Week in Review - 08 Mar 2024 Archive

 

Friday, March 8, 2024

 

CCFR Radio – Ep 161: Rod’s Goin Hunting, Meet the Guide, Full Episode of CCFR’s TV Show on WildTV (Latest Episode)

For the latest information on what's been happening at the CCFR, check out our most recent Podcast with host Rod Giltaca.

In this episode: Rod is away so this is a pre-recorded episode. It features a full episode of the CCFR’s TV show, CCFR Radio On The Air from WildTV. Rod is going on his first hunt ever, this spring. Meet the guide who’s taking him. Also, a chat about National Range Day and more.

Watch on Rumble here

Audio-only Link: https://podcast.ccfr.ca/episodes/episode-161

You can also listen to and watch the CCFR Radio Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and other popular podcast apps.

 
 

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The CCFR's Best Day Ever Contest!

You could win an all expenses paid trip (from anywhere in Canada) to meet up with Rod & Tracey, in Calgary, Alberta. You'll get to shoot guns and go on two shopping sprees of $5,000 each at Calgary Shooting Centre and The Shooting Edge. Runner up prizes are 2 different custom neon signs. See full contest details on our website.

CONTEST CLOSES TOMORROW AT MIDNIGHT!

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Has your shooting club begun planning their National Range Day event?

This year's National Range Day is on June 1st. Now is the perfect time to engage your shooting club executive and encourage them to begin planning and seeking volunteers to host an event at your club.

You can find resources, logo files and fillable posters at NationalRangeDay.ca that are free to use for promoting your own event.

Already have an event planned? Register your event on the event locator map so guests can find out about it.

Let's make this the biggest and best National Range Day yet!

Watch the promotional videos here

The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights is currently in the middle of the largest Charter challenge on behalf of gun owners in Canadian history.

The group was formed in 2015 after the federal Liberals formed government.

“We were sort of born out of the 2015 election knowing that things would go badly for gun owners under this Liberal government,” Tracey Wilson, the coalition’s vice-president of public relations, told the Evan Bray Show. “And boy, were we right.”

In 2022, the feds announced an amendment to Bill C-21, calling for a ban on some shotguns and semi-automatic rifles.

Wilson told Bray there’s a provision in the Firearms Code that says a gun cannot be banned if it’s suitable for hunting or sport-shooting purposes.

“The firearms that were banned back in May of 2020, that’s approaching over 2,000 models and variants that are legitimate for sporting purposes,” said Wilson. “We’ve been using them for decades, if not generations, safely and without issue.”

Both Saskatchewan and Alberta have joined in on the court challenge, but a hearing has yet to take place.

Wilson said that there is a lot of misinformation surrounding firearm owners and violent crimes.

“I think over 30 years, gun owners have been subjected to some really bad branding,” said Wilson. “The Liberal government and left-leaning government have successfully created a link between licensed gun owners and violent crimes.”

Wilson said there isn’t any link and that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau uses terms like “assault-style weapon” or “military grade weapons” to confuse people.

“I’m a grandma from the suburbs and yes, I own two AR-15’s,” she said. “They are semi-automatic limited to five rounds and they operate exactly the same as my would-be hunting rifle.”

Wilson said this has created the narrative of “you don’t need that.”

“Yes I do,” she countered. “I’ve owned them for decades safely and without issue. And in this country, at least we should have the freedom to own the things that we want to own.”

Wilson said the onus should be on the federal government to prove why people shouldn’t be allowed to own certain weapons.

Continue reading at CKOM (Saskatchewan)


Rahim Mohamed: Crime is rising in Canada, and Liberals can't seem to find a solution

Crime has been at the top of the political agenda in Ottawa since the start of the year, and a new report card from one of Canada’s leading think tanks helps explain why.

The Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s third justice report card, released earlier this month, indeed makes for grim reading. Most alarmingly, the report shows that the narrative of increasing violent crime on our streets is not a mere figment of “if it bleeds, it leads” media sensationalism, but, in fact, is a real phenomenon backed by reams of hard data.

Co-authors Dave Snow, an associate professor of political science at the University of Guelph, and Richard Audas, a professor of health statistics and economics at Memorial University, report that Canada’s Violent Crime Severity Index is at its highest point since the start of former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government in 2007. Even more troubling, the national homicide rate and police-reported sexual assault rate are both at three-decade highs. A total of 874 Canadians were murdered in 2022, an increase of 78 from one year earlier. Tragically, 2022 marked the fourth consecutive year that the number of murders across Canada grew.

“When many people think about public safety, they think about violent crime — and on this front, the news is not good,” write Snow and Audas.

It’s not just a few large urban centres that have been driving this trend. Since MLI’s last report card, released in early 2018, violent crime (per 100,000) has trended upwards in eight of 10 provinces and all three territories, with Newfoundland and the territories seeing especially sharp increases. Each of the territories received an “F” on the subject of violent crime, as did Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Perhaps surprisingly, Ontario is one of the two provinces where the authors find violent crime has not increased significantly, joined by Alberta.

Unfortunately for Canadians, the nationwide uptick in violence defies easy characterization and is unlikely to be reversed by any legislative magic bullet. Highly publicized gun control measures imposed by the Liberal government haven’t stopped firearms-related offenses from increasing for eight consecutive years under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s watch. This calls into question the efficacy of the Trudeau government’s overarching strategy of curtailing legal gun ownership and criminalizing a growing list of firearm models.

MLI’s latest justice report card is certainly a disconcerting read, largely confirming the narrative of Canadian carnage that’s swept the national media and political class in the past few years. The report also underscores the complexities behind the growing violence, offering little hope for a quick fix.

One can only hope that the report card’s publication will spur efforts toward more rigorous data collection at all levels of government. It’s almost unbelievable that policymakers are still effectively flying blind on such fundamental matters as rates of recidivism and rehabilitation among violent criminals.

Continue reading at National Post
 
 

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Looking for a job? The Government of Alberta is looking to hire a Firearms Integration Specialist in Edmonton

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Manager of Program Implementation, you play a lead role in developing and deploying centralized operations to the delivery and management of the Firearms Act (Canada) in Alberta. These services enhance public safety through the administration and management of firearms licensing, serving a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

You are required to have a thorough understanding of the Canadian Firearms Act and Part III of the criminal code. You are responsible for the development, editing and distribution of information in an accurate and timely manner in accordance with the federal Firearms Act and sections of the Criminal Code.

You are the first point of contact for the Alberta firearms community. You will provide essential operational and program coordination services to the work of the ACFO. The ACFO provides services to over 340,000 firearms licence holders, 680 firearms-related businesses and 300+ ranges in Alberta.

Find out more and apply here

The Government of Saskatchewan is extending its firearm safety campaign, "Secure Firearms. Safe Communities," into the spring with updated materials to raise awareness about safety, education, proper firearms storage, and licensing.

"We want Saskatchewan firearms owners to know that safety starts with them," Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Paul Merriman said. "The extension of the firearms safety campaign will continue to protect Saskatchewan's tradition of responsible firearms ownership, which is demonstrated by a commitment to ongoing learning, firearms licensing, proper handling and safe storage."

The campaign features several well-known Saskatchewan residents who are acting as spokespeople for the campaign. The extended campaign features Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities President, Ray Orb; and Elder and Senator with the Prince Albert Grand Council and Federation of Saskatchewan Indigenous Nations, Noland Henderson.

"SARM supports and encourages firearms safety," Orb said. "Responsible firearm owners should follow safety practices and ensure their firearms and ammunition are properly stored, get their PAL firearms license, and help educate family, friends and neighbours on firearm safety."

Continue reading at Saskatchewan.ca
 
 

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Parents shocked after two Montreal-area daycare managers charged with smuggling ghost guns

Several parents say they were shocked to learn the managers of two Montreal-area daycares have been charged with smuggling ghost guns across the Canadian border.

Stacy St-Pierre, 42, and his spouse, 45-year-old Ruby Sharma, were arrested by the RCMP on July 14, 2023. They were released without charges "pending the completion of the investigation" and continued to manage two daycares in Vaudreuil and St-Lazare.

The couple was charged seven months later — last Friday – with possession for the purpose of weapons trafficking and importing or exporting unauthorized guns.

Police alleged they smuggled six ghost guns, which are typically made from assembled parts or 3D printers, making them difficult for police to trace.

According to an email obtained by CTV News, Quebec's families ministry asked the owner of Garderie Precious Cargo Inc. to do new background checks on the couple after the charges were laid.

Parents say they were stunned after reading about the charges and that they question the managers' judgment.

"When I found this out at first, it was so shocking that I thought it was artificial intelligence. I thought somebody had, you know, made a meme or something. I was completely gobsmacked. I couldn't believe what I was reading," one parent told CTV News in an interview. "Right away, I said to myself, 'I'm not taking my [child] back to that daycare and until I have more explanations.'"

According to the RCMP allegations, Sharma and St-Pierre were stopped while entering from the United States at the Lacolle, Que. border crossing last summer with six privately manufactured Glock-style Polymer 80s. The so-called ghost guns they had allegedly smuggled had no serial numbers.

Continue reading at CTV News Montreal


Police seeking witnesses after man fatally shot in Rexdale

Toronto police are appealing for information after a man in his 20s was fatally shot in Rexdale overnight.

It happened outside an apartment building on Bergamot Avenue, in the area of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue.

Toronto police said that at 11:37 p.m. Sunday, they were called to a low-rise apartment building where they subsequently found a male shooting victim outside.

Toronto Paramedic Services said they assessed one male patient when they arrived. They tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

"At this time, we're working to notify next of kin and until we do that, we will not be releasing any further information on the victim," Det. Abdul Nuri told reporters at the scene Monday morning.

"My team and I have been out since last night and we're going to work diligently and around the clock so we find those responsible for this incident," he said.

Nuri said it is still "early on in the investigation" and police cannot provide much detail as to what transpired.

He did confirm that a vehicle at the scene was involved, but would not say how.

Continue reading at CP24

A man who was critically injured in a shooting at an Etobicoke condo building Thursday night has died of his injuries.

Toronto police confirmed Friday morning that they are now investigating a homicide.

Officers attended the building at Eva Road and The West Mall shortly after 8:30 p.m. after gunfire rang out inside the building.

According to police, an unknown number of suspect approached the victim and shot him several times.

He was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, but did not survive.

On Friday afternoon, police identified the victim as 29-year-old Liban Hussein. He is the city's 13th homicide victim of the year.

Police said Friday that no arrests have been made so far, and there is no suspect description available at the moment.

Continue reading at CP24

Continue reading at CTV News Montreal


Police raid uncovers cache of firearms in Innisfil, Ont., man faces 115+ charges

An Innisfil, Ont., man faces more than 115 charges after police raided a home south of Barrie following information about a suspect believed to be purchasing and trafficking firearms.

Investigators executed a search warrant at a Hunter Street residence in the area of Webster Boulevard and Innisfil Beach Road in Innisfil on Tuesday.

Officers allegedly seized 20 firearms, roughly 5,000 rounds of ammunition, and various prohibited devices, including high-capacity magazines.

Diosdada 'Sunny' Lagman, 52, was taken into custody and held for a bail hearing.

The accused is charged with dozens of criminal code offences, including uttering threats to cause death, unauthorized possession of firearms, firearms trafficking, and unauthorized possession of a prohibited device.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Continue reading at CTV News Barrie


Pregnant woman, husband murdered inside Bowmanville home were targeted, police say after 3 suspects arrested

Three suspects are in custody in connection with what police say was a “targeted killing” in Bowmanville last year that left a pregnant woman and her husband dead.

During a news conference on Friday morning, police said Aram Kamel, 28, and his wife, 26-year-old Rafad Alzubaidy, were “shot multiple times at close range” at their home in Bowmanville in the early morning hours of Feb. 4, 2023.

Their bodies were discovered on the main floor of the residence more than 12 hours later after officers were called to the Crombie Road home to conduct a wellness check that afternoon, Det.-Sgt. Brad Corner told reporters during Friday’s update.

Alzubaidy was six months pregnant when she was shot and killed, Corner said.

“The ongoing investigation into the murders has been lengthy and remains an open investigation as we work to determine the specific motives,” he added.

“Based on the evidence we’ve collected, we believe this was a targeted killing and not a robbery.”

Police said three suspects, identified as 22-year-old Illia Ayo, 22-year-old Abdinisar Aden, and Emmanuel Ezbon, 21, have each been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the homicides.

All three suspects were arrested this week and held for bail hearings, where they were remanded into custody, police confirmed.

Corner noted that officers collected hundreds of hours of security footage as part of the investigation.

He also said investigators believe that there are other suspects who are involved in the murders who have not yet been identified.

“The evidence we have gathered at this point leads investigators to believe that there are other people that arranged for these two individuals to be murdered,” he said.

“There is more to the story. But at this point though, considering that we are still investigating this and these individuals are before the courts, I’m unable to provide any specific evidence.”

Continue reading at CP24


Daylight shooting in Hamilton leaves 19-year-old man dead

A 19-year-old man has died in hospital after a shooting in Hamilton Wednesday afternoon.

It happened in the area of King Street West and MacNab Street South at around 1 p.m.

Hamilton police said officers found the male victim suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not identified the victim.

Meanwhile, the suspects were seen fleeing the area in an unknown direction. No descriptions have been released. it is also unclear how many suspects are being sought.

Const. Indy Bharaj told reporters that investigators believe the shooting was targeted.

He said multiple witnesses had been identified and provided statements to the police. Bharaj added that officers had been canvassing the area for video.

Continue reading at CP24


Two men arrested with loaded handguns after bar fight in Winnipeg, at least one was a prohibited firearm

On March 2, 2024, at 12:20 a.m., members of the Winnipeg Police Service responded to a licensed establishment in the 1100 block of Arlington Street for the report of several individuals believed to be in possession of firearms engaged in a dispute.

Patrolling Central District General Patrol quickly arrived and observed two adult male suspects believed to be involved. Both suspects fled on foot as police arrived. Officers arrested one of the suspects after a short foot pursuit; however, the second suspect continued to flee.

With the assistance of the Flight Operations Unit (Air1), who provided visual containment and guidance to ground officers, the second male was located in a residential yard in the 900 block of Pacific Avenue and taken into custody without incident. Officers recovered two firearms within proximity of each of the suspects at the time of their arrests.

  • A Loaded Glock 42 .380 calibre handgun with a loaded magazine
  • A Loaded Glock 22 .40 calibre handgun with a loaded magazine

In addition, officers seized approximately 35 Grams of Cocaine (Estimated Street Value: $3,500), approximately $1,050 in CDN funds, and cellular phones.

The firearms were not discharged during the incident.

A 32-year-old male from Winnipeg is facing the following charges:

- Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition
- Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Weapon
- Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Weapon Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized
- Possession of Firearm, Restricted/Prohibited Weapon or Ammunition Contrary to Prohibition Order
- Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking – Cocaine
- Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000

A 29-year-old male from Winnipeg is facing the following charges:

- Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition
- Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited or Restricted Weapon

Both were detained in custody.

Continue reading at Winnipeg.ca


The Czech parliament toughens gun laws after the worst mass shooting in the country's history

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Parliament’s upper house, the Senate followed the lower house on Wednesday to approve changes in the gun law that tighten requirements for owning a weapon following the worst mass killing in the nation’s history.

The legislation now must be signed by President Petr Pavel before becoming law, which is expected.

On Dec. 22, a lone shooter killed 14 people and wounded dozens before killing himself at a Charles University building in downtown Prague. The assailant was a 24-year-old student who had a proclivity for firearms and a license to own eight guns, including two long guns.

Authorities said he had no criminal record and therefore did not attract the attention of the authorities.

The lower house gave the green light to the new law on Jan 26.

Under the new law, gun owners would have to undergo a medical check every five years, not every 10 years, as they do now.

Businesses would be required to report suspicious purchases of guns and ammunition to the police, while doctors would gain access to databases to find out if their patients are gun owners.

Parliamentary debate on the legislation had already begun before that shooting. Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said it was hard to speculate whether the new rules would have prevented it if they had been in effect before it took place.

In the 81-seat Senate, lawmakers approved the legislation in a 66-1 vote.

Once approved by the president, the law would make it possible for the authorities to seize a weapon from a private owner on a preventive basis.

In the country of 10.9 million people, 314,000 had a gun license at the end of 2022 and owned almost a million weapons of various types.

Continue reading at National Post (Associated Press)


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What is the CCFR Insiders group?

  • A group for those providing recurring donations (via our website or Patreon) of $20.00 CAD/month or more.
  • Insiders get a 90 minute zoom meeting with one or both Tracey Wilson & Rod Giltaca every month (or so).
  • In each meeting, we will have giveaways in the form of CCFR store credits. People who attend the zoom meetings will be entered into the draws.
  • All insiders will be also be entered in exclusive draws from time to time, regardless of whether they make it to our zoom meetings.
  • Insiders are able to ask questions directly, receive news and insights before the general membership, hear about upcoming projects, etc.

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Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights · PO Box 91572, RPO Mer Bleu, Ottawa, ON K1W 0A6, Canada