Ottawa’s proposed tighter control of rifles, rifles and handguns is holding gun owners back. We must “aim elsewhere” than on the hunters, plead the latter, while the supporters of legislative change denounce a campaign of misinformation. Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price added his voice to the debate.
In an Instagram post that has been liked thousands of times, the goaltender rails against Bill C-21. ” I love my family. I have my country and I take care of my neighbor. I am not a criminal or a threat to society. What Justin Trudeau is trying to do is unfair. I support the Canadian Coalition for Gun Rights,” says Carey Price.
“Carey is absolutely right,” Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre tweeted. “Hunting is a great Canadian tradition. Trudeau’s attempts to ban shotguns are an attack on rural and indigenous populations. »
With this new law, Ottawa is trying to broaden the definition of “prohibited weapons”. The very technical definition proposed would include weapons “capable of discharging a projectile with an energy greater than 10,000 joules”, capable of discharging its ammunition semi-automatically and capable of accepting a magazine of greater capacity five rounds of the type for which it was originally designed.
A “semi-automatic” weapon means that it does not need to be reloaded between shots, but the shooter still has to pull the trigger for each bullet. This type of weapon is used liberally in hunting, especially for so-called “waterfowl” hunting, that is to say duck or goose. Magazines of more than five rounds at a time are already partially banned in the country.
In all likelihood, the shotgun that Carey Price is holding in his Instagram post appears to be a semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun. Since the Canadian version of this gun limits the magazine to 3 rounds, his rifle would still be legal under current C-21 provisions.
The Quebec Federation of Hunters and Fishermen of Quebec shares the widespread concern among hunters regarding this bill. The current version of C-21 includes targeted weapons “commonly used in hunting”. If Ottawa goes ahead with the proposed amendments, their sport, and even their livelihood, could be affected. “The Liberal government had also promised that the new gun control laws would not affect hunters. We will not fail to remind them of this commitment, ”adds the federation.
Hunting weapon or assault weapon
The government was reassured this week by explaining that the weapons targeted were not those of hunters. “We are targeting assault weapons, which have no place in our communities,” Federal Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino insisted on Wednesday in an interview with the To have to.
A few days before the commemoration of the Polytechnique massacre on December 6, 1989, the group “PolySeSouvient” also hopes that Ottawa will go through with its process. They have been trying for 33 years to enshrine in legislation the definition of prohibited “assault type firearms”.
“Any reasonable weapon for hunting, it is not there in the definition [de C-12]. Large capacity magazines are not reasonable for hunting. But, because we don’t want to lose our privileges, we cry wolf” denounces the To have toNathalie Provost, spokesperson for PolySeSouvient.
This group of survivors has clearly been the target of the pro-gun lobby this week. The Canadian Coalition for Gun Rights’ online store until recently offered customers who used the promo code “poly” 10% off clothing, mugs and other items bearing its logo.