A question from one of your Southern neighbors

My understanding is that licenses issued under wilderness carry, be it trapping, hunting guides,linesmen etc. have to open carry. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I have had many permits to carry in the bush, often for prospecting. The last one I had was something to the effect of, "any wilderness area in BC." The ones issued for prospecting were always for protection, but protection against animals.
A long record of permits is an obvious advantage, and I was issued the first bush carrying permit in 1953.
For the last ones I had it was just a case of asking for one.
There was never anything about open carry on the ones I had. Actually, nothing whatsoever, about carrying them.
 
"...rights of private property..." We have no right to own property. It was specifically left out of Trudeau's constitution.
"...are thousands of Canadians who have..." No there aren't. A few hundred at most.
"...the chatering class..." The what? There's no mention of General MacKenzie being appointed to the Senate.
"...when they hear about our gun rules..." Some U.S. State laws are worse than ours. California, for example.
 
ian_in_vic, doesn't Canada have anything like the "Freedom of Information Act" in the USA? If not, bully your parliament into enacting a similar law. Regards, Richard:)

My understanding is that 2 different arguments are used regarding what we call "Access to Information Act" inquiries, the first is that there is no single source of the information, this means you would have to ask for exactly the right information from each province, using the exact terminology used by that Province for the correct file. The second argument is that the "Privacy Act" trumps the "Access to Information Act", so no individually identifiable information could be released. The determining factors with regard to what constitutes 'individually identifiable' information rest with the authorities who have said information. Basically, they can manipulate their answer until what you get is a plain piece of paper with "F*ck Off" written on it. As far as 'Rights' in Canada go, I'd settle for the right to own the things I've legally bought and paid for, maybe one day.
 
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I believe that the only US states that have gun laws as strict as Canada are New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland and New York. Only a handful of states do not have some system for issuing CCW permits, although there are several (California and NY for example) where you might have to spend years jumping through legal hoops to get one.

Even in the "bad" states getting a license to buy/own (as opposed to carry concealed) a handgun is not that difficult and usually allows you to transport it anywhere you can legally possess it including to ranges, shooting matches or carry it while hiking, camping, etc. - as long as it's not concealed.

Our federal law says you can legally transport firearms (including handguns) unloaded and not readily accessible in your auto through any state as long you are legally allowed to possess it in the state you came from and the state where you are going. Although common sense dictates that you avoid traveling through certain states (NJ for example) anyhow.

My state of North Carolina has a 'shall issue' permit system that says if you have a clean record and take a training course that your local sheriff MUST issue you a CCW permit. And with the reciprocity agreements we have, my NC concealed carry permit is valid in 23 other states. If I plan my trip correctly I can travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Canadian to the Mexican borders and carry legally the whole time.

We have had this system for 12 years now and as of April 2008, of the 117,000+ permits that have been issued in NC only 712, or 0.0006%, have been revoked.

Do you think any of your MPs want to hear that? :stirthepot2:
 
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I believe that the only US states that have gun laws as strict as Canada are New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maryland and New York. Only a handful of states do not have some system for issuing CCW permits, although there are several (California and NY for example) where you might have to spend years jumping through legal hoops to get one.

Even in the "bad" states getting a license to buy/own (as opposed to carry concealed) a handgun is not that difficult and usually allows you to transport it anywhere you can legally possess it including to ranges, shooting matches or carry it while hiking, camping, etc. - as long as it's not concealed.

Our federal law says you can legally transport a firearms (including handguns) unloaded and not readily accessible in your auto through any state as long you are legally allowed to possess it in the state you came from and the state where you are going. Although common sense dictates that you avoid traveling through certain states (NJ for example) anyhow.

My state of North Carolina has a 'shall issue' permit system that says if you have a clean record and take a training course that your local sheriff MUST issue you a CCW permit. And with the reciprocity agreements we have, my NC concealed carry permit is valid in 23 other states. If I plan my trip correctly I can travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Canadian to the Mexican borders and carry legally the whole time.

We have had this system for 12 years now and as of April 2008, of the 117,000+ permits that have been issued in NC only 712, or 0.0006%, have been revoked.

Do you think any of your MPs want to hear that? :stirthepot2:

A Canadian gun owners wet dream :dancingbanana:
 
My understanding is that 2 different arguments are used regarding what we call "Access to Information Act" inquiries, the first is that there is no single source of the information, this means you would have to ask for exactly the right information from each province, using the exact terminology used by that Province for the correct file. The second argument is that the "Privacy Act" trumps the "Access to Information Act", so no individually identifiable information could be released. The determining factors with regard to what constitutes 'individually identifiable' information rest with the authorities who have said information. Basically, they can manipulate their answer until what you get is a plain piece of paper with "F*ck Off" written on it. As far as 'Rights' in Canada go, I'd settle for the right to own the things I've legally bought and paid for, maybe one day.

It turns out this is not true. They must have a legitimate reason to deny the information, or it goes to an arbitrator. You just have to be careful you're not asking for private information.
 
It should be (theoretically) quite simple to FOI your way to getting ATC numbers for each province. There'd be no personal identifiers...one would have to separate out Brinks/G4S and wilderness permits.
 
My understanding is that licenses issued under wilderness carry, be it trapping, hunting guides,linesmen etc. have to open carry. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct in this. At least, my ATC says open carry only. Can't be bothered to go look at the old ones.
 
Are you joking?
There is a bit more to life than just being able to carry a concealed handgun!
Yeah.

Like lower taxes - low enough that the difference in buying extended health insurance is more than covered by the savings and gives you immediate health care, not a long waiting list. (Call me bitter, but having my mother wait EIGHT MONTHS just to talk to an oncologist on the phone, never mind start treatment, does have that affect on you).

Tax deductable mortgages are nice.

Not having the government intruding into every aspect of your life is nice.

Anyplace you might want to live will have its warts as well as its good points. But I'd prefer full time residency in Montana with my wife than living in Canada any day - and we've been able to compare the relative pluses and minuses for three years now. For now, it's residency in Canada with a visa that permits me to make that move whenever the circumstances are right.

Now if you want to compare Canada to New Jersey, Massachusetts, etc, then I might feel very, very differently...
 
one would have to separate out Brinks/G4S and wilderness permits.

Why look at wilderness or occupational ATC differently? The guiding principle is that Canadians should have the means to protect their lives and those around them. Whether they're working or living or in a place that someone else considers dangerous or not... that's irrelevant.

Police, armed guards, judges, and wilderness carriers all carry for the same reason... not to protect money or property but to protect their lives and the lives of others. Believing that dangerous employment is special justification for carrying sets up a tiered system and it's far too subjective and slippery to be fair. Does a home in the downtown eastside justify a personal ATC more than a home on the north shore?

If carry numbers are made public and Canadians understand that there are already <X> Canadians walking around, on the job or off, with the right to carry today... and that we're better off for it... then let's simply talk about streamlining the system to safely allow more Canadians to step up to the same rights and responsibilities. If it's happening already but only in a privileged few jobs and personal lives then we need to get it out in the open.

Federal laws may or may not need to be changed and the proof is that an elite few are already carrying in their personal lives when not at work. CFOs need to prepare themselves for all reasonable incoming requests and be prepared to fulfill them in a manner that's fair to all Canadians. Otherwise, what's the principle at work?
 
Send a posting to us in about August, (or June, or July or September,) and let us know how you like it.
My wife has been living full time in the US for the last six years; I've been commuting back and forth between BC and Montana for four of those years, and spending almost as much time in Montana as BC during that time.

I love it. Why would anyone assume that another x number of months would change my mind?

Maybe the better question is to ask you how long you lived in the US and where, and why you're so sure everyone would find it inferior?
 
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