The federal government is in for a “wild ride” after banning 1,500 types of firearms, says a local retailer.
Wes Winkel, owner of Ellwood Epps Sporting Goods in Severn Township, said the ban on military- or “assault-style” guns, announced Friday, is “a horrible piece of legislation — one of the worst (he’s) ever seen.”
“We’re going to fight the legislation and we’re going to hope for a change in government,” said Winkel, who is also president of the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association.
Most of the guns that have been deemed prohibited are used in sport-shooting competitions.
“Some people have been training their whole lives to compete. Now these guns are all banned,” he said.
One of his main concerns is the way the ban was enacted. It was done via an order-in-council, which meant there was no discussion in Parliament.
“The fact that this was pushed through in a state of emergency, without due process — somebody in government has to answer to that,” Winkel said, noting industry experts were not consulted, despite Winkel having made the offer during a meeting with Public Safety Minister Bill Blair’s team earlier this year. “They never called us back. Minister Blair should resign because of it.”
Winkel accused the government of playing politics, taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent mass shooting in Nova Scotia to justify the immediate ban.
“This wouldn’t have stopped (the shooter) and the police know that,” he said, adding the move won’t deter criminals “because criminals do not obey laws.”
The ban will hit the pocketbooks of retailers like Winkel. The guns that are now prohibited make up about 23 per cent of Ellwood Epps’ catalogue, he said, noting it represents about 35 per cent of his sales.
“We lose all those sales going forward,” he said, adding firearms manufacturers will have to get creative. “The industry is just going to come up with other makes and models and they’re going to continue to sell them, but (the government) might just go and ban them, too.”
At the moment, industry officials are organizing a “national, collaborative effort to raise the funds to initiate a court challenge to rule this unconstitutional.”
The government is allowing for a two-year amnesty period for gun owners to comply and has indicated there will be compensation for them. Considering the costs that will come with enforcement of the ban, it’s a financially irresponsible move, especially at a time when deficits are ballooning as a result of the pandemic, Winkel said.
“We’re talking about billions of dollars here,” he said. “Where’s it going to come from?”
Winkel said he understands some people don’t like guns, or the thought of guns, at all, but he believes even they should be concerned about the ban and the way it was enacted.
“There’s a big danger when it comes to bad legislation without due process,” he said.
