Top gun control cop supports coroner’s recommendations

DWANE WILKIN
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — Nunavut’s top federal gun cop says he supports the idea of tighter restrictions on the possession of firearms by violent offenders.

Along with mandatory gun safety training, which is one of many measures contained in new federal firearms regulations, communities should have the means to limit violent offenders’ access to weapons, Ron Lamabe says.

That’s why the chief firearms officer for the territory favours the idea of setting up firearms depots in Nunavut communities. Such a system, he says, would reduce the risk of gun violence without depriving traditional hunters convicted of violent offcences from earning a livelihood.

“This means that this person has a licence to hunt, but cannot store any of his guns at his house, and can only have access to guns when he’s hunting,” said Lamabe, who has the authority under Canada’s new firearms legislation to issue restricted licences.

“Or it might be that he cannot possess any guns, but he can borrow guns to go hunting.”

In his report last month on a 1998 triple murder-suicide in Kuglugtuk, the NWT’s chief coroner, Percy Kinney, called for a system of restricted gun access in each community that would enable violent offenders to hunt, but prohibit them from keeping weapons at home.

That makes a lot of sense to Lamabe, in charge of implementing and overseeing compliance with the new gun control law in Nunavut.

“I know that Nunavut is looking at a new way of policing. It might be something that would work well in a partnership with the police force,” Lamabe said.

Everyone will need a licence

The Firearms Act and its regulations are being phased in between December 1, 1998 and January 1, 2003. Among the changes created by the new law, every firearms owner and user, including businesses, will need a firearms licence.

“It’s a lot different in that everyone’s going to need a licence,” Lamabe said.

The national gun registry, which will require all guns to be registered in a central data bank, is to be phased in by 2003.

The number of hunting rifles and shotguns in Nunavut is unknown.

“When it comes to non-restricted long guns, we have no idea how many are there.”

The chief firearms officer said he intends to discuss community storage and other aspects of the new gun law when he visits Iqaluit next month to meed with Justice Department officials.

And there is plenty to discuss. The Alberta government is currently leading a Supreme Court challenge joined by the NWT and several provinces that have refused to take part in the gun registry.

They argue that it is unconstitutional for Parliament to regulate ordinary firearms for all purposes because of the potential misuse of such guns by a few.

That means implementation of the new regulations will be up to Ottawa and the RCMP.

New restrictions

And Lamabe, who lived and worked in a number of Nunavut communities as an RCMP member, said his first priority as chief firearms officer will be to see that all hunters understand the new restrictions.

“To get people to comply I think what we have to do is educate them as to what the new law is. First of all, I don’t think we can go and demand anybody to comply. But what we can do is give them the information so that they can make a decision from a position of knowledge. And what I mean by that is if they’re not going to comply, they know what the consequences are.”

As the new gun regulations are phased in, hunters in Nunavut can expect many changes.

For starters, under Canada’s Firearms Act, which came into force last December, there are now two classes of gun licence — one for acquiring a gun and one for possessing it. Licenses are fee-based and must be renewed every five years.

The possession and acquisition licence (PAL) is for all new gun owners.

The possession only licence (POL) is for those who already own a firearm or firearms and who don’t plan on adding any more guns to their collection.

Before the new law, only new gun owners needed to be certified, and they could lend their guns to anyone, freely.

“Now under the new system I’m going to need a possession license to borrow your gun.”

In the case of Inuit and other aboriginals, the possession-only license may be obtained by persons who don’t own any firearms themselves, but who occasionally borrow them.

All new license holders will also be required to take a gun safety course.

“That is going to have a major impact on Nunavut and for all intents and purposes the NWT,” Lamabe said.

Mandatory gun safety courses have already been in place in southern Canadian jurisdictions for five years. To prepare for the new regulation, a gun safety instructors’ course was recently given in Igloolik.

“My ideal set up would be to have a local firearms officer in every community who could do alternate certification as well as be able to teach the safety course in the schools once a year.”

Firearms possession licensing fees, which are $10 until Nov. 30 this year, jump to $45 on Dec 1 1999, then to $60 at the end of August, 2000.

One-time registration fees start at a flat fee of $10 for all firearms registered at the same time and will reach a maximum $ 18 by Sept. 1, 2000.

Registration is valid for as long as you remain owner of the firearm. Firearm purchases are subject to a $25 transfer fee.