Guns in Canada

Dear Fellow Americans Let me paint a picture for you of guns in Canada:

This Autumn my 12 year old son and I decided to start hunting. Living up here in Canadian Wilderness and being a food snob led me to consider hunting and taking responsibility for life and death and food in my own life.

We had to take a two day course to get a hunting permit. 1 day was dedicated entirely to Firearms safety. We had to pass a written test, as well as a practical test. This practical included not only safe handling in a group and in field testing but also complete knowledge of all Long Guns including how to safety check, loading ammo, identifying the types of ammo, and cleaning. (All Rifles and Shotguns.)

Once we passed the test I had to submit an application to the RCMP (Canada’s FBI) This application included a background check, and a listing of most recent common law partners (Your conjugal partner has to sign this form by a big bold message that tells them to contact the RCMP if they are concerned about the application.)

The application must also include 2 long term character references who the RCMP may Contact. (They have at this point not contacted my References but I know others who attest to the fact that the RCMP does followup.)

It takes 6 – 8 weeks to get the permit. This is ONLY for Non restricted firearms. I.e. Rifles and shotguns which may not have clips that hold more than 5 rounds including the chamber. Which is good! If you can’t hit a God damned deer with 5 shots then you shouldn’t be in the forest to begin with.)

Once you get your PAL (License) You must renew it every 5 years, You must store your weapons under lock and key, the ammo must be under lock and key in a separate safe location. You can have your guns confiscated if you do not do this and an officer comes to your home for some other reason. When transporting, your gun must be out of sight and unloaded with ammo stored separate from the chamber and clip.

If you move you must notify the RCMP of address change within 30 days just like your car. if your license expires and you do not renew it the RCMP will contact you and come to your house and confiscate your guns the same as if you let your automobile license expire you aren’t permitted to drive anymore.

If you are convicted of a crime, shoot people, Do anything weird they will take your guns.

And as for Hand guns. You not only have to wait 6 months to a year in Canada to get a Restricted firearms permit to own one, you cannot travel with one unless you inform the RCMP where you are going and then only on assigned routes to and from the gun range etc.

Hand gun violence in Canada exists, but mostly because the damn things are smuggled into this country from the USA. This is no longer a USA issue, So I say this as a soon to be gun owner and as a citizen of both countries. The USA needs to control their damn weapons once and for all, because this has become a North American issue. Between Canada and Mexico being shot up from guns sent here by nut jobs in America the rest of us now have to manage this madness.