‘Keep Canadians safe from gun violence’: Ottawa defends federal firearms legislation
In response to two York Region experts alarmed about federal firearms legislation, Ottawa insists it is making Canada safer.
Last month, Andre Milne and Mark Neprily raised concerns in a yorkregion.com article, saying the legislation threatens Canada’s national defence capabilities and tramples the rights of legal gun owners.
Schomberg’s Milne is the founder of military technology development company, Unicorn Aerospace, and Neprily is vice-president and chief operation officer of Cesaroni Technology in Gormley, which designs and manufactures specialized technology for the aerospace and defence industries.
They feel the federal government is duping Canadians into thinking the public is going to be safer by removing firearms from lawful owners when, they argue, criminals will continue to stockpile guns.
Under federal legislation, businesses and individual firearm owners must safely dispose of or permanently deactivate their assault-style firearms before the amnesty period ends on Oct. 30, or risk potential criminal charges.
Milne and Neprily maintain federal legislation violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by ignoring a grandfather clause in the Firearms Act, threatening lawful firearms owners with arrest and prosecution for keeping guns they are legally allowed to have.
They also said Unicorn is unable to do any 50-calibre testing, which prevents Cesaroni from helping Unicorn develop a mobile tactical anti-nuclear missile defence system.
That puts Canada’s military capabilities at risk, they said.
That’s not how Public Safety Canada sees it, although Milne continues to find fault with the government’s position, even going as far as calling it “creepy.”
The legislation is part of the Canadian government’s “comprehensive plan to strengthen gun control in Canada and keep Canadians safe from gun violence,” government spokesperson, Tim Warmington, said in an email.
The legislation did not create or include any provisions that would impact the existing grandfathering privileges for individuals in possession of certain prohibited firearms, he said.
Additionally, businesses registered under the Defence Production Act, or operating under the authority of the Canadian Forces, are not hampered by the legislation, Warmington said.
The government introduced Bill C-21 following Canada’s deadliest mass shooting, which left 22 people in Nova Scotia on April 18 and 19, 2020.
Passed into law on Dec. 15, 2023, the legislation aims to tighten gun control through a freeze on handguns and a crackdown on assault-style firearms.
“This approach (to address firearms violence and combat crime) includes the prohibition of assault-style firearms and their removal from Canadian communities, investing in border security and law enforcement capacity to reduce firearms smuggling and trafficking, addressing firearms violence, and supporting intervention and prevention programs addressing gun and gang violence,” Warmington said.
Ottawa has banned about 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms (ASF) since May 2020.
These firearms share common technical characteristics, namely semi-automatic action with sustained rapid-fire capability that make them unsuitable for civilian use, Warmington said.
“They can inflict significant harm and can increase the severity of mass shootings,” he said.
Also prohibited are grenade launcher- and sniper rifle-type weapons, Warmington said.
“These weapons are primarily designed to produce mass human casualties or cause significant property damage at long ranges,” he said.
Before the amnesty period ends on Oct. 30, affected gun owners have several options to comply with the law, Warmington said.
“Grandfathering is not an option for these ASFs as there is no legal mechanism in place under the Firearms Act to permit their continued possession after the end of the amnesty period,” he said.
“The intent is to reduce the number and availability of ASFs in Canadian communities, and to reduce the possibility of these firearms being diverted to the illegal market.”
Milne remains unswayed by the government’s stand.
“Aside from (the legislation) restricting Unicorn Aerospace from testing 50-caliber prototypes as part of developing a much larger anti-ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) Air Defense System, the creepy fact the Canadian government just casually betrayed a legally binding promise to provide a grandfathering regime to lawful firearms owners not only demonstrates to all Canadian’s our government is no longer trustworthy when passing laws but ultimately deems itself above our Bill of Rights,” he said.
But York Region expert calls federal government’s position “creepy.”
www.yorkregion.com
