On March 16, 2024, Rebel News attended the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show, a popular event that caters to Canada’s outdoor enthusiasts. The event, known as one of the largest of its kind in the nation, attracts a diverse array of individuals passionate about outdoor activities.
Attendees flocked to this particular event not only to indulge in their love for outdoor pursuits but also to seek invaluable guidance and insights aimed at enhancing their skills as hunters, sports shooters, fishermen, boaters, and conservationists.
Amidst the event’s vibrancy, there was a notable concern among attendees regarding Canada’s firearms community. Many expressed dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s measures, particularly Bill C-21, which they saw as unfairly restricting their rights.
This sentiment wasn’t new. At last year’s TACCOM event, gun owners had already voiced their discontent with Bill C-21, and this year’s Sportsmen’s Show saw a continuation of these discussions.
We spoke to Tracey Wilson from the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights (CCFR), and she voiced that Bill C-21 is “junk,” adding that the bill “directly targets licensed sport shooters and hunters instead of criminals.”
Tracey continued:
There’s a bunch of other measures in there too: The changes to the existing red flag measures in C-21 actually, put women in jeopardy, it takes a victim of domestic abuse and forces them to go to court to appeal to the judge to take away their abuser’s firearms if they’re a licensed firearms owner.
Whereas right now you can just call the police and they go and do it.
So I don’t know why they would want to put women in that position.
But anyways, this is, this is the way it is with this government.
Heather from Canadian Shooting Sports Association added that, “Well, we’re already hearing from a lot of our members that family members who have passed away and the government’s already come and collected their firearms and there’s been no compensation for these members.”
Another gun expert proudly stated, “The cold hard truth is that most of the crime that we’re seeing with guns is probably coming from illegal gun purchases. Responsible ethical gun owners aren’t out there committing crimes.”
“We’re responsible, we use them well, we’re hunters. Especially for our sport shooters too,” he added.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was also in attendance at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show, he was mainly spotted in the fishing area, and also talking with gun lobby groups and hunters.
Canada’s largest fishing and hunting exposition is back in Toronto!
I encourage everyone to come out and visit the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show to learn more about the many resources and opportunities for hunting, fishing, boating and more in Ontario’s great outdoors. pic.twitter.com/gxnNqRwj1V
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) March 16, 2024
Trudeau’s bans on numerous firearm models have left many feeling targeted and marginalized. As conversations unfolded throughout the event, it became evident that more law-abiding firearm owners were keen to share their views on Trudeau’s gun control initiatives.
“Unfortunately, with where we’re sitting right now, things weren’t very well researched before they were implemented. There was a lot of conversation about not affecting hunters, not affecting sport shooters and they were looking to target crime,” said Jaimie Trudeau-Lalonde from the Canadian Sportswoman Society.
“We’ve proven that that is, in fact, not what any of this has accomplished and it’s to the detriment of those of us that are law abiding gun owners. We’re the ones that are suffering the consequences of this bill,” she added.
Another expert asserted that Bill C-21 is not addressing the gun violence, and gun crime.
“You got a lot of people that are in the bush, armed with their firearms and their hunting deer and, everybody’s very respectful,” he added. “We’re law-abiding citizens here.”
