Alberta Position on Gun Confiscations Sets a High Bar for All Provinces

On September 26, Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro set a high bar for other provinces with his response to Marco Mendicino’s request for Alberta to divert RCMP members from crime-fighting duties to garbage collection agents for Ottawa’s failed firearm confiscation plan.

“Alberta’s government will not help the federal government confiscate about 30,000 legally acquired firearms from Albertans,” Shandro said on Twitter.[i]

The Alberta Government’s press release went further: [ii]

“On Aug. 19, the federal minister responsible for the RCMP requested that Alberta provide resources starting this fall to confiscate 30,000 firearms. Alberta is not legally obligated and has informed Ottawa it will not offer assistance.”

“Alberta has been told that the federal government will use the RCMP to confiscate firearms,” Shandro said, “as they did during the 2013 floods – when the RCMP seized over 600 firearms during the notorious High River gun grab. Actions taken today will seek to prevent history from repeating itself. Further options are being explored and all options are on the table.”

“Together with the proposed handgun transfer freeze now before Parliament,” said Alberta Chief Firearms Officer Teri Bryant, “the planned confiscations represent a failed approach to reducing violence in Canadian society and are unwarranted and unacceptable infringements on the property rights and personal freedoms of Albertans.”[iii]

“I am gratified to see today’s announcements as concrete indicators,” Bryant continued, “of the steadfast position of Minister Shandro and the Alberta government as a whole to support law-abiding firearms owners and to oppose Ottawa’s misguided measures by all means available under current legislative frameworks.”

 

Ontario Call to Action

Alberta’s refusal to assist Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government and his efforts to confiscate your legally-possessed property are a relief to Albertans, but they also show what’s possible.

We urge Ontario residents to contact the Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, and politely encourage him to refuse to assist Ottawa’s gun confiscation efforts.

Ontario Provincial Police members are paid with Ontario tax dollars to serve Ontarians, not be Ottawa’s lackeys.

When you write Premier Ford, consider including these points:

• The May 1, 2020 gun ban by Order in Council did nothing to make Ontario safer
• Confiscating firearms from licensed owners has no rational connection to any public safety goals
• There is no evidence or public safety principle to support these actions
• Their proposed confiscations are a disturbing use of billions of tax dollars for zero gain in public safety
• Ottawa had no plan when they announced their virtue-signalling gun ban and they have no plan today to confiscate the private property of Ontarians.
• Do not permit Justin Trudeau’s federal government to offload their misguided polices onto the backs of Ontarians
• Do not permit Ottawa to force Ontarians to pay for its failures
• Join Alberta Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro and Alberta Chief Firearms Officer Teri Bryant and oppose Ottawa’s overreach and, by doing so, support and defend Ontario firearm owners

You can write to Ontario’s Premier here:

Premier Doug Ford
Legislative Building
Queen’s Park
Toronto ON  M7A 1A1

Phone: 416-325-1941

Email: premier@ontario.ca

Website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/premier

 

 

Sources:

[i] https://twitter.com/shandro/status/1574497884875427840

[ii] https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=84669D2642487-C619-35ED-19DCED5B6047955C

[iii] https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/CSSA/PDF/Speaking-Notes-CFO-Bryant-2022-09-26-final.pdf