YELLOWKNIFE — Some northerners are criticizing proposed changes to a bill intended to address gun violence in Canada, saying they are confusing and could negatively affect hunters.
The Liberal government proposed an amendment to strengthen Bill C-21 late last month that would enshrine the definition of a prohibited "assault-style" firearm in law, alongside a list of guns it said should be banned.
While some have praised the move, critics argue it could affect several rifles and shotguns primarily used for hunting and sport.
"That is a bit worrying because it seems to be a lot of creep in the scope of the bill, which doesn't seem to have been the original intent of it," said Jonathan Rocheleau, president of the Yellowknife Shooting Club.
Rocheleau noted he supports sections of the bill that aim to increase protection for victims of domestic violence. He said he'd like to see more rationale for the amendment and for some of the firearm models listed.
Jimmy Kalinek, an Inuvialuit hunter in Inuvik, N.W.T., said he feels the proposed changes are "an overreach from the government."
"My first thought was that's just ridiculous," he said.
"A gun is just a gun. It takes a person to use it for violence, to kill people."
Kalinek said he was raised to harvest on the land, something he is passing on to his children and others. He added that hunting is important in the North as the costs of groceries and supplies are high.
The federal government should take a serious look at what guns are restricted, Kalinek said, and ensure that Indigenous people are at the table when making those decisions.
Jared Gonet, who is a citizen of the Taiku River Tlinget First Nation and lives in Whitehorse, said the proposed amendment has created a lot of confusion and there hasn't been proper consultation.
"I think it'll probably lead to more potential culture clash, if anything," he said. "My big worry is that First Nations specifically ... will feel a bit more nervous about going out and hunting, connecting with their culture."
Gonet said that while he does not support banning hunting rifles, he does support prohibitions on handguns and assault-style weapons.
The federal government in May 2020 banned more than 1,500 "assault-style" firearms. In October, it introduced a national freeze on handguns.
Bill C-21 is currently being reviewed by members of Parliament.
Lori Idlout, the NDP member of Parliament for Nunavut, said in a statement that she supports legislation that ensures people are safe from gun violence, adding there's no reason to have a "military-style gun" in urban centres, communities, or near schools and playgrounds.
She said, however, that the new amendment was introduced at the "last minute" and she's taking concerns about its potential effects seriously.
"Rifles are not just for hunting, they ensure our safety from predatory animals, such as polar bears," she said.
"There is still time to make this right and we will keep working to make sure any amendments to the bill will not ban guns primarily used for hunting and for the safety of northerners. We will not support any amendments that disrespect treaty rights and the rights of Indigenous peoples.”
Liberal N.W.T. MP Michael McLeod said he's happy about many sections of the bill, but there is some confusion due to a lack of consultation.
"I really would like to see us take some time and revisit what's in the bill," he said. "We need to come back with a good plan, a clear plan that people can clearly understand."
Liberal Yukon MP Brendan Hanley said hunters, Indigenous leaders and outfitters have reached out to share concerns about the proposed amendment.
"I'm working with my rural colleagues, I'm working with my fellow MPs on this and the minister and his staff, and I'm confident that we can make some progress."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a press conference earlier this week that the bill is being reviewed to ensure it does not capture firearms primarily used for hunting, but targets "the most dangerous weapons."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Emily Blake, The Canadian Press
Ottawa is ‘fine-tuning’ list of banned ‘assault-style’ guns amid criticism: Trudeau
Story by Rachel Gilmore •Thursday Dec. 8, 2022.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
The government is "committed" to moving ahead with its bid to enshrine a definition of an "assault-style firearm" into law — but this is currently "fine-tuning" the details, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
The Liberals also called Thursday for an emergency meeting to invite witnesses to share their concerns about the proposed legislation, which is currently being studied at the House of Commons public safety committee.
The Liberal amendment to gun law reform Bill C-21, which was tabled in a committee meeting last month, is facing questions about how far it will expand the scope of weapons that are prohibited in Canada. The move prompted blowback from numerous hunters, including the Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price, who called the proposed legislation "unjust."
Read more:
Trudeau says firearms bill doesn’t target hunters as Carey Price, critics attack reforms
Walking into a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trudeau confirmed he has no plans to drop his legislative push to enshrine a legal definition for "assault-style" firearms — a term that isn't currently defined in Canadian law, despite being regularly used by Liberal politicians.
Automatic assault weapons are already prohibited in Canada.
"The definition is something that we are very much committed to. But the actual list that goes with it, that's something that we're consulting on right now," Trudeau told reporters.
"Because we understand that there are concerns by hunters and farmers that we're going after their shotguns and rifles. We are not. And that's what we're going to make sure with fine-tuning of the legislation."
Video: ‘Leave hunters alone’: Conservative MPs attack Mendicino over proposed gun safety bill
The federal government last month proposed amending its gun control bill to define what an “assault-style” weapon is. It includes a clause that would ban any rifle or shotgun that could potentially accept a magazine with more than five rounds.
It builds on a regulatory ban of more than 1,500 models of what the government considers “assault-style” firearms last year.
The proposed reforms have reopened the debate about what firearms should be prohibited, restricted or non-restricted in the country. There have also been concerns about whether the criteria used to make those decisions are being consistently applied, as the definition applies only to some variations of certain models, depending on bore diameter and muzzle energy.
View on Watch
‘We’re not going after hunting rifles or shotguns,’ PM says
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said the amendment unfairly targets hunters and farmers, while failing to address the country’s issues with gun violence.
During Wednesday's question period, Poilievre pointed out that the Liberal MP for Yukon reportedly said he would not support Bill C-21 and had called the amendments "upsetting."
"Mr. Speaker, we are singing from a very different song sheet than the inflationary government. Do members know who else is singing from a different song sheet? The Liberal MP for the Yukon. He has confirmed what Conservatives have been saying all along," Poilievre said.
"Canadians do not want to ban hunters; they want to stop criminals."
The amendment's late addition also came under fire from NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, who said the committee looking at the bill has "not had enough time to properly consult with constituents, with hunters, with farmers who may be adversely impacted by this."
"For this very substantial amendment to drop on our lap at the 11th hour is an abuse of process," he told reporters in a press conference earlier this week.
Read more:
Assault-style weapon ban won’t target ordinary guns despite ‘fearmongering,’ minister says
As criticism continues to swirl, Trudeau said Tuesday that the government is "moving forward on a ban on assault-style weapons."
"We did that two years ago, we're now enshrining it into law and ensuring that going forward, all assault-style weapons that might be sold in Canada will not be sold in Canada. And for that, we have to establish a definition because we know gun makers keep creating new variations to try to get around a list that we've put forward," he explained.
"So the main part of it is a set of definitions of what characterizes an assault-style weapon, the kinds of weapons that are used to kill the largest number of people as quickly as possible."
He said it's a "challenge" that there are "many guns" used for hunting and sport shooting that "may or may not fall on one side of the definition or the other."
"So what we're looking at right now is where to make sure that that line is right. To keep communities safe, to ban military-style assault weapons, and to ensure that we're not going after shotguns and rifles that are primarily used for hunting," he said.
"It's a complex issue."
— with files from Global News' Aaron D'Andrea
Story by Rachel Gilmore •Thursday Dec. 8, 2022.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick© THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
The government is "committed" to moving ahead with its bid to enshrine a definition of an "assault-style firearm" into law — but this is currently "fine-tuning" the details, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
The Liberals also called Thursday for an emergency meeting to invite witnesses to share their concerns about the proposed legislation, which is currently being studied at the House of Commons public safety committee.
The Liberal amendment to gun law reform Bill C-21, which was tabled in a committee meeting last month, is facing questions about how far it will expand the scope of weapons that are prohibited in Canada. The move prompted blowback from numerous hunters, including the Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price, who called the proposed legislation "unjust."
Read more:
Trudeau says firearms bill doesn’t target hunters as Carey Price, critics attack reforms
Walking into a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trudeau confirmed he has no plans to drop his legislative push to enshrine a legal definition for "assault-style" firearms — a term that isn't currently defined in Canadian law, despite being regularly used by Liberal politicians.
Automatic assault weapons are already prohibited in Canada.
"The definition is something that we are very much committed to. But the actual list that goes with it, that's something that we're consulting on right now," Trudeau told reporters.
"Because we understand that there are concerns by hunters and farmers that we're going after their shotguns and rifles. We are not. And that's what we're going to make sure with fine-tuning of the legislation."
Video: ‘Leave hunters alone’: Conservative MPs attack Mendicino over proposed gun safety bill
The federal government last month proposed amending its gun control bill to define what an “assault-style” weapon is. It includes a clause that would ban any rifle or shotgun that could potentially accept a magazine with more than five rounds.
It builds on a regulatory ban of more than 1,500 models of what the government considers “assault-style” firearms last year.
The proposed reforms have reopened the debate about what firearms should be prohibited, restricted or non-restricted in the country. There have also been concerns about whether the criteria used to make those decisions are being consistently applied, as the definition applies only to some variations of certain models, depending on bore diameter and muzzle energy.
View on Watch
‘We’re not going after hunting rifles or shotguns,’ PM says
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has said the amendment unfairly targets hunters and farmers, while failing to address the country’s issues with gun violence.
During Wednesday's question period, Poilievre pointed out that the Liberal MP for Yukon reportedly said he would not support Bill C-21 and had called the amendments "upsetting."
"Mr. Speaker, we are singing from a very different song sheet than the inflationary government. Do members know who else is singing from a different song sheet? The Liberal MP for the Yukon. He has confirmed what Conservatives have been saying all along," Poilievre said.
"Canadians do not want to ban hunters; they want to stop criminals."
The amendment's late addition also came under fire from NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, who said the committee looking at the bill has "not had enough time to properly consult with constituents, with hunters, with farmers who may be adversely impacted by this."
"For this very substantial amendment to drop on our lap at the 11th hour is an abuse of process," he told reporters in a press conference earlier this week.
Read more:
Assault-style weapon ban won’t target ordinary guns despite ‘fearmongering,’ minister says
As criticism continues to swirl, Trudeau said Tuesday that the government is "moving forward on a ban on assault-style weapons."
"We did that two years ago, we're now enshrining it into law and ensuring that going forward, all assault-style weapons that might be sold in Canada will not be sold in Canada. And for that, we have to establish a definition because we know gun makers keep creating new variations to try to get around a list that we've put forward," he explained.
"So the main part of it is a set of definitions of what characterizes an assault-style weapon, the kinds of weapons that are used to kill the largest number of people as quickly as possible."
He said it's a "challenge" that there are "many guns" used for hunting and sport shooting that "may or may not fall on one side of the definition or the other."
"So what we're looking at right now is where to make sure that that line is right. To keep communities safe, to ban military-style assault weapons, and to ensure that we're not going after shotguns and rifles that are primarily used for hunting," he said.
"It's a complex issue."
— with files from Global News' Aaron D'Andrea
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