- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 12:11:55 -0600 (CST)
From: owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca (Majordomo User)
Subject: Column: Firearms amnesty confusing some
PUBLICATION: Times & Transcript (Moncton)
DATE: 2006.10.31
PAGE: B8
BYLINE: Everett MosherOutdoor life
SECTION: SPORTS
WORD COUNT: 1011
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firearms amnesty confusing some
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
The perception after the first week of the deer season is that the deer
have not yet started to move around much, and are still staying in the
same area as they were prior to the season. Yet as the days grow colder
and the late summer sources of food disappear, the animals will move on
to where their traditional fall foods are more plentiful.
The first buck scrapes are starting to appear, a good indication of how
many bucks there are in a particular area. While some hunters may build
a blind overlooking a buck scrape, it seldom pays off, as the buck will
most often only visit the scrape late at night, or be too busy making
other scrapes and attending to other matters to bother coming back to
that particular scrape.
There are still many questions being asked regarding the recent firearms
amnesty. All hunters should be aware that while hunting, or travelling
too and from their hunting area, they are still required to carry on
their person their firearms licence, and the registration certificate
for their rifle or shotgun.
Those that have allowed their POL or PAL to expire after January 1, 2004
are protected from prosecution by the amnesty while they obtain a new
licence. That amnesty runs out May 17, 2007. Those individuals should be
aware that in order to obtain a new firearms licence they must now fill
out the CAFC 921 form, and not CAFC 979, the renewal form for those with
a still valid licence.
The individual should also be aware that if their expired licence was a
Possession Only Licence (POL), they must now take and pass the federal
Canadian Firearm Safety course if they have not already done so, and
then apply for a Possession And Acquisition Licence (PAL), as this is
the only licence they can now obtain.
To clarify that a bit more, POL's were issued prior to January 1, 2001
to those that were not planning on buying any more firearms, or did not
want to take the Canadian Firearm Safety Course at that time. But the
cutoff date for that was January 1, 2001. After than, no new POL's have
been, or will be issued. Those that have a current POL, and each time
renews their POL before the expiry date can continue to have a POL as
long as they own one or more firearms.
Incidentally, if a person has a POL, yet has never registered even a
single firearm, that individual will be unable to renew their POL, as
the Canadian Firearm Centre (CFC) is of the belief that that individual
has no valid reason to have a POL, since they apparently do not own a
firearm. Another point is that those that apply for a firearms licence
for the first time must pay for that licence. Yet anyone who is renewing
a licence or is reapplying for a licence after having had a previous
licence will be able to obtain that licence without cost. This fee
waiver is in effect until May 17, 2008.
Firearm owners that have allowed their licence to expire have received
in the mail a notification that they must dispose of their firearms
within 30 days. If they wish to continue to own firearms they should
immediately, upon receiving the 30 day notification, call the Canadian
Firearm Centre (CFC) at 1- 800-731-4000 and inform them that they had
received such a letter, yet they still want to continue to own firearms,
and that they have either taken, or are about to take, the first steps
in obtaining a new licence.
At that point the CFC will make a notation on that individuals file of
this, and will allow additional time beyond the 30 day time period given
in the letter. This extension will be sufficient to allow the firearm
owner to obtain a new PAL, part of which will include taking the
Canadian Firearm Safety Course, if not previously taken. If they have
not previously taken this course, the next step is to call the local DNR
office, and enroll in their next course. All should be aware that this
amnesty runs out May 17, 2007.
If the individual has any unanswered questions, they should call the
CFC. Those lads and ladies in the Miramichi CFC offices are very
knowledgeable about all aspects of the firearms act, especially since
they often answer the same questions almost every day. They are the
professionals, and have the latest information.
One other point that needs to be made is concerning the hunter that may
have owned and used firearms for 20 years or more, but now either wants
to, or is required to take and pass the Canadian Firearm Safety course.
Despite using firearms for most of their life, and feeling confident in
their ability, they may feel a bit apprehensive that perhaps, just
perhaps, they are not as knowledgeable as the test would require. To
those I would say not to worry.
Obtain from the DNR the student manual on which the test in based, and
attend the course or if they prefer, they can challenge the test. Safety
is the key factor in the course and test, with all of it just plain
common sense in dealing safely with firearms.
It is well understood that there are some folks out there that, due to
circumstance, cannot read or write at all. Then too, there are others
that can read or write, but have significant difficulties in doing so.
In either case that individual should inform the instructors of this
prior to the start of the course.
In every course everything in the test and in the student manual is
verbally covered while in the classroom. At the end of the course those
with reading or writing difficulties will be given the test verbally if
they so wish.
For those born before January 1, 1963 and wishing to upgrade their POL
to a PAL, there is a process called Alternate Certification. The intent
of this is for those that live in a relatively remote area and would
find it difficult to attend a firearms course. For more information on
this call the Chief Firearms Officer for New Brunswick at 506-453-3775.
- -Everett Mosher is a Sackville-based writer. His column appears on
Tuesdays.
From: owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca (Majordomo User)
Subject: Column: Firearms amnesty confusing some
PUBLICATION: Times & Transcript (Moncton)
DATE: 2006.10.31
PAGE: B8
BYLINE: Everett MosherOutdoor life
SECTION: SPORTS
WORD COUNT: 1011
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Firearms amnesty confusing some
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
The perception after the first week of the deer season is that the deer
have not yet started to move around much, and are still staying in the
same area as they were prior to the season. Yet as the days grow colder
and the late summer sources of food disappear, the animals will move on
to where their traditional fall foods are more plentiful.
The first buck scrapes are starting to appear, a good indication of how
many bucks there are in a particular area. While some hunters may build
a blind overlooking a buck scrape, it seldom pays off, as the buck will
most often only visit the scrape late at night, or be too busy making
other scrapes and attending to other matters to bother coming back to
that particular scrape.
There are still many questions being asked regarding the recent firearms
amnesty. All hunters should be aware that while hunting, or travelling
too and from their hunting area, they are still required to carry on
their person their firearms licence, and the registration certificate
for their rifle or shotgun.
Those that have allowed their POL or PAL to expire after January 1, 2004
are protected from prosecution by the amnesty while they obtain a new
licence. That amnesty runs out May 17, 2007. Those individuals should be
aware that in order to obtain a new firearms licence they must now fill
out the CAFC 921 form, and not CAFC 979, the renewal form for those with
a still valid licence.
The individual should also be aware that if their expired licence was a
Possession Only Licence (POL), they must now take and pass the federal
Canadian Firearm Safety course if they have not already done so, and
then apply for a Possession And Acquisition Licence (PAL), as this is
the only licence they can now obtain.
To clarify that a bit more, POL's were issued prior to January 1, 2001
to those that were not planning on buying any more firearms, or did not
want to take the Canadian Firearm Safety Course at that time. But the
cutoff date for that was January 1, 2001. After than, no new POL's have
been, or will be issued. Those that have a current POL, and each time
renews their POL before the expiry date can continue to have a POL as
long as they own one or more firearms.
Incidentally, if a person has a POL, yet has never registered even a
single firearm, that individual will be unable to renew their POL, as
the Canadian Firearm Centre (CFC) is of the belief that that individual
has no valid reason to have a POL, since they apparently do not own a
firearm. Another point is that those that apply for a firearms licence
for the first time must pay for that licence. Yet anyone who is renewing
a licence or is reapplying for a licence after having had a previous
licence will be able to obtain that licence without cost. This fee
waiver is in effect until May 17, 2008.
Firearm owners that have allowed their licence to expire have received
in the mail a notification that they must dispose of their firearms
within 30 days. If they wish to continue to own firearms they should
immediately, upon receiving the 30 day notification, call the Canadian
Firearm Centre (CFC) at 1- 800-731-4000 and inform them that they had
received such a letter, yet they still want to continue to own firearms,
and that they have either taken, or are about to take, the first steps
in obtaining a new licence.
At that point the CFC will make a notation on that individuals file of
this, and will allow additional time beyond the 30 day time period given
in the letter. This extension will be sufficient to allow the firearm
owner to obtain a new PAL, part of which will include taking the
Canadian Firearm Safety Course, if not previously taken. If they have
not previously taken this course, the next step is to call the local DNR
office, and enroll in their next course. All should be aware that this
amnesty runs out May 17, 2007.
If the individual has any unanswered questions, they should call the
CFC. Those lads and ladies in the Miramichi CFC offices are very
knowledgeable about all aspects of the firearms act, especially since
they often answer the same questions almost every day. They are the
professionals, and have the latest information.
One other point that needs to be made is concerning the hunter that may
have owned and used firearms for 20 years or more, but now either wants
to, or is required to take and pass the Canadian Firearm Safety course.
Despite using firearms for most of their life, and feeling confident in
their ability, they may feel a bit apprehensive that perhaps, just
perhaps, they are not as knowledgeable as the test would require. To
those I would say not to worry.
Obtain from the DNR the student manual on which the test in based, and
attend the course or if they prefer, they can challenge the test. Safety
is the key factor in the course and test, with all of it just plain
common sense in dealing safely with firearms.
It is well understood that there are some folks out there that, due to
circumstance, cannot read or write at all. Then too, there are others
that can read or write, but have significant difficulties in doing so.
In either case that individual should inform the instructors of this
prior to the start of the course.
In every course everything in the test and in the student manual is
verbally covered while in the classroom. At the end of the course those
with reading or writing difficulties will be given the test verbally if
they so wish.
For those born before January 1, 1963 and wishing to upgrade their POL
to a PAL, there is a process called Alternate Certification. The intent
of this is for those that live in a relatively remote area and would
find it difficult to attend a firearms course. For more information on
this call the Chief Firearms Officer for New Brunswick at 506-453-3775.
- -Everett Mosher is a Sackville-based writer. His column appears on
Tuesdays.
