I lean centre-left. But as a gun owner, I feel my only choice is the Conservatives
Despite the Trudeau-era laws, gun violence is on the rise in Canada
This First Person article is the experience of Patrick Osborne, who lives in Metro Vancouver. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
Firearms have been a big part of my life, even though I didn't grow up around them.
When I was 12, I got the chance to shoot a small-bore rifle for the first time in the Air Cadet program. Target shooting demands focus, discipline and consistency. That challenge had me hooked from the start.
In between my time as a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces, I worked in the firearms industry doing everything from retail and distribution to importation and manufacturing for 10 years. I also worked at a popular rental range as an instructor, teaching novice shooters how to use guns safely under close supervision.
I met my wife, Tara, there.
Tara was on stress leave from her job as a 911 emergency operator after taking several firearm-related calls that ended badly. Part of her return-to-work program involved exposure therapy, so she was at the gun range where I worked to face the sound of gunfire.
When I first saw her, I could see that she was stressed, flinching at the muffled shots coming from the firing line. After asking if she needed anything, I suggested that she return during quieter hours, and I'd help her try shooting some of our smaller guns.
Tara took up the challenge. After her first shot, she sat down in tears. She said she was overwhelmed by the sound of the gunshot. But after a few minutes, Tara got back up, dried her eyes and asked to go again. Eventually, not only did she overcome her trauma, but she also turned it into a hobby.
She was the strongest person I've known. We got married in 2020, she got her gun licence and we started going to shooting matches together. For Christmas one year, I even surprised her with her own competition pistol.
Sadly, I lost Tara to cancer in 2022.
Anyone who has lost someone close can attest to how all-consuming grief can be. It wasn't until I started to work through Tara's estate business that I realized an important detail: The Liberal government's freeze on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns was about to come into effect and I was at risk of losing her pistol if I didn't act quickly.
There are no exceptions in the incoming handgun freeze. If I waited too long, I could face legal consequences.
I was just barely able to get the transfer started in time, making me one of the lucky ones. The legislation makes no concessions for Canadians who want to pass on their possessions to family members. If Tara had died a month later, I would have had to surrender or deactivate her pistol.
That wasn't a viable option for me. Deactivation is an expensive, time-consuming process, especially if you want it in a way that doesn't destroy the esthetic of the gun. I didn't have the time to get it done before the deadline. Plus, I knew how much the pistol meant to Tara. I wanted to continue using the pistol in her memory.
The federal Liberals introduced several gun control measures during their recent 10-year tenure. In addition to the national handgun freeze in 2022, they also banned thousands of "assault-style weapons," in 2020, along with introducing a plan to buy back what they allege are dangerous guns from the hands of Canadians — just not until 2026. We were confidently told this would improve public safety.
I support having a licensing system, and I believe that firearms should be regulated. I condemn gun violence and I'm deeply saddened and horrified by school shootings. But I want those regulations to be grounded in evidence — not politics or emotions.
Two years later, these policies have not had the desired effect. Gun violence continues to remain a problem, largely a result of organized crime, a porous border and relaxed bail conditions. Canadian law enforcement agencies have been saying for years: the vast majority of recovered crime guns are handguns smuggled from the U.S..
The government was told by stakeholders and experts at public safety committee meetings that law-abiding Canadian gun owners aren't the problem, and that's because Canada already has some strict measures in place.
To become a gun owner, Canadians have to take a mandatory, RCMP-approved safety course, pass a written exam and a handling test, apply for a paid licence and clear criminal record checks. Even once licensed, Canadian gun owners are subjected to continuous eligibility screening.
The fact that criminals are smuggling guns across the border is a clue that these laws introduced by former prime minister Justin Trudeau are ineffective. Criminals don't care that there's a handgun freeze because they weren't getting their guns from the gun store in the first place.
Trudeau's gun control policies have only affected licensed Canadians like myself. Only shooting sports recognized by the Olympic or Paralympic program were given an exemption to purchase handguns. I compete in the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), which holds local, national and international matches using handguns and semi-automatic rifles. Bill C-21 makes no exception for organizations like IPSC. I can use the handguns I previously owned to compete, but new users can't purchase either firearm. That will eventually spell the end of competitive shooting in Canada. Other unique sports, such as cowboy action shooting, are also facing the same fate.
Trudeau should have been looking outward, not inward. Why isn't our government holding U.S. President Donald Trump accountable for American guns coming here?
In this upcoming election, I'm closely examining each party's position on firearms policy. What I've seen so far isn't promising.
Only the Conservative party is pledging to undo the Liberals' confiscation and buyback scheme.
I sit centre-left on most issues, and there is a lot in the Conservatives' agenda that I disagree with (for starters, I'm put off by their obsession with "wokeness" and their desire to defund the CBC). Liberal Leader Mark Carney has come out in support of Trudeau's ill-advised firearms confiscation and buyback scheme, which is estimated to cost several billions of dollars. Gun control advocate Nathalie Provost also joined Carney's Liberals as a candidate. The NDP and Bloc Québécois have previously supported the Liberals in their gun legislation. This does not bode well for Canadian gun owners.
Frankly, I'm fed up with being the scapegoat for something I didn't do. Unless the other parties change their mind on firearms policy, they aren't giving me much reason to vote for them.
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