Northern Ontario firearms owners, advocates hope for change this federal election

Voters in northern Ontario say the political parties' stances on firearms are a key federal election issue in the region and hope for change after Monday's vote.

John Kaplanis said many gun owners are frustrated with pervasive gun crime despite the federal government's controversial overhaul of firearms legislation, Bill C-21. 

He said he felt the government's firearms restrictions have been ineffective at reducing gun violence while creating headaches for law-abiding firearms owners. 

"I certainly rank this as a No. 1 voting concern for me," said Kaplanis, executive director with the Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance.

"Canada has a lot of northern communities, a lot of remote communities that rely on a wide variety of different firearm types to procure food to protect their property and their farms and their livestock."

WATCH | Carney promises gun crime crackdown: 

Carney promises gun crime crackdown and investments in RCMP

16 days ago

Duration 3:42

Liberal Leader Mark Carney, speaking from Brampton, Ont., Thursday, announced a slew of gun-control reforms that his government would enact, including speeding up the assault-style firearm buyback program and having the RCMP classify all new firearms before they can enter Canada.

While he was prime minister, Justin Trudeau's cabinet introduced a "freeze" on the sale, purchase and transfer of handguns in 2022 after a spate of violent gun crime and the 2020 mass shooting in Portapique, N.S. 

As proposed changes to Bill C-21 were introduced, hunting rifles and shotguns were swept up into the ban list. In response to criticism, the government said it did not intend to ban firearms primarily used for hunting and would review the list. 

The fallout was a significant loss of the trust of firearms owners, said Kaplanis. 

"A lot of the firearms that were promised that wouldn't be banned in the past 10 years have been banned. So I think it's safe to expect that firearms that we currently own lawfully can be seen in future bans," he said. 

Many gun owners fear electing another Liberal government could result in hunting rifles eventually being banned, said Doug Johnson, president of the Thunder Bay Fish and Game Association, 

"I honestly believe that they're going to come after all firearms eventually, so that'll mean nobody will be able to hunt anymore." 

If that were to happen, northern Ontario's economy and way of life could be impacted, said Johnson. 

"It [would be] a big financial loss to the whole area because there's lots of outfitters that rely on people coming here to hunt bears, and moose and deer. A lot of people rely on that for part of their life, their subsistence too." 

Johnson would like to see the Firearms Act reworked and the classification system re-evaluated to ensure hunting rifles aren't swept up in bans on "assault-style" weapons. 

"If they're going to make decisions on firearms, they need to consult people who are experts in the field."

People who previously legally purchased now-banned firearms feel unfairly targeted, said Russ Desjardine, a sport-shooting enthusiast who's also a member of the Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance.

"They have affected us in a lot of ways that I don't think they realize. In the North, the way of life here and how we go about things are affected on a daily basis," said Desjardine.

He also questioned the federal government's proposed buyback of assault-style firearms, which it says is "expected to happen later in 2025."  

WATCH | Poilievre avoids question about repealing the freeze on handgun sales: 

Poilievre avoids question about repealing the freeze on handgun sales

6 days ago

Duration 1:50

Speaking in Surrey B.C., heading into the last week of the campaign, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre dodged a reporter's question about whether he would repeal the freeze on handgun sales in Canada introduced by the Liberal government — instead saying the problem is illegal handguns crossing into Canada.

"I think if they concentrated money that is proposed for this buyback towards border security, towards increased enforcement, more police officers, more social programs that could maybe deal with the problems that are causing this spike in crime and violence," said Desjardine, "I think that's just money better spent elsewhere."

Intimate partner violence advocate questions gun law's efficacy

Multiple advocacy groups — including PolySeSouvient, the Canadian Federation of University Women, Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada, Women's Shelters Canada and YWCA Canada — have called for increased gun control as a means of reducing intimate partner violence (IPV).

But a northern Ontario advocacy group is questioning firearms legislation's ability to stop IPV, particularly in the north.  

Angie's Angels was founded in memory of Angie Sweeney, who was shot and killed by an ex-partner days after she broke up with him in Sault Ste. Marie in 2023. The 44-year-old gunman, Bobbie Hallaert, had a history of IPV and had previously obtained firearms even though he didn't have an active licence. 

Co-founder Renee Buczel said she's concerned pushing for new gun laws won't be effective in preventing similar cases of IPV, and would rather see efforts focused on bail reform. 

"We've seen tons of different gun policies and buyback policies," said Buczel. "A criminal who has their mind made up is going to find a gun, regardless of what bills or what laws are currently in place."

The majority of violent gun crimes do not involve registered gun owners, according to Statistics Canada.

Women in rural and northern Ontario are particularly vulnerable to IPV, Buczel said.

"They don't have access to the services that bigger cities have or it's a longer response time or maybe things go unnoticed because their neighbors aren't so close." 

At the same time, she said, firearms are embedded in the fabric of northern Ontario life.

"It's part of our heritage, our background. We have more hunting, and wildlife and wilderness here."