(Jefferson Salamander photographed at my property in East Ottawa)
Ok, this cute little guy may not seem that impressive, but I assure you it is one rare find indeed!
According to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM):
The Jefferson Salamander requires intact deciduous forest with undisturbed forest floor and unpolluted breeding ponds. It is likely that habitat loss and degradation, caused by urban development and agriculture, are responsible for the declines in this species in southern Ontario. Today, the Ontario populations are small, isolated pockets each numbering a few hundred individuals. Small populations are always susceptible to local extinction due to chance events such as floods, fire or other catastrophes.
Range: The Jefferson Salamander lives in deciduous forests. Its range extends from New England south to Maryland, and west to Illinois. In Canada, it occurs only in Ontario, where it has been reported from about 30 sites. (In Southwestern Ontario)
This rare specimen is, in fact, the second Jefferson Salamander we have spotted around our property. We actually found another one outside our garage last fall as it was preparing for hibernation. The one I discovered today, whom I’ve decided to call ‘Jeff’ for obvious reasons, was evidently keeping himself warm around the outside of our septic tank.
These special creatures are protected under the Endangered Species Act:
Protection for Jefferson Salamanders is provided by Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 prohibits actions such as killing, capturing, possessing, selling or trading of the species. The Natural Heritage component of the Provincial Policy Statement under Ontario’s Planning Act provides for the protection of significant habitat of endangered species. Most populations in Ontario are on private land and are close to urban areas. Populations in Conservation Areas and Provincial Parks receive protection.
Don’t ask me what this endangered species is doing here in the Ottawa-area (several hundred miles from SW Ontario), but I feel fortunate they’ve chosen my property to hang out in.
Outdoorsguy
P.S. For those who are wondering, the Great Outdoors is not always about hunting & fishing.
Quite interesting.
Reading its habit, it brings to mind the MPs that have cushy jobs and would do anything a politician would do to keep it.
Sorry for the distraction to this post.
=====
Fire these gun registry turncoats
——————————————————————————–
Back when the national gun registry was saved from demise, a turncoat’s dozen of 14 MPs — eight Liberals and six NDPers — turned their back on their constituencies by flip-flopping on their original vote to see the registry scrapped.
We promised, back then, to remind you of who they are. And today we’re doing just that.
The turncoats in the Liberal camp, all who tossed principle into the dumpster over a self-serving fear of being kicked out of their precious seat in caucus, include Anthony Rota (Northern Ontario), Jean-Claude D’Amours (New Brunswick), Larry Bagnell (Yukon), Scott Andrews (Newfoundland), Scott Simms (Newfoundland), Todd Russell (Labrador), Wayne Easter (P. E.I.).
Keith Martin, a former Reform MP who already skewered grassroots conservatism by reincarnating to the Liberals, is wisely not seeking re-election on Vancouver Island. But all the others are.
The majority of the six NDP turncoats, it should be noted, all come from the hunting mecca of Northern Ontario and, if they escape this election unscathed, they must have been campaigning wearing camouflage.
So let’s remind the good folks of the Nickel Belt region that Carol Hughes, Charlie Angus, Claude Gravelle and Glenn Thibeault can no longer be taken at their word after siding with the fiction that law-abiding ranchers, farmers, hunters and long gun owners across this country are a dangerous faction who must be tracked and treated like criminals.
And neither can Malcolm Allen be taken at his word in the southern Ontario town of Welland. Or Peter Stoff er of Nova Scotia, a perennial press gallery darling and therefore even more suspect.
From an outsider’s perspective untainted by the Ottawa bubble, Stoff er’s cry-me-a-river explanation that loss of civility and compromise during the gun debate caused him to turn his back on his voters is both sanctimonious and a little too cute for words.
In truth, he turned tail on his people, and therefore doesn’t deserve re-election. If your constituents’ wishes mean nothing, then you’re not worth their X on a ballot.
What these 13 MPs still standing for reelection want their electorate to do is cast a sympathetic vote for an MP who believes in putting paycheque before principle.
It’s not a winning motto.
Sorry again.
Too tempting.
See your politicians Office (?paid to do what?) and yours as a poor soul (Working your “derrière” off for his leasure time. How he shares his interest with you.
Hey Legrand…you talking politics over my salamander?
You’re gonna ruin the little thing for life!
Outdoorsguy
I wouldn’t have done that Jeff
Now you’ll never be able to put out a deck, a shed in the back, a hot tub or do any renovations like putting in a new driveway, did you not see what the idiot clowns did in the west end because someone might have seen a turtle once in the last hundred years, you’ve provided these clowns with a picture even, good luck ever selling, they own YOU now
Oh, ok..actually I looked more closely at the photo and I now believe this critter to be a Blue Spotted Salamander..yeah, thats it. They’re very common in these parts!
Outdoorsguy
ya ya that’s the ticket
looks almost like a Common Black Spotted Two Lipped One Toothed Tree Jumper to me, very very common
@ Iggy,
I appreciate most species in nature, not just certain types of fish and game that I exploit while fishing and hunting. Other forms of life have value too and should receive some protection if they are in trouble.
If a logging company clearcuts all of your favorite hunting territory, there won’t be much quality hunting there for a long time.
“not just certain types of fish and game that I exploit ”
hahaha your too much, exploit, I don’t exploit them, I eat them man
me be man, me at top of food chain
just so you know, both my deer area and my moose area have been clear cut, I make due, big deal, life goes on and I don’t continualy to whine about it. The moose area was clear cut because a tornado went through it and knocked down thousands of acres so they decided rather than waste the wood, why not build a road and make use of it, so they did but when they left, they pulled the culverts out of the road that stops people from getting across the rivers and thus into our fly in area, best thing that’s happened in our moose area, moose are thick in the cut. I still hunt the bush but a lot of our guys hunt the cut
My point was, as soon as the tree huggers and freaks find out you might have a species they’ve never heard of or seen, they’ll be all over it like flies to s***, these people are almost as bad as the PETA people, and a lot of them ARE the same people
regards
sorry if I sound harsh, I guess I am though when it come to this kind of stuff, I’ll give you another little story about this kind of stuff.
I’ve got a real good friend who owns a cottage in a beautiful bay, on a very well known lake. Every year he finds Indian artifacts on his sandy beach, he picks then up and drops them of kilometers away, he would love to be able to tell the authorities, he would do anything to help discover what he is convinced, is an ancient Indian living area, he’s found pieces of pottery, arrow heads, all kinds of old tools, all kinds of stuff washed up on his beach every year, but he won’t tell anyone else because he’s afraid the same thing will happen to him as the guy that finds a Three Fingered Yellow Tongued Toad on his property, everyone including governments now figure that even though this land has been in his and his family for 80 years, will claim it like it was their own. No thanks, see it, shut up about it. Protect your land and yourself from these people
Iggy, my guess is the implications of discovering a collection of aboriginal artefacts on your property, would be much different than finding a rare species of amphibian…but I do see your point I suppose.
What lake was that again?
Outdoorsguy
The point is, once the pointed heads find out, where aboriginal artifacts or rare amphibians, they seem to think they own the property now and start telling the rightfull owner what they can and can’t do, just talk to the people trying to extend Terry Fox Dr where a turtle was once spotted, or was that a spotted turle was once.
I have seen these before as well as the Eastern Hog nose Snake and I may know where there’s a rookery or two…..Or did I dream about them I can’t recall. 😉
@ Jeff, Iggy’s right on the money here Jeff. I’ve seen it first hand how the powers to be will stand in the way of progress or even access for that matter, with the sighting of endangered species
Hey Jeff AAHHH !! don’t touch it i think it’s a trap !!! i think PETA put it there just to test you LMFAO.
Ha is there not a song for that thing —–it goes like this —– movin on up to the east side . HA HA HA !!!!
@ Iggy,
“hahaha your too much, exploit, I don’t exploit them, I eat them man
me be man, me at top of food chain”
Harvesting fish and game for food is a form of exploitation. Here is a definition for exploitation from the World English Dictionary: “To make the best use of: i.e. to exploit natural resources.”
“did you not see what the idiot clowns did in the west end because someone might have seen a turtle once in the last hundred years”
There are nine species of turtles in Ontario and all of them are in trouble except for the Painted Turtle. Saying that only one turtle has been seen in the South March Highlands in a hundred years is a bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think? At least three species of turtles have been observed there repeatedly, including the endangered Blanding’s Turtle.
Not all forests are the same. The South March Highlands is an old growth forest and is the most unique and biologically diverse forest in the Ottawa area. It has nearly twenty species of flora and fauna that have been designated at risk of extinction and they are protected by both federal and provincial laws. The developers found a way to get around these laws; no doubt they have friends in high places. I’m not saying that we should protect all forests, but we should give consideration to those of special value.
You may not care about turtles because they aren’t game animals, but I enjoy seeing them when I am out fishing. The experience wouldn’t be quite the same if they weren’t around anymore. I believe that for every species we drive to extinction, we humans come closer to extinction ourselves.
“these people are almost as bad as the PETA people, and a lot of them ARE the same people”
Not everyone who loves nature is a member of PETA.
“idiot clowns, tree huggers, freaks, pointed heads”
You have a mean-spirited way of referring to people with different opinions than your own. It reflects more poorly on you than it does on them.
thanks for bringing along the dictionary ********
maybe you should have read the hunting regs instead of reading your dictionary in your mom’s basement
turtles are game animals, some species anyway
old growth forest hahahahaha
what, maybe a hundred years old, maybe 150 years old, I’ve got two in my backyard as old or older.
everytime someone wants to build something new you guys try to trow up as many roadblocks as you can to stop it, let’s talk Lansdown Park to
While we are at it, lets talk about Jack Layton getting caught in a common bawdyhouse, with wet kleenex in the waste basket and the left wingers are fluffing it off. Taliban Jack has a new nickname and it can’t be printed here
I stand by what I said and I hope your mom doesn’t read it, cause she’ll be real mad at me
Ok Ok Jeff, I’ll go back on my pills hehe
@ Iggy,
You have a real talent for insults.
I know there is an open season on snapping turtles, but not commercially and not in provincial parks. Perhaps they should receive full protection like other turtles in Ontario.
I am not opposed to the “Lansdowne Live” project and I don’t support Jack Layton because he is selling the Anglophone community of Quebec (of which he was a part) down the river.
I don’t live with with my mother either.
You should do something about that red rash around your neck.
ummm fishr … it’s illegal to sell game meat in Ontario … so even the ever present deer and snowshoe hare can’t make it to the white styrofoam citiots are used to eating their kill from.
I’ve 70 acres of trees in my back yard, some well past 100 years … does that constitute old growth too ?
Considering the lengths greenies will go to lie cheat and steal their way at the expense of everyone else, I honestly think its rational to disregard much of what they have to say with regards to the presence of endangered animals and artifacts.
When you figure the bulk of them live in cookie cutter homes with tiny lots with no trees, THEY are the problem with the environment, certainly not red necks like me.
Rob, Iggy, fishr:
You know, you guys are more in the same side of the fence here than you even realize..I swear PETA has something to do with this.
Perhaps the old ‘divide and conquer’ strategy is their latest tactic…I know I know, I cant blame everything on them, but I also know you guys are all conservationists and probably should be looking for that ‘common thread’ instead of bickering.
I mean, Osama Bin Laden is dead for Goodness sake, can’t we all just get along…hehe
By the way, a reader sent me an email last night that he too has found these Salamanders on his property here in Ottawa, where he lives near CHEO…so I guess they’re not as rare as I thought; which I now think may be a good thing.
Outdoorsguy
RED RASH ON MY NECK, HAHAHA
My whole body is a red rash when it comes to property rights, my point being, if I own the property, it’s MINE
stay off it, stay out of my business, if you don’t like what I’m doing, or you want to protect something on my property, make me an offer, after all, most things are for sale, if you don’t want to make me an offer, but you still want to tell me what I can and can’t do…..GET LOST
fishr I don’t direct the “get lost” at you, I direct it at all those people that think they have a say in other peoples business.
WOW IGGY you sound like the new school teach (former liberal leader) do you think you really “own your land”
your joking right, I thought you were smarter than that. Been away for a few weeks and i am primed once again so lets get it on (forgot iggy you hate ufc as well …. yup you must have voted for your brother IGGY 2 lmfao )
Hey Chessy, where have you been hiding?
Outdoorsguy
Voted for Harper and he finally got what he deserves, no he will go down in history as a great Prime Minister.
Funny, I was up in Sudbury playing golf with Pink Floyd last summer, you remember him, he was Bob Rea’s Treasurer when he almost bancrupted this province. Anyway I’m golfing with Floyd and I said to him that Harper was our JFK, hahahahaha he almost puked
Chessy, I do own my land, I might not own under it or over it but I own the top of it. It’s a right we were given by England back when you were a young lad
Hey, I know Pink Floyd too..he was a janitor in England back in the 60’s, after whom the greatest rock band in history was named…
You golfed with that guy, Iggy?
Outdoorsguy
Ok, you guys seem pretty up on politics..what will happen to the long-gun registry now that Harps has a majority gov’t?
Please tell me something good..
Outdoorsguy
I used to do a great deal of hunting, and am an avid fisherman, so I’m familiar with the fact that game fish and animals can’t be sold.
If I recall correctly, the city of Ottawa tried to buy the forest in the west end, but the owner was asking for an exhorbitant (extortionary?) price.
What do you guys think about American eels? The population of eels in Ontario has crashed and the province closed down both the recreational and commercial fisheries in 2004. Do you support the closure or not? I don’t think the greens had much to do with it.
My understanding talking to the queen about this at the wedding this weekend is that expropriation (South Africa and Canada) is an action of the state to seize a citizen’s private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen’s rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner’s consent, see Obama wanted to do it to Trump on the weekend as well but they don’t have that law so when we were talking on a conference call about the plan to kill Osama bin laden we decided to do the announcement while the apprentice was on so we could disrupt his show . Harper during the election said he would work on having expropriation taken off our laws but wanted to work on the gun laws first as he said he does not give a rats a$$ how some red neck feels in the Ottawa area as most A$$es will be leaving the area soon enough as the fix is in and the LIEbrals are going down. Run for the hills IGGY or back to the states. PS going to talk to the minster of natural resources and your not ever getting an adult moose tag again
Chessy, I was right in middle of watching the Apprentice too..what an interruption that was!
Outdoorsguy
FISHR any person that does not support a closed season on a animal that is endagered is a moron. i think you will be hard pressed to find one person whether they hunt or fish or breath air will say they dont support this decision .
yes that’s the guy, he went from janitor to Treasurer and back to janitor
Gun registry is as good as history, it won’t happen overnight but with the new government, there will be a throne speach and in it will be the governments plan to disband the gun registry, and they will probably suspend it until it the bill is passed in parlament
Imagine losing Osama bin Ladin, Ignatious and Duceppe all in twenty four hours, and who said there wasn’t a god
Iggy said “Imagine losing Osama bin Ladin, Ignatious and Duceppe all in twenty four hours, and who said there wasn’t a God”
Ah man, that is priceless…especially the last one on that list, Iggy…now my parents and in-laws and all the other good people across the river, dont need to see his stupid puss anymore!
Outdoorsguy
yes it was jeff especially when starr jones was getting spanked by that amazon
it will take him a while to get rid of it due to jobs out east that he will have to replace you just cant get rid of over 600 people by getting rid of the regestry, they will have to come up with some other job for them to do. he will do this because four years from now we will have to do it again . if it takes a year to get rid of the regestry so he can have time to find jobs for the 600 people i am cool with that
Also the gun law will not be voted on till after the ontario election and the conservitives win they dont want to piss the people off in toronto to vote ndp .
While we’re talking politics rather than Jefferson Salamanders consider this…
http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTEyODcw&statusId=MTY5Mjgx&language=en
Follow the above noted link and voice your support for legislative ammendments that will allow for a youth to legally trap. The way the game and fish laws are now it’s illegal. If in doubt consider this: Kids who hunt, trap and fish don’t mug little old ladies…….
Trapper, just so people know what its regarding..this is it:
“Amendment to O. Reg. 667/98 (Trapping) under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act,1997 to enable harvesting of furbearing mammals by qualified youths aged 12 – 15 years of age”
It sounds like a good thing to me..whats the feeling in the fur harvest community?
Outdoorsguy
Sorry Trap, just realized you said all that..
Outdoorsguy
I must say, this thread was quite entertaining! I like hard hitting conversations, but they must be supported by facts, like they are here.
BTW Jeff, I did finally take my Hunter’s Ed Program and the PAL courses and exams. I’m glad to report that I passed all exams with perfect scores (after an embarassing faux-pas and retake of the PAL test). I called many places and it turned out that Wenda Cochran was the only one offering the course within reasonable time before the close of the moose seal draw. Thanks for the referral, Wenda was an excellent instructor.
GPG, you know you can always count on the Outdoors Guy Blog for views/opinions which run the gamut…and plenty of facts too, well sometimes.
Yes, I knew Wenda would fix you up. And now that you’ve let the cat out of the bag, you must tell us what you did wrong?
I’m guessing by what you said, it was during the practical exam? You didn’t point a gun at her husband Peter or anything, did you?
I do know if you waiver outside of the ‘safe zone’ during the exam, you’ll lose marks..but to fail must have been more serious.
Come on man, I promise we wont laugh..afterall, we all make mistakes….
Outdoorsguy
We are all for this and frustrated that something that makes so much sense gets so caught up in political red tape.
My previous comment on the ebr:
I think this is a most excellent idea to get our kids out in the bush, learning
about wild life, learning how to run a business, and most importantly in the
day and age of the 300lb 14 yr old video game addict, getting active!
My kids are young, but would be great to get them out there when the time comes.
Thanks Rob.
jeff.morrison says:
April 28, 2011 at 7:33 am
Hey Legrand…you talking politics over my salamander?
You’re gonna ruin the little thing for life!
Outdoorsguy
Well, by viewing the response on this particular thread, I either guess it was the place, or events came about for whatever reason.
🙂
Yeah LeGrand…politics wins out again..ahh, thats ok its the talk of the town these days anyway.
Outdoorsguy
Interesting. I come back from Keanauk, Montebello from almost a week’s fishing and catching-up on things.
Jeff, I was at Green Lake Chalet. I could see on the way there, that they have the salt blocks all laid-out for your next trip.
“A week at Kenauk” you lucky SOB..cant think of anything more fun than that…catch any trout??
Were you part of the Blast & Cast??
hehe…I have hunted up around Green but that was about 4 years ago, so those arent my salt blocks..I hunt more on the other side of the territory now..
How are things up there looking this spring?
Outdoorsguy
Alright Jeff… here it is:
hahaha… no I didn’t point the gun to her husband Peter… I wouldn’t want to know the consequences!
You’re right it was part of the practical exam. I was doing great up to the part where you are asked to overcome an obstacle while carrying a shotgun. I walked up to the “fence” and I “Prove’d” my firearm and laid it down under the fence and I walked around… right in front of the barrel. That was it, I failed instantly. Ah well, I took the exam a second time and passed.
Of course I’m kidding about Peter, They are both great instructors.
GPG, wow Im surprised that was an automatic fail..especially after just ‘proving’ the firearm..guess you got him on a bad day..hehe
Oh well, you lots a few dollars but it all ended up fine, thats the main thing.
Outdoorsguy
QUOTE: “You’re right it was part of the practical exam. I was doing great up to the part where you are asked to overcome an obstacle while carrying a shotgun. I walked up to the “fence” and I “Prove’d” my firearm and laid it down under the fence and I walked around… right in front of the barrel. That was it, I failed instantly.”
What an absolute Crock of Sh**……I’ve heard of this before as wel.
I think that to fail someone after doing this is a little over zealous on the part of the instructor.
You show me one experienced hunter who crosses an obstacle in this fashion while in the field…….
I’m not surprised that was a fail, if you point the barrel of a gun at yourself or at someone else, it’s a fail
I missed the second prove, he told me to pick up the gun, I did and prove’d it, then he told me to set it down, I did but I didn’t prove it again even though it was two seconds after I’d just prove’d it. I lost a point, but still passed.
I was a little nervous for my son and his buddy, I sat through the course with them, then watch them do the practical exam, and surprisingly they were both perfect
Trapper, you show me one experienced hunter who points a gun barrel at me and I’ll show you one who doesn’t hunt with me anymore
Iggy, lets be clear, I didn`t point at anyone… except me walking in front while it was laying on the floor.
I agree, I think it`s a bit over the top to fail on this error, but I don`t blame the instructor at all. I`m sure she was following the instructor rules, and I can`t disagree.
It did cost me a few bucks to take the exam again, but it was done immediately and I learned a great deal over the weekend. I actually enjoyed it… lol.
Isn’t that what slings are for ? I’m not putting a $1500 rifle in the mud to cross a fence their way
I have NEVER crossed a stream or a fence the way they recommend, but if you want to pass their test you have to
You’re full of shit Ig, Sure you’d bust his or her balls about it but I’m sure you wouldn’t kick them out of camp.
You’re bang on the money Rob.
It just seems like the folks that wrote the course have never actually been hunting … They even advocate using the “safety” on a loaded gun as a safe method of slinging it, rather than simply actioning the gun when you’re ready to shoot … safeties kill people
What better time to reinforce always being aware of where your gun is pointed than during the practical phase of hunter education course? I am sure people will remember failing due to this more than anything else you can emphasize.
Good for the instructor!
Rick,
I’m not suggesting for a second that muzzle control is not an important issue. In fact it’s the most important.
What my point is is that the whole crossing the fence thing during the practical exam is a bit extreme.
Further that some of these instructors are way too over zealous, but that’s a whole other topic.
jeff.morrison says:
May 6, 2011 at 1:41 pm
“A week at Kenauk” you lucky SOB..cant think of anything more fun than that…catch any trout??
Were you part of the Blast & Cast??
hehe…I have hunted up around Green but that was about 4 years ago, so those arent my salt blocks..I hunt more on the other side of the territory now..
How are things up there looking this spring?
Outdoorsguy
====
Fishing was difficult, lakes had just un-frozen. Water temperature on surface and next few feet was about 43° F,deeper was much colder. Not part of Cast & Blast. Yeah caught about 10 (catch & release except for 3 rainbows, that I forgot in the fridge’s freezer when I left. Fish where jumping beside us, but we could not match the hatch to their liking. Real windy, so hard to manipulate the float-tube. I caught all of mine working the shore between the dead-drif over-hanging trees. Lost quite a number of flies.
LG, I never realized you were such an avid fly-fisherman?? I guess the warm weather this week will heat up the surfface temp..
I fished Green only once..and like you, the rainbows were jumping all over the place..and they would nibble so lightly, I had to switch to #10 size hooks..cant say I’m a huge fan of lake dwelling rainbows..I much prefer brookies!
Outdoorsguy
Just wondering since you fly-fish LeGrand, do you smoke a pipe too..hehe, sorry couldnt resist.
That’s a good point. Why place your firearm in a situation where dirt and water could make it’s way into the bore causing a much more serious safety issue than crossing the obstacle with a secure grip or sling after having just proven it empty. That’s a question for the course developer and not the instructor.
What was most interesting during the course was the graph that showed the percentages in deaths caused by firearns. 80% were caused by suicide whith the remainder split between accidents and murder. I thought to myself “Why are we taking a safety course then, and not a mental assessment?”
GPG, that is really interesting they would point out that statistic..just goes to show eh..and yes, perhaps they should include some sort of test for Clinical Depression.
Oh course, I’ve never seen too many guys out hunting who were depressed..hehe
Outdoorsguy
and he wears Birkenstocks with knee high socks and short pants hehe
“The Large” does it all, and has all the equipment to be able to do it all.
I should borrow some for my trip to Algonquin Park coming up
Ah man, that reminds me of these two fellows we often see during the spring on way thru our Temiscaming-area fishing spot..they’re always dressed to the nine’s and straight from downtown Toronto..we call them “Bloor & Young”
Outdoorsguy
Iggy said “The Large” does it all, and has all the equipment to be able to do it all.”
Ok Iggs, I’m not even going to ask how you know all that…
Outdoorsgiy
I finally got an “answer” from the RCMP with regards to how the registry helps police despite the inherent flaws (lax registration laws, borrowing firearms without notifying the rcmp, stealing guns, smuggling guns), and it amounts to “I Don’t Know”
from [email protected]
date Mon, May 9, 2011 at 2:40 PM
subject Re: RCMP Web Comment – Canadian Firearms Program
mailed-by rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Mr. St Denis:
Thank you for your follow up questions, and your comments in support of firearms licensing. While licensing and registration work together to enhance public safety, there is no question that screening and continuous eligibility associated with the licensing processes are absolutely key.
In responding to public safety calls, police officers generally try to obtain as much information as they can about the situation, so they can assess the risks prior to deciding on how to approach it. The Canadian Firearms Program (CFP), however, is not in a position to comment on the approaches taken by the local police services and how they use the information provided.
The CFP can, however, provide you with factual information regarding the program. Various reports, such as the 2009 Commissioner of Firearms Report and the Canadian Firearms Program Evaluation report can be found on the RCMP CFP website at http://www.rcmp.gc.ca/cfp.
Certain firearms statistics, which may be of interest to you, are also available on the Statistics Canada website at http://www.statscan.gc.ca.
I did a quick search on the Statscan site on “firearms”. I found this document that supports the graph I was talking about: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/050628/dq050628a-eng.htm
“In each year during this period, about four-fifths of firearms-related deaths were suicides. Homicides accounted for around 15% of such deaths, and about 4% were unintentional.”
Also: “A report based on police records indicates that handguns accounted for two-thirds of homicides involving firearms in 2002, up from about one-half during the 1990s. Rifles and shotguns accounted for one-quarter of all homicides involving firearms.”
It just further proves that the attention and regulations regarding longuns (such as the registry) borders on discrimination.
Don’t get my comments wrong though, I agree and support the Firearms Safety Course and the Hunter’s Education Program. I learned a great deal and enjoyed the experience.
gpg: Have to say this is rather telling from your link:
“Canada’s rate of homicide involving firearms declined since 1979, mirroring a decrease in the overall homicide rate. However, the proportion of homicides in which a firearm was used remained fairly stable over the entire period at just under one-third.”
what they are saying is that the overall homicide rate is decreasing, and of that, people still use firearms as much (1/3 of all murders) … so basically people are less willing to murder now, but if they want to, the gun is still a good option … registry/licencing or not.
Chessy told me 🙂
WHAT >????