u/Mysterious_Sleep7443

B.C.’s Firearm Violence Prevention Act now in effect, bringing new rules for gun owners

B.C.’s Firearm Violence Prevention Act now in effect, bringing new rules for gun owners

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New firearms legislation is now in effect across British Columbia, bringing new restrictions around where firearms can be possessed and how some guns and imitation firearms are transported.

The province’s Firearm Violence Prevention Act (FVPA) came into effect on Oct. 1, more than five years after it received royal assent in March 2021. The province says the legislation is intended to address gang and gun violence while filling gaps in federal firearms laws.

The law regulates low-velocity firearms capable of causing serious bodily injury, such as some airguns, as well as imitation firearms that could reasonably be mistaken for real guns.

It also creates offences related to the unsafe use of firearms and prohibits firearms, low-velocity firearms and imitation firearms at designated properties, including schools, post-secondary institutions, courts, places of worship, hospitals and licensed child-care properties.

Regulations accompanying the legislation include exemptions for a range of circumstances and activities.

The legislation also allows vehicles to be impounded when they are used to illegally transport firearms or flee from police, and provides liability protection for certain professionals who report concerns about the potential for firearm violence to police.

The province says firearms regulation is shared between the federal and provincial governments, with the new B.C. legislation intended to address areas not covered by federal law.

What hunters need to know

With hunting season underway, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service is reminding hunters that the new legislation also affects some rules around transporting firearms.

The FVPA carries forward existing provincial restrictions prohibiting loaded firearms in vehicles and discharging firearms from vehicles, while expanding the rules to include low-velocity firearms and clarifying their application to boats.

The province says the legislation is not intended to limit lawful hunting and includes exemptions under the Wildlife Act, including provisions allowing some hunting from non-motorized boats and existing exemptions for people with disabled hunting permits.

Regulations also set requirements for transporting low-velocity and imitation firearms in vehicles and boats. Generally, they must be kept in a locked trunk or compartment. If one is not available or the firearm will not fit, it must be kept in a locked, opaque container.

The Conservation Officer Service said this week that officers in the Central Okanagan had already issued 10 violation tickets since the beginning of hunting season to people found with loaded firearms in vehicles.

“With hunting season underway in BC, safe use of firearms is paramount to public safety. Hunters should be aware of what they are required to do to safely transport firearms and live ammunition,” the organization said, adding that accidental firearm discharges around vehicles and roads are preventable when firearms are handled responsibly.

Conservation officers are among the officials authorized to enforce the new legislation. Provincial regulations were amended alongside the FVPA to add the act to legislation enforceable by the Conservation Officer Service.

The province says the FVPA modernizes several provisions previously contained in B.C.’s Firearm Act, including the requirement to handle firearms with regard for the safety of people and property and restrictions on carrying or possessing loaded firearms in vehicles. The previous Firearm Act was repealed when the new legislation came into force.

Police and other authorized officers also have powers under the legislation to inspect, search for and seize firearms in certain circumstances.

The FVPA stems in part from recommendations contained in B.C.’s 2017 Illegal Firearms Task Force report, which examined measures to address illegal firearms, gang activity and gun violence.

cheknews.ca
u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 11 days ago

Toronto police bust gun buyers, A registered gun owner allegedly supplying weapons to an online trafficking network

https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/toronto-police-bust-gun-buyers

A registered gun owner allegedly supplying weapons to an online trafficking network.

Those allegations from Toronto police, who claim the group was using encrypted apps to communicate with buyers. Shauna Hunt with the details of Project Play Fight.

Launched in February, Project Playfight began after officers received information that an individual was trafficking firearms through an online platform. A total of 15 guns were recovered after police executed a search warrant on July 29. Photo by Toronto Police Sevice

Three Toronto residents were arrested and charged with 45 firearms-related offences in a six-month trafficking investigation.

“This investigation was about more than the firearms seized or the charges laid,” Insp. Steve Matthews of the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force said on Tuesday morning. “Every illegal firearm removed from our streets is one less firearm that can be used to threaten the safety of our communities.

“Disrupting firearm trafficking networks, like this one, is a critical part of preventing gun violence and drugs.”

Launched in February, Project Playfight began after officers received information that an individual was trafficking firearms through an unnamed online platform.

“Undercover officers gathered evidence that uncovered a previously unidentified firearm trafficking network operating in Toronto, selling firearms outside lawful channels,” Matthews said. “Investigators identified three individuals allegedly involved in the network.”

Police executed a search warrant on July 29. A total of 15 guns were recovered during the raid.

Toronto police also allege that the suspects removed the serial numbers before selling the guns and sold the weapons “at prices consistent with those associated with crime guns in Toronto.”

“Some of the firearms had previously been deactivated and were subsequently modified to restore their ability to fire,” Matthews said. “Others were accompanied by prohibited devices, including over-capacity magazines and auto-sears, capable of converting a handgun from semi-automatic to fully automatic.”

Matthews says the cops believe one individual acted as the supplier while the two acted as sellers in this illegal operation.

In addition to the firearms bust, officers recovered more than 1,200 rounds of ammunition, overcapacity magazines, and an auto sear, capable of converting a handgun into a fully automatic weapon. A 2.5-gram gold bar was seized, along with $7,000 in cash.

Zhuohang Ma, 23, of Toronto, was charged with nine offences including five counts of possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, possession of an unloaded, regulated firearm and seven counts of knowingly possessing a firearm, device or ammunition for transfer.

Jun Xiang Huang, 29, of Toronto, was charged with three offences, including four counts of knowingly manufacturing, transferring a firearm, device or ammunition and three counts of failing to report a lost or stolen firearm.

Lie Le, 23, of Toronto, was charged with six offences, including possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and knowingly possessing a firearm, device or ammunition for transfer.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-2510.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 15 days ago

Friendly fire: Man charged after accidently shooting himself

https://www.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon/article/man-who-shot-himself-while-taking-apart-gun-now-faces-charges/

A Saskatoon man is in hospital, and now faces charges, after accidentally shooting himself while taking a gun apart.

According to Saskatoon police, officers were called to a home in the 100 block of Avenue S South at around 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 18, for a report of an injured person.

Police arrived to find a 27-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound.

An investigation found he’d been attempting to break down the gun when it fired and injured him.

He was taken to hospital and now faces seven weapons-related charges, police say.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 24 days ago

TNA is dropping a modular faux suppressor

https://youtu.be/-HPUfg3Z3I4?si=QATiKxIGi62f9ZX7

TNA is dropping a modular faux suppressor that can be flip between covering the barrel inverted style or front of barrel mode. It has rings to simulate baffle stack holders that allow you to have it as short or as long as you want. It should be useful if you want to disguise part of the length of the NR Makasi or Carmel barrel.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 1 month ago

Charity Machine Gun Shoot – Wainwright

https://nfa.ca/charity-machine-gun-shoot-wainwright/

Canada’s National Firearms Association is extremely proud to sponsor the first (hopefully annual in the future) The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum , The Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Society, and Valour Park Association Charity Machine Gun Shoot this September 26th at CFB Wainwright, Alberta.

An unforgettable event for a good cause, promoting education and Canadian history.

There will be a limited number of tickets available for this shoot, so don’t wait to book your spot.

Here are several of the firearms that will be available at the shoot:

Bren Gun

Thompson 1928 Submachine Gun

Sten Mk I and Mk II

German MG 42

MP 40 Submachine Gun

STG 44

Canadian C2 Light Machine Gun

Luger

Mauser C96

U.S. Army Colt 1911

Browning Hi-Power

Walther PPK

Lee-Enfield No. 4

German Mauser K98

And additional historically significant military firearms

For further information go to: Valourpark.org

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

Air force major who pleaded guilty to illegally importing firearms sentenced to house arrest

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/major-kendrick-barling-canadian-air-force-sharpshooter-sentenced-for-smuggled-guns-9.7295668

Judge, Crown stressed Maj. Kendrick Barling's 'exemplary' military service

A sharpshooting air force officer and avid gun collector who was repeatedly decorated for his marksmanship has been sentenced to two years less a day of house arrest after illegally importing eight firearms.

Maj. Kendrick Barling pleaded guilty in May. Court previously heard he'd stashed gun parts — some without serial numbers — among his clothes and shoes when he moved back to Canada in August 2023.

He initially faced 29 firearm-related charges brought by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Discussion during his sentencing in Brockville Superior Court on Wednesday focused heavily on Barling's military service and character.

Assistant Crown attorney Will Webber said a pre-sentence report paints a picture of the officer as an "outstanding contributor to society," adding he'd taken responsibility for the offence.

"This really appears to be a case where Mr. Barling, who's otherwise described as a very intelligent, analytical, strong decision-maker, made a very poor decision that led to him bringing firearms into Canada when he knew he ... did not have the lawful authority to do so," Webber said.

A 'stellar background'

Defence lawyer Steven Edgley expressed a similar sentiment, pointing to his client's "stellar background."

The sentence followed a joint submission from both lawyers and includes a condition prohibiting Barling from possessing weapons, except as needed for his role in the military.

Webber said that was so the 49-year-old won't lose his job.

Justice Brian Abrams told the lawyers he was bound to accept their suggested sentence unless it was unreasonable, but noted he "would have been inclined to impose a more lenient disposition."

The judge said illegally importing restricted firearms is "undoubtedly a serious offence," adding Barling's "extensive knowledge and expertise" around weapons is an aggravating factor.

But Abrams said the officer has already suffered significant collateral consequences, including the forfeiture of an "extensive firearms collection" and the risk to his military career.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Barling brought guns with him to the U.S. while working for NORAD, and purchased others during his posting there, court heard.

Roughly three years ago, while moving back to Canada for a posting at CFB Kingston, Barling crossed the border and declared nine unrestricted rifles and shotguns. He also presented the necessary permits for two Glock handguns, according to the agreed facts.

Around one week later, while CBSA was examining a truckload of Barling's belongings, staff repeatedly asked if he had any other firearms, but he said no, Webber told court.

However, Webber said "special X-ray scanning machines used by CBSA" found the following:

Six lower receivers, some with and some without serial numbers.

Two handgun receivers without serial numbers.

Seven upper receivers.

One forced reset trigger (which increases the rate of fire for semi-automatic weapons).

One plastic suppressor for an Airsoft gun.

"The firearms seized from Maj. Barling’s household goods were found in small cardboard boxes that were among clothing and shoes inside a larger wardrobe," Webber read from the facts during a court appearance in May.

A CBSA officer was able to "easily assemble the firearm components on site into two functional and complete handguns in less than 10 minutes," the Crown added.

A second officer was also able to put together a gun based on the parts, Webber said, noting none of the firearms were securely stored in a locked container or had trigger locks.

Court was told there was no suggestion the illegally imported firearms were destined for criminals, or that Barling intended to sell them.

He was previously recognized with multiple medals as the top rifle marksman in the Canadian Armed Forces, a fact that was also mentioned in the agreed facts.

As a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Barling won the Queen's Medal for Champion Shot three years in a row from 2011 to 2013, a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence previously confirmed in an email to CBC.

He took home the honour a fourth time in 2016, according to an article from the Maple Leaf, an online publication that shares stories about the Forces.

During the sentencing, Justice Abrams said Barling has devoted more than three decades to service on behalf of Canada during "difficult and dangerous deployments" to countries such as Afghanistan.

The sentence does not erase that sacrifice, said Abrams, adding a message for the military authorities in whose hands Barling's career rests.

"I express the hope that those charged with making any future administrative or disciplinary decisions will take into account ... his acceptance of responsibility and the substantial evidence before this court concerning his lengthy, distinguished and exemplary service to Canada," said the judge.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Armed Forces said Wednesday it has begun an administrative review into Barling's conduct, and no further information would be shared while it was underway.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

More charges for former Manitoba MP Inky Mark after 445 guns, explosives found in home: RCMP

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/more-charges-former-manitoba-mp-201028923.html

Former member of Parliament Inky Mark, who was arrested on a dozen weapons offences last month, has been hit with 26 more charges, after police say they took a total of 445 firearms and 26.5 kilograms of explosives from his Manitoba home.

RCMP say the 78-year-old was rearrested on new charges on Aug. 12 after an ongoing investigation.

Mark was arrested during a July 7 search of his home near the western Manitoba city of Dauphin and was initially charged with 12 weapons-related offences, including firearms trafficking, possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number, three counts of unsafe firearms storage, two counts of careless use of a firearm and two counts of possession of a prohibited device.

Police said last month they took 439 guns from his home and seized other items, including an antique cannon and ammunition.

RCMP said in a Wednesday news release that after processing the evidence seized in July, they determined 445 firearms were taken from the home. Of those, 295 were unsafely stored, 10 were prohibited and 11 were restricted or prohibited firearms that were not registered to Mark, according to police.

RCMP also now say they seized 26.5 kilograms of explosives — more than four times the amount licensed individuals are allowed to possess, according to police.

A number of the restricted or prohibited firearms were stored with readily available ammunition, and two firearms registered to Mark could not be located, the RCMP release said.

In total, 38 charges have now been laid against Mark.

The 26 new charges include weapons trafficking, three more counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, nine counts of possession of a restricted firearm/prohibited weapon with ammunition, and nine counts of possession of a firearm when knowing it is unauthorized.

He's also been charged with another count of possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number, two counts of failing to report the loss of a firearm and having more than six kilograms of explosives.

A few days after the initial charges were laid in July, Mark told CBC News that he broke the law by illegally transferring three guns, but denied he trafficked any.

Mark said at that point he's been legally collecting firearms since the early 1970s, but some of those weapons are now illegal to own due to gun law changes over the years.

During the initial search of Mark's home, RCMP also seized more than $300,000 in currency. Mark told CBC the cash was from property sales in Dauphin and denied it was connected with firearms trafficking.

RCMP also now allege that sometime between December 2024 and February 2025, Mark went unprompted to the home of a friend who had made a social media post about a coyote on their property, and handed that person a firearm and ammunition, according to Wednesday's news release.

The person did not use the weapon, which was later recovered by investigators.

Mark is a former MP who represented the Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa riding. He was first elected to Parliament in 1997 and resigned his seat in 2010, after serving first with the Reform party, and later with the Canadian Alliance and finally as a Conservative.

He ran unsuccessfully for the seat again in 2015 as an independent.

Prior to his time as an MP, he was elected mayor of Dauphin in 1994. He ran unsuccessfully for that position again in 2010.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

The Gun Ban Court is HERE and WE ARE IN!

https://nfa.ca/the-gun-ban-court-is-here-and-we-are-in/

We’re In!

Canada’s National Firearms Association (NFA) is joining the Supreme Court Challenge brought by the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights (CCFR) against the Liberal government’s Orders in Council (OIC) banning hundreds of thousands of firearms.

NFA will participate in the case as an Intervenor.

At first, we weren’t sure whether the Court would accept us.

To participate as an Intervenor in a Supreme Court case, an organization must bring an argument that is different and distinct from that of the principal litigant.

But NFA believes that we have found the right argument.

With the help of civil rights lawyer Jason Gratl of Vancouver, B.C., we believe we’ve got a strong case to present to the Court.

Jason has a lot of experience with cases like this. He has argued before the Supreme Court and served as head of the B.C. Civil Liberties Union. He is the right guy for the job.

The question is this;

Are laws in Canada made through legislation and Parliament, or are they done by Order in Council?

Did the Liberals overstep their Authority by using the Orders in Council to target so many Canadians and so much lawfully owned property?

In case you are not familiar with what an Order in Council (OIC) is, it is a means by which the Prime Minister, using the powers of the Governor General—that is, the Government of Canada—can pass emergency orders as de facto law without having to introduce controversial legislation and get it passed by Parliament.

In other words, they used a tragedy and a political gimmick to push their agenda—without having to answer to anyone.

Apparently, the Liberals considered confiscating hundreds of thousands of legally owned firearms from law-abiding Canadians an emergency on the scale of a ‘Declaration of War’.

Which it was.

A Declaration of War on the Rights, Freedoms, and Property of Canadians

And this has happened with firearms in the past.

In the early 1990’s, governments prohibited scores of firearms through OIC.

However, shortly afterward, they prohibited those same firearms through legislation passed by Parliament instead.

Back then, maybe they weren’t so sure those OIC’s would pass legal scrutiny.

Are the Liberal OIC’s actually lawful?

Well, we’re going to find out. The Supreme Court Case will be heard in November 2026, and a decision will be rendered shortly after.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

Will the new Tarrifs drive up Gun Prices?

Just was wondering if these new 50% tarrifs will drive up the cost of new firearms coming from America?

Eg. Carmel and Makasi ?

I read over the list and all the items and it doesnt say anything about firearms/parts/accessories/scopes/ammunition

Am i missing something?

I dont really feel like paying another 50% on top of the price of the Carmel and I dont think anyone else here does either

reddit.com
u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

I survived a firearms seizure, s. 111 prohib application, and PAL review

***This is a post from CGN***

My firearms were seized by the RCMP 3 years ago and I just recently had them returned, including my prohib AR. It was a very long, exhausting, mentally draining and expensive process. It is not possible to navigate without experienced counsel representing you. Approx 13k in legal fees just relating to the s. 111 prohibition application the RCMP filed. They will do anything and everything in their power to ensure you lose and intimidate you into just giving up. This includes violating the criminal code, violating the RCMP act, creating false narratives that they stupidly commit to, manipulating and falsifying evidence, violating lawyer/client privilege, and abusing their authority. During this 3 year process approximately 6 RCMP members were found to have been guilty of; neglect of duty, breach of trust, and discreditable conduct on multiple counts. If they wouldn't have been caught they would have succeeded. As soon as one got caught they all started throwing each other under the bus. The file had to be reassigned to 4 different members. The last guy it got assigned to was a traffic cop that had zero involvement with the file whatsoever. I actually felt terrible for him because they fed this guy to the wolves and made him responsible for everything when he had zero involvement.

Seizure occurs in 2023 under "exigent circumstances". No criminal record, no charges laid. Half the detachment shows up running around pointing their C8's at me just because I own firearms. I obviously fully cooperate and provide them with all information, keys, trigger lock codes etc. Everything was stored above the requirements of the Firearms Act which they stated in their report. I return to my house after they finish the seizure. They had completely trashed my house to the point where it looked like it had been robbed and then intentionally trashed. Unnecessary damage to my home and destroyed personal property, they also trashed the carpets with mud and grass stains. This was the first issue that led to the superintendent having to write a formal apology on behalf of the entire detachment for how they conducted the seizure and desecrated my home. The secure room where the firearms were stored also housed approx 50k of sensitive electronic equipment for my work that was thrown around. They seized my spent primer collection, but left my XL650, primers, powder, bullets, and a few thousand rounds of ammunition. Not wanting them to show up with the circus and trash my house again, I literally just gave everything to my my friends with PAL's for free. I believe I retained counsel immediately after the seizure. RCMP immediately contact the CFO regulatory support unit to ask for my PAL to be placed under review. This is something they actively tried to hide, we were not aware of this until over 2 years later and it only came out from FOI requests that had to be made because absolutely nothing made sense. The Crown intentionally excluded it from disclosure. This is what is known as Breach of Duty. "The Crown prosecution has a constitutional obligation to provide the defense with full and timely disclosure of all relevant information."

A few months later I come home and one of the cops from the seizure that is in charge of the file (for now) is parked at my house. As I get out of my vehicle he comes up and serves me with an affidavit for a s. 111 firearms prohibition application. While he's serving me he is basically talking trash to me and trying to intimidate me and says something along the lines of "we know everything". I thank him for the affidavit and kindly ask him to serve any future legal documents to my counsel, or serve me at their detachment. Instead of showing up to wait for me and harass me at my home. Until this point I still had no idea what was going on. When I went inside I read the affidavit and it read equivalent to a 12 year old girls diary or a fictional story written by a schizophrenic person. Zero evidence other than hearsay, double hearsay, and triple hearsay. My counsel and I now start to paint a picture but still are so in the dark.

A month or two later. They messed up the affidavit so they had to re-serve me. I get a call from a new officer who is now assigned (for now) and says the previous officer is no longer involved. He asks me to come to the detachment to serve me a new affidavit. I show up and they have 3 officers waiting for me and wouldn't even let me in the front door without fully searching me. I believe all 3 were present at the seizure. I confusingly ask what is going on and what the reasoning behind the need to search me and have 3 officers present to serve me an affidavit is. The officer assigned says "We've seen your trophies, we are scared of you." I realized he was referring to my IPSC and USPSA trophies they must have all seen when they were conducting the seizure. I retired from competitive shooting in 2019 and have trophies from matches all over Canada, the US and EU. The cat is starting to claw its way out of the bag and I'm starting to realize what is happening. I thank them, leave and go home to read the new affidavit and speak to counsel. The changes in the affidavit seem irrelevant and negligible, but we have yet to receive any disclosure packages from The Crown.

A few months later a disclosure package is finally sent. Cat is out of the bag, except the cat is dead. If you guessed that this had something to do with an ex-girlfriend up until this point, you deserve a beer. But it gets so much crazier from here on out. When they seized my firearms because they were seized under "exigent circumstances" and not with a warrant. That only allowed them to search and seize the firearms. Turns out they went through everything they could get their fingers on while they were in my house unsupervised. Not only did they go through all my lawyer/client protected court documents from an ongoing civil supreme court lawsuit. They found a handwritten note in one of my drawers that was written by my ex-girlfriend before our final breakup. The note read; "I'm sorry. I love you. I didn't want any of this. Still and always here for you, promise." That note was written well before any of this and the relationship continued for months after it was written. When the RCMP "accidentally" found this note during the seizure they determined it to be a suicide note written by me. They never questioned me about it, they just incorrectly assumed. I'm sure you guys can see the road this is heading down by now.

S. 111 hearing date is scheduled for 2 years later.

Counsel starts to get really active and gets to work. He gets the RCMP to amend their false police report regarding the note and we start going after the officers involved for the other issues. The officers try to double down and it fails. He eventually learns The Crown won't touch my ex with a 40' pole. The S. 111 full day hearing approaches and we are excited. As the hearing date approaches Crown becomes desperate. They have no evidence against me so they release a new disclosure package that includes PRIME-BC records. These are like journal/diary entries from officers that cannot be used in court except in extremely limited circumstances. It's pure hearsay. One of their arguments for why I shouldn't own firearms was a PRIME-BC record where someone reported me for "brake checking" them on the highway. However the night before the hearing The Crown notifies us they are withdrawing their application citing they have no argument as to why I shouldn't be allowed to possess firearms. Their disclosure also said that I had a valid PAL, but mentioned nothing about my PAL being under review even though they were the ones to initiate the review. So Counsel and I think they must return everything now.

IT'S OVER! WE WON RIGHT?...No you idiot, they are just getting started with you.

The Crown withdrew the application instead of asking for it to be dismissed. They did this because if it was dismissed the judge would have issued a dismissal order which would aid in forcing the RCMP to return my personal property. I do as my counsel instructs and attempt to arrange to pickup my property after the application was withdrawn. They only allow me to pickup my physical valid PAL. I continue to get the run around for weeks. After persisting the officer asks when I would like to pick them up. I tell him and then get a reply. "I have been instructed by the evidence clerk and my ssgt to not release your firearms under any circumstances as your PAL is under review." It is now almost 3 years later and we are just finding out my PAL is under review. FOI requests later reveal the RCMP initiated the review immediately after the seizure. It was at this point I became quite frustrated, upset, and felt completely defeated. I felt that if I had known that my PAL was under review I would have not put myself through all the trouble and just had everything non restricted transferred to a friend and have counsel argue to export all the restricted/banned firearms to the US via a broker.

reddit.com
u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

Crown seeking prison for Windsor gun collector who improperly stored firearms

https://windsorstar.com/news/local-...-who-improperly-stored-firearms#comments-area

The Ontario Court of Justice on Monday, July 6, 2020, in Windsor, ON. (Dan Janisse-The Windsor Star) The Windsor Star

Prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence for a weapons collector who improperly stored more than 20 restricted firearms in his Windsor apartment.

Hengwei Zhong, 31, “abused the privilege” of his firearms license by leaving his handguns unlocked in his bedroom and by attempting to smuggle handgun parts from the U.S. into Canada, assistant Crown attorney Reem Said told court on Tuesday.

“The public depends on individuals who have a government-issued firearm license to follow the rules,” Said told Ontario Court Justice Daniel Topp. “An improper handling or storage of firearms places people at risk and must be denounced by the court.”

Zhong previously pleaded guilty to one federal count of attempting to smuggle prohibited handgun barrels into Canada and eight counts of improper storage of firearms.

According to a summary of facts shared with the Star, CBSA officers seized a parcel at a UPS facility in Windsor on May 8, 2025, that contained two prohibited .38 calibre handgun barrels, a restricted 9 mm calibre semi-automatic handgun barrel and two revolver cylinders. The parcel was addressed to Zhong and had been declared as “auto parts.”

By importing the revolver parts “the accused was carrying out his intention to convert restricted firearms to prohibited firearms and, therefore, attempted to manufacture a firearm,” the facts stated.

Zhong, a citizen of China, holds a firearm license and has 26 registered firearms, court heard.

Following the seizure of the parcel, CBSA investigators and members of the Windsor Police Emergency Services Unit executed a search warrant at Zhong’s Windsor residence on July 17, 2025.

According to the facts, Zhong’s license required that 22 of his firearms be stored at his Windsor residence, but investigators recovered only 19 when the warrant was executed. The three missing handguns were later recovered at a Windsor shop where Zhong had taken them to be refinished.

The 19 handguns recovered were all found in Zhong’s bedroom, but none of them were stored in a locked container and many were not secured with proper locking devices, the facts stated.

Officers also seized 30 drop-in auto sears, a prohibited device used to convert semi-automatic rifles into fully automatic firearms.

According to a news release last September, CBSA said officers had seized 175 magazines, of which 104 were prohibited, and approximately 17,000 rounds of ammunition at the Windsor home.

At the time of his arrest in 2025, Zhong had been working at Tactical Imports Corp., a Canadian retailer of licensed firearms and tactical equipment, on a post-graduate work permit since 2022. Zhong had arrived in Canada in 2019 for graduate studies at the University of Winsor

“Mr. Zhong is not an outlaw or anywhere close to it,” defence lawyer Robert DiPietro Sr. said Tuesday in requesting a monetary penalty of $500 to $1,000 per count in lieu of a sentence behind bars.

DiPietro cited Zhong’s guilty plea and lack of a prior criminal record as mitigating factors.

He added that his client’s employer describes Zhong as “a firearms collector and fascinated with technical aspects of the firearm (who is) skilled at disassembling and reassembling firearms” and a “hardworking, efficient team member who carries his weight.”

Said pushed back against the defence’s position of imposing a fine, arguing that it “cannot possibly satisfy denunciation or deterrence where the offender is actively obtaining, importing, possessing the tools that would either make the weapons that he had more concealable or convert them from semi-automatic to automatic.”

The 30 auo sears seized by the CBSA create “extraordinary risk for the public safety,” she said. “Their sole purpose is the rapid discharge of large volumes of ammunition. That inherent danger of a firearm capable of fully automatic fire cannot be considered a mere regulatory offence.”

Zhong apologized when given the opportunity to speak in court.

“I feel really, really sorry for what I did,” he told Justice Topp. “I absolutely had no intention to cause any harm. I never had the intention to sell my firearms.”

Justice Topp is expected to render a sentencing decision in the fall.

reddit.com
u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

Canadians Are Buying More Guns Like it or not, many people feel safer with a firearm at home

https://macleans.ca/society/canadians-are-buying-more-guns/

Canadians Are Buying More Guns

Like it or not, many people feel safer with a firearm at home

Gun licence applications are on the rise in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2016 and 2025, the number of applicants for possession and acquisition licences, or PALs—the permits that allow Canadians to buy firearms—have increased by nearly 50 per cent. In some parts of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, like the eastern suburb of Peel, they’ve more than doubled. And southern Ontario isn’t the only place where this is happening. The number of PAL licence holders across Canada is quickly nearing 2.5 million, the highest count on record.

For a lot of Canadians, this doesn’t square with our self-image. Our gun culture—or supposed lack thereof—has always been a major way we differentiate ourselves from the U.S. We tell ourselves that, unlike our trigger-happy southern neighbours, firearms in Canada aren’t a cornerstone of our lives or our Constitution. To a certain extent, this is true.

In the past few decades, as American gun culture became more strident, Canada has enacted a series of ever-stricter gun-control laws. In 1995, Parliament passed a landmark bill introducing universal licensing for all firearms and a registry to track them. After the 2020 rampage shooting in Nova Scotia, the Trudeau government outlawed more than 1,500 models and variants of firearms. That list was expanded in 2024, and again by the Carney government in March of this year. In 2022, Canada also put a freeze on handgun sales. Compared to America’s open-carry laws, which allow grocery shoppers to carry handguns as they buy their broccoli, Canada is obviously tame by comparison.

But it would be wrong to say that this country has no gun culture. I know because I’m part of it. I shot a rifle for the first time as a Boy Scout when I was 12 years old. Now I shoot recreationally at a range near my home in Ontario. I’m part of the seven per cent of Canadian adults who own guns. It’s a number far lower than America’s 32 per cent, but it’s certainly not nothing.

People are buying guns now for different reasons than they did a few decades ago. In the ’70s, only 20 per cent of Americans said they owned a gun for self-defence, with the vast majority using their firearms for hunting. Nowadays, self-defence is the main motivation for more than 75 per cent of gun owners. A similar trend followed in Canada: in 2023, 30 per cent of gun-owning Canadians said self-defence was their primary reason for owning a gun, up from only six per cent in the late 1990s.

Gun ownership is also changing demographically: the days when gun owners were almost exclusively older white men like myself are gone, and the gender, age and racial makeup of the gun-owning public is looking a lot more like that of Canada’s general population. Since the 1980s, women have been the fastest-growing demographic of gun owners, now representing 13 per cent of them.

The rise of gun ownership is a natural consequence of a world that seems a lot scarier than it used to. I recently spoke with a man who said he’d been considering getting his firearms licence for some time, but Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state finally pushed him over the edge. The link between threatening events and gun ownership is clear. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, gun purchases in both the U.S. and Canada rose significantly. In Canada, our safe storage regulations mean most guns are kept in locked boxes or safes, making their self-defence capabilities pretty meagre. But for many people, simply owning a gun offers a feeling of security.

Gun ownership is also on the rise among newcomers. Many move to Canada from countries where guns are more strictly regulated and want to take advantage of the freedom to own a firearm. On the flip side, some newcomers come from places where guns are the norm. In Pakistan, for example, there’s a strong hunting culture, and firearm ownership is common. Turkey has a massive small arms industry, and guns have a deep symbolic value. It’s why the Turkish president gifted Mark Carney a revolver at the NATO summit in July.

The growth in licensing and ownership is partly due to the rising popularity of tactical sports, like 3-Gun or IPSC, which simulate combat, and which have spread largely via social media. Entirely new demographics are being exposed to the idea of gun ownership, disrupting the traditional model, which relied on family members passing down skills and firearms. At my rural gun range, the mix of members and guests reflects these changing demographics.

We’ll never have a gun culture like the U.S. Our licensing laws, training requirements and other restrictions prevent it from taking hold, even if there was an appetite for it. We have no second amendment enshrining the right to bear arms or castle law to protect gun-wielding homeowners. Nor do we have a historic cowboy culture to look back on. By and large, Canadian gun owners are also proud of our safety culture. They know that when people get killed by guns, gun control ramps up. So safety measures aren’t viewed as an imposition, but rather common-sense rules that make the use of guns safer for all of us.

But what we are getting closer to is a culture where, like in the U.S., guns are a flavour of normal. In rural areas, this has always been true, but more and more city-dwellers are now interested in guns. The idea of owning them has always been framed in Canada as something deviant—a bad behaviour reserved for those with malicious intent. This is changing. And as the world gets more dangerous, or at least feels like it, Canada’s conventional wisdom on guns will keep shifting toward greater acceptance.

A.J. Somerset is the author of Arms: The Culture and Credo of The Gun.

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u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

TACCOM Canada, 12 and 13 Sep 2026

​

TACCOM (TACTICAL & COMPETITIVE SHOOTING SPORTS SHOW)

Canada welcomes the leading manufacturers and Industry Leaders within the Tactical and Competitive shooting communities with the aim of engaging our diverse shooting landscape.

We are committed to breaking new ground and providing the Canadian shooting sports community with not only a one of a kind experience, but the first of its kind. Join top manufacturers and industry leaders as we come together under one roof to celebrate the products, competitions, and lifestyle that any firearms owner can enjoy.

TACCOM is dedicated to showcasing the very best of the tactical and competitive shooting disciplines with regards to products, training and making industry leaders accessible.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

New 'Canadian Firearms Exchange' launches, promises to be marketplace for 'law-abiding' gun owners

https://www.westernstandard.news/canadian/new-canadian-firearms-exchange-launches-promises-to-be-marketplace-for-law-abiding-gun-owners/75538

CFE founder Jacob van der Merwe says the sites dedication to security and identity verification will provide a one-of-a-kind marketplace for Canadian firearm enthusiasts

A new marketplace purporting to be a haven for Canadian "law-abiding firearm owners" has launched and promises to be a market that will allow firearms enthusiasts to buy, sell, and trade firearms and firearm-related equipment.

In a statement provided to the Western Standard, Jacob van der Merwe, the founder of the Canadian Firearms Exchange (CFE), touted that the marketplace was "created for law-abiding firearm owners who are tired of being treated like the problem."

The statement continues, saying that the Exchange "gives responsible hunters, sport shooters, ranchers, collectors, and licensed owners a secure place to buy, sell, and trade firearms-related gear while reinforcing the rules lawful Canadians already follow every day."

On their website it explains that the CFE is not a retailer but a "private community of Canadians buying, selling, and trading the firearms, optics, ammunition, and hunting gear they actually use."

The website states that every member will be required to have their identity verified and be someone residing in Canada, and the site will be geolocked to only allow Canadian traffic.

"The platform includes identity verification, PAL/RPAL compliance reminders, listing review, secure account protections, and in-platform messaging — not because licensed owners are the problem, but because responsible Canadians continue to prove they hold themselves to a higher standard," the statement from CFE reads.

The launch comes as Canadians are finding it more and more difficult to find ways to buy, sell, and trade firearms while obeying the ever-changing laws.

In an interview with WS, van der Merwe stressed the importance that the CFE could have in the Canadian firearms community and noted the importance that the geo-block feature on the website will have to prevent scams and foreign actors.

"To ensure that everyone (buying and selling on the exchange) is Canadian, we use technology to geo-block the site, so if you're outside of Canada, you'll be able to see the page, but you won't be able to open an account."

Van der Merwe noted that the exchange also makes new members send an e-transfer of $0.01 to the CFE to verify that they have a Canadian bank account, and the bank account name matches the name provided on the account.

'We use the Interac e-transfer platform to verify that people have given us their actual name and that they have an active Canadian bank account. The Interac system only exists for Canadians who bank in Canada."

"So even if you've used a VPN and spoofed your way into the site, you won't get past the verification layer." van der Merwe said when asked about the security of the site.

He also added that the CFE does not take any commission or make any profit on transactions between members, van der Merwe added that if the site gets big enough, he may sell ad space on the site but said he won't "nickel and dime" members.

Van der Merwe stated that while he is aware that his site is not the first of its kind in Canada, he stresses his 30 years of experience in IT have allowed him to build a far more user-friendly interface as well as a far more secure site in terms of user safety when buying and selling.

When asked if he could sum up what the CFE will bring to Canadian firearms enthusiasts, van der Merwe said, "trust, compliance, security, and ease of use."

"I want to make it possible so when you join the site you are confident that you are dealing with verified people on the other side."

It is estimated that there are currently over 12.7 million civilian firearms in Canada, two million of which are registered and over 10 million that aren't.

Canada has a long and storied firearm history and culture, with Canada ranking as the country with the seventh highest firearm-per-capita rate in the world.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

ATIP: Just 187 businesses accounted for more than 12,000 firearms in federal buyback program​

https://youtu.be/QGEZdTkqqqQ?si=4wZJQigeNC4I4NTW

The final number of firearms actually surrendered by individual owners has not been publicly disclosed.

Sheila Gunn Reid | August 05, 2026

Newly released records obtained through the Access to Information Act show that just 187 businesses participated in the federal government's Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program, collectively claiming compensation for 12,143 prohibited firearms.

The documents, released by Public Safety Canada to Rebel News, offer one of the first detailed looks at the commercial side of Ottawa's firearms confiscation program.

The figures work out to an average of nearly 65 firearms per participating business, suggesting much of the business compensation program involved retailers and distributors disposing of prohibited inventory rather than individual gun owners surrendering personal firearms.

The federal government has previously said more than 67,000 firearms were declared by individual owners under the compensation program. However, those figures represent declarations rather than confirmed surrenders. Throughout the program, firearm owners were permitted to amend or withdraw declarations, and thousands of firearms were later removed from the program after being "undeclared."

As a result, the final number of firearms actually surrendered by individual owners has not been publicly disclosed.

The business figures indicate that commercial participants accounted for at least 15 percent of the firearms reported through the combined business and individual streams using the government's published declaration figures. Because the individual declaration total later declined, businesses may ultimately represent a larger share of the firearms actually surrendered.

The records also highlight the financial impact of the May 2020 Order in Council prohibiting hundreds of models of firearms. Many firearms retailers were left holding inventory that had been legally purchased and stocked but could no longer be sold to licensed Canadian firearms owners after the prohibition took effect.

The compensation program was created to reimburse businesses for those prohibited firearms.

The buyback program diverts billions of taxpayer dollars toward compensating licensed owners and businesses while doing little to address firearms used in violent crime, which police agencies have consistently linked primarily to illegal smuggling and organized criminal activity.

The Access to Information release provides no evidence about how many of the compensated firearms had ever been owned by private individuals. It simply confirms that 187 businesses submitted claims covering 12,143 prohibited firearms during the commercial compensation phase of the program.

u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago

Inside Toronto's Illegal Handgun Market

https://youtu.be/MJcbiCvwoz0?si=\_CpdpwRhZbIsTN8P

How are U.S. handguns flooding Toronto streets? Christina Howarn follows the money, the routes, and the victims to expose a cross-border pipeline hiding in plain sight.

In this VeraCity: Special Investigations report, we begin at King and Dufferin with grieving mother Evelyn Fox, whose son Kissinger was shot in Liberty Village in 2016 while trying to break up a fight. As Toronto averages more than 400 shootings a year and gun-related murders rose 20% in 2019, the investigation asks: where are the guns coming from, and who benefits?

Inside Toronto Police Guns and Gangs, Inspector Joe Matthews shows seized weapons from a Tek-9 with an over-capacity magazine to modified handguns and sawed-off shotguns. He details Project Patton’s single seizure of 60 handguns and confirms handguns are the weapon of choice because they are easier to conceal. From a jailhouse interview, Dwayne Beckford bluntly says finding a gun in Toronto “is not hard at all,” describing how even kids can access firearms and the human cost of that culture.

To contrast the illegal stream, range owner J.R. Cox walks through Canada’s licensing, mandatory safety training, and daily CPIC checks of 2.2 million legal owners, arguing that licensed owners are not the drivers of street shootings. Then Detective Scott Ferguson, who traces crime guns for Criminal Intelligence Services Ontario, explains how ballistics and social media tie cases together. He cites a gun that linked the killing of a 16-year-old in London, Ontario to the death of a 12-year-old girl in Toronto, and a joint ATF-Toronto case that uncovered four buyers who smuggled 120 handguns from Michigan. Ferguson says 70 to 80 percent of Ontario crime handguns come from the U.S., where a $199 pistol can fetch over $5,000 in Canada.

Cybercrime expert Dr. Thomas Holt outlines the smaller scale of dark web gun markets, while Anonymous Pug demonstrates why Bitcoin is private but traceable, and why most criminals still prefer cash. A former smuggler known as “the Captain” shows how guns are hidden in car doors, estimating up to a dozen per truck with big markups, before reflecting on the real-world harm. Ex-gang leader Marcel Wilson describes $80 gun “rentals,” border vulnerabilities, and why solutions must include border resources and deep community investment.

Watch the full investigation for rare on-camera access, hard numbers, and first-hand accounts that reveal how U.S. guns reach Toronto and what it will take to stop them.

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u/Mysterious_Sleep7443 — 2 months ago