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By Liam Verster
Firearms ban opposition

Petition to oppose federal firearm ban launched in Grande Prairie

May 5, 2020 | 1:38 PM

An online petition has been launched by Bullets and Broadheads Shooting Centre Ltd in Grande Prairie, in an effort to oppose the federal government’s recent announcement of a ban on owning any of 1,500 types of firearms and their variants.

The ban, announced on Friday, May 1, says the order would have a two year amnesty period for current owners. The petition, however, says that this new order criminalizes legal firearms owners, as amnesty is defined as “an official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses.”

The petition calls on the Provincial Government, specifically Premier Jason Kenney, to take action, and not allow this ban to effect Albertans. It states that “We will hold accountable the federal government for these actions and will hold accountable our provincial government for any in-action.”

The petitions demands the designation of a Provincial Chief Firearms Officer to oversee gun ownership in Alberta. It asks to have someone appointed who “understands the needs of all firearm owners be it subsistence hunters, sport shooters or farmers defending their lands from pests and other invaders such as predators harming their livestock.”

The petition says that, if the federal government goes through with this ban and the RCMP are ordered to enforce the restrictions, then the province needs to create it’s own police force, who would answer only to the Alberta Justice system.

Premier Kenney has spoken out against the ban, saying it singles out law abiding gun owners and does nothing to address illegal gun use.

Grande Prairie-Mackenzie MP Chris Warkentin also issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the action by the Liberal government

“Taking firearms away from law-abiding citizens does nothing to stop dangerous criminals who obtain their guns illegally,” Warkentin noted. “The reality is, the vast majority of gun crimes are committed with illegally obtained firearms.

The federal Liberals ran on a platform that included stricter gun control, and are expected to put forth further legislation on handguns, though a time line for the legislation has not yet been established.

“This is a blatant overreach that unfairly targets law-abiding firearms owners instead of criminals,” Warkentin said. “I will always support the rights of law-abiding firearms owners. I strongly oppose the Prime Minister’s new ban on certain firearms and his use of the current pandemic and the immediate emotion of the horrific attack in Nova Scotia to push the Liberals’ ideological agenda and make major firearms policy changes. That is wrong.”

by Liam Verster