From: "David M", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 09:07:13 -0500 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Gun law creates 320,000 Canadian outlaws PUBLICATION GLOBE AND MAIL DATE: THU JAN.25,2001 PAGE: A1 (ILLUS) BYLINE: BRIAN LAGHI CLASS: National News EDITION: Metro DATELINE: Ottawa ON _____ Gun law creates 320,000 Canadian outlaws _____ BRIAN LAGHI With a report from Jill Mahoney in Edmonton. Sources: GPC Research OTTAWA At least 320,000 gun owners in Canada are in breach of the country's new firearms law, according to calculations based on a new federal survey on gun ownership. The survey for the Canadian Firearms Registry, obtained by The Globe and Mail, found that there are 2.46 million firearm owners in Canada, a substantial drop from the 3.3 million under previous government estimates. Government officials estimated last night that about two million owners applied for licences prior to the Jan. 1 deadline, leaving a shortfall of about 460,000. But federal officials were quick to point out that the survey also found that about 140,000 owners intend to disable or divest themselves of their guns, reducing the licensing shortfall to about 320,000. "This survey verifies what we've been saying all along," said Farah Mohamed, a spokeswoman for Justice Minister Anne McLellan. "We have a very clear idea of the number of gun owners and a very positive rate of compliance and these numbers indicate a serious flaw in the numbers being put forward by those who are opposed to the gun-licensing system." Some anti-gun-registry groups have suggested that at least half of Canadian gun owners were prepared not to purchase licences. Indeed, the government estimated a figure of 3.3 million firearm owners, a number it culled from the estimates of 10 years of previous studies. Ms. Mohamed said the new figures indicate an 87-per-cent compliance rate for the new law. The National Firearms Association accused the federal government yesterday of fudging its figures on gun ownership. "Where does this end? I don't think they've got a clue how many firearms owners there are in Canada," said Wally Butts, national vice-president of communications. "That's the problem, it's gotten to be virtually a joke because they keep changing their numbers, changing their perspective on it." The government's survey of 6,145 households across the country found that 17 per cent, or an estimated two million Canadian households, own at least one firearm. The 17-per-cent figure represents a decline of almost a third from the previous 24 per cent of firearm-owning households. The study, produced for the government by GPC Research, is estimated to be accurate to within 1.25 per cent, 19 times out of 20, and was conducted between Oct. 18 and Nov. 30 of last year. The survey also found that guns are most popular in Canada's North, where 41 per cent of homes have firearms. It is followed by Atlantic Canada at 28 per cent and Saskatchewan at 25 per cent. The province with the fewest firearm-owning households is Ontario, with 13 per cent. Ontario, however, has the most owners, with 700,000. The survey also found that Alberta, the province that launched a constitutional challenge to the law and that is politically identified as the most vehemently opposed to it, may not have as many gun owners as previously thought. The study found that 17 per cent of Alberta households own guns, a reduction of 11 percentage points from the previous surveys used by the study. "Firearm ownership over the last 10 years is declining, most notably in the urban areas of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta," the survey says. Thirteen per cent of urban homes in the country own firearms, while 30 per cent of rural dwellings have guns. Ms. Mohamed said that, while the government would like to see full compliance, it is pleased with the rate of applications being sent in. The survey found that firearms usage has decreased in the past few years, with most owners now saying they use their guns once a year or less. Ninety-eight per cent of firearm owners were aware of the Jan. 1 deadline to purchase a licence, the survey estimates. It estimates the vast majority of firearms owners -- about 87 per cent -- are male. Fifty-one per cent are between the ages of 35 and 54. The number of firearms owners younger than 35 has dropped by about 40 per cent, and gun owners have a slightly higher than average household income. All firearms must be logged with the registry by 2003. Regional breakdown _____ Percentage of firearm-owning households in Canada, in 2000 Atlantic 28 Quebec 18 Ontario 13 Manitoba 21 Saskatchewan 25 Alberta 17 British Columbia 15 North 41 Canada 17 ------------------------------ Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
