
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.
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. Thomas Jefferson" Mahatma Gandhi
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
Paul Lafond (Bath, ON) TSCON T-shirt
The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
Rod Tapply (St. Catharines) Gun
Cleaning Kit The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
Ed Kos (St. Catharines) Pocket
Knife The Sporting Clubs of Niagara
Bob Stevenson (Fort Erie) Free PAL Test (transferrable) Firearms
Education School (John Kellaway)
>>>GUN
SHOW<<<
Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, 6:00-10:00 pm
Merritton Community
Centre
7 Park Ave., St.
Catharines
ADMISSION $4
Buy, Sell or Trade, 100+
tables of Antique and Modern Firearms, Knives, Hunting Accessories and Gun
Parts
For tables or
information call Rick @ 905‑227‑0724
“Remember Bill C-68 When
You Vote”