Dear Editor:
RE: Gun ownership is on the rise – and gun safety should be too, March 7.
Almost everything this person reports about gun safety and laws is very wrong.
Hunters can seek permission from a farmer to hunt on their land but they do not require written permission, only the agreement of the land owner (but if there are any “No Hunting” signs they must be covered or removed just in case a passerby or hiker accidentally walks on the property).
His storage comment is inaccurate as well. Firearms and ammunition can be stored together if they are in a safe; if only stored in a cabinet then ammunition is to be stored separately. However a safe or cabinet are not defined by the act and are subject to the assessment of court officials should a legal issue arise.
His statements regarding “antique guns” is grossly wrong. Any black powder manufactured before 1898 can be considered not to be a firearm, however anything produced after that absolutely is “gun” in the eyes of the law.
His entire discussion regarding permits and transport is also wildly over simplified and quite wrong. You require a Possession and Acquisition License (PAL) in Canada to purchase, transfer or transport firearms. You only need an Authorization to Transport (ATT) when moving restricted firearms to and from a port of entry, a gunsmith or an appraiser. You don’t require one to go to the range. For hunting you require a PAL and a hunting license; they are separate and distinct.
The most egregious offence is the last line of the article; it violates the very first rule of firearms safety: treat every firearm as though it were loaded. To suggest that you accept the word of anyone on the condition of a firearm is the height of ignorance and recklessly irresponsible.
I’d like to stipulate that I am speaking on my own behalf and not representing any of the clubs, boards, certifying agencies or the firearms community at large.
I’m just a concerned citizen of this country that has tired of the serious lack of professionalism and integrity in the public discourse.
Gary Drummond,
Georgetown