Calgary Flooding and Gun Seizures by RCMP (mini-New Orleans/Katrina)

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dak0ta

dak0ta

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The RCMP confiscated people's guns from their homes during the evacuation and promises to return them afterwards. Even the Prime Minister's Office told them to focus on helping people and rather than going after guns. They've lost all credibility in this country. First they tazed a Polish Immigrant at an airport and killed him, then the G20 riots in Toronto, now this. Gestapo-much?

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com...-picked-a-bad-time-to-seize-peoples-firearms/

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...-guns-seized-from-evacuated-high-river-homes/
 
Because of the way the Canadian federal firearm act and regulations are written, LEO's (esp RCMP) seeing unsecured firearms in the course of their other duties is much like them stumbling on a drug grow-op. They feel duty bound to deal with the situation, regardless of the urgency of their specifically assigned tasks.

Until the current firearm laws and regulations are repealed or re-written, this kind of situation will continue to occur in Canada.

More coverage from one of the few pro-firearm news outlets in Canada:

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2013/06/20130628-151342.html
 
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There is a fantastic blog called Listening to Katrina that deals with lessons learned from that disaster and preparation for future natural disasters. The author reommends putting a sign on your door along the lines of "EVERYONE OUT - NO ASSISTANCE REQUIRED." If you fail to place such a sign prominently (and maybe even if you do) the authorities will enter and search your house "for survivors."

This is evidently true in Canada as well as the US.
 
By the comments left on the first article linked it would seem that an unsettling number of people agree with what the RCMP did and think that it was prudent for them to do so. How sad.
 
I wouldn't read too much into the comments, most of the time it's just people spamming and arguing over nothing.

The thing is that we don't have a 2nd Amendment, so I suppose the RCMP could just confiscate them and not return the guns if they make up some excuse like they found the rifle in a closet and was unsafe, hence the owner can't be trusted to have it.

Who knows, but it's a little disconcerting. Alberta is one of the most Conservative provinces in the country, they love guns, hunting, and being cowboys, so this won't go down without a fight. If this happened in one of the more Liberal provinces, I'd think that the RCMP would prevail in their actions. Fortunately, the Prime Minister is Conservative and started out in Alberta, so he's looking out for the gun owners. Afterall, he scrapped our Long Gun Registry last year.

On a side note, Quebec lost the right to use the dead LGR data to make their own registry. If they want one, they need to start from scratch. Thanks goodness.

America, you have a lot to learn from us. LGR do not work, costs a lot. Fight it. The NRA even funded and supported our National Firearms Association to fight the LGR because they knew that if the LGR succeeded in Canada, American politicians would use that as an example to enslave you guys. Fortunately for you Americans, your 'don't tread on me' and 'teaparty' spirit is much stronger and unified (exemplified over the past 6 months), so nobody is going to mess with you, except for maybe a reincarnated Blackwater USA/Xe that comes knocking during the next Katrina, and you have mercenaries confiscating your guns and detaining you...
 
Sounds like folks there are pretty ticked:

That news didn’t sit well with a frustrated crowd who had planned to breach a police checkpoint as the evacuation order from the town of about 13,000, residents stretched into its eighth day.

“I find that absolutely incredible” that they have the right to go into a person’s home and take their “belongings,” said resident Brenda Lackey, after learning Mounties have been securing residents’ guns. “When people find out about this there’s going to be untold hell to pay.”
Click to expand...

About 30 RCMP officers set up a blockade at a checkpoint preventing 50 residents from walking into the town Thursday.

Officers also laid down a spike belt to stop anyone from attempting to drive past the blockade. That action sent the crowd into a rage.

“What’s next? Tear gas?” shouted one resident.

“This is the reason the U.S. has the right to bear arms,” said Charles Timpano, pointing to the group of Mounties.

Officers were ordered to fall back about an hour into the standoff in order to defuse the situation and listen to residents’ concerns.

“We don’t want our town to turn into another New Orleans,” said resident Jeff Langford.
Click to expand...

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...tial-number-of-firearms-from-evacuated-homes/


A woman in the crowd pointed out they can do more to repair their homes if they actually have access to them.

“We can do more there than we can out here,” she said.

When an officer attempted to calm the crowd by saying “imagine if something happens to you [if I let you in],” a member of the crowd shot back: “Are we children? We’re adults!”
Click to expand...

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...scate-some-unsafely-stored-guns-during-flood/
 
I've noticed quite a few more Canadians realize the importance of being able to keep and bear arms within the past couple years. Even my father, an avid hunter and shooter went from seeing them as just a hunting tool to viewing them as a necessity for your government to fear it's people. Unfortunately the Canadian government doesn't fear it's people, they like the fact that the people fear them.
 
So it seems that fighting the good fight north of the border means simply keeping everything locked up and out of sight. it would be interesting to know exactly how many homes were affected. I would bet the actual number was low and the residents happened to be the loudest. Hope they get everything back. Glad I am a proud resident of the USA.
 
Feel free to invade us if our government tries to take over.
 
Disappointing, but not surprising. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of it.

What passes as "unsecured" in this instance?
 
For non-restricted long guns, Federal regulations for safe storage of firearms with the force of the Canadian Criminal code backing them up:

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/storage-entreposage-eng.htm

Attach a secure locking device, such as a trigger lock or cable lock (or remove the bolt) so the firearms cannot be fired; or

Lock the firearms in a cabinet, container or room that is difficult to break into.

\\

Credible speculation I have read on the topic is that some firearm owners would have removed their securely stored firearms from their basement gun safes which were being submerged to a higher level of their multi-story residence. Those same persons would have then complied with the mandatory evacuation order on *very* short notice, locking their residence exterior door behind themselves. That would likely have resulted in some cases of those firearms no longer being stored in compliance with the Federal regulations for safe storage (but kept them from being stored underwater).
 
Sadly here in Canada the Firearms Act of 1995 makes it a crime to own a firearm. The Posession and Acquisition License allows you exemption from prosecution under this law and allows you to purchase so long as you renew the license and pass your DAILY continue eligibility police background check.

There are also laws about how guns are to be stored. Called 'safe storage' under the firearms act. If your firearms were stored in any other way, you are charged criminally and willl lose your license.

That is what the police are alleging has happened here. It kind of makes sense since most people store their firearms in safes or cabinets in the basement and when High River flooded there was less than 1 hour's notice. I bet the firearms got moved to the highest levels of the house to save them and thus were not stored legally.

Also, there is no bill of rights here and there are no propery rights. The crown can take any of your property for any reason they see fit including your land and house and they are under no obligation to compensate you in any way. That's a fact, jack.

The Alberta Emergency Measures act suspends the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (similar to the bill of rights but useless) and the people in zones where an emergency has been declared have no rights whatsoever.

I am a Canadian and I think this country is aweful for all of the above reasons. I'm always amazed at the masses of ignorant happy people here....

Oh well, at least they're open about having no rights unlike our neighbours to the south ;) Lots of blind people there, too.
 
idcurrie said:
Also, there is no bill of rights here and there are no propery rights. The crown can take any of your property for any reason they see fit including your land and house and they are under no obligation to compensate you in any way. That's a fact, jack.

The Alberta Emergency Measures act suspends the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (similar to the bill of rights but useless) and the people in zones where an emergency has been declared have no rights whatsoever.

I am a Canadian and I think this country is aweful for all of the above reasons. I'm always amazed at the masses of ignorant happy people here....

Oh well, at least they're open about having no rights unlike our neighbours to the south ;) Lots of blind people there, too.
Click to expand...
Something tells me that if the RCMP went house to house confiscating hockey tickets to the final game of the Stanley Cup Playoff's because the police were worried that people might drive on icy roads and get hurt......the reaction of the people would be somewhat different.
 
That won't happen, no Canadian team has won since the 90s I believe.

But look at Vancouver, we tore up our city when we lost to Boston in game 7 in 2011.
 
Supposedly people have to show proof of ownership to get them back. How do you prove ownership if you didn't save a receipt, or if they're old/antiques etc?

"The guns will be returned to owners after residents are allowed back in town and they provide proof of ownership, Topham added."
 
It's alleged the firearms were tagged with location of "discovery" when removed for alleged RCMP safekeeping. My speculation is that proof of residence address and valid firearm firearm license is what will be needed to claim their property. However, since *actual* compliance rate for universal mandatory licensing is probably below 50%, expect to see a bunch of residents deprived of their firearms until they jump thru the hoops to get a license. (if they're lucky). I suspect there will be people who will simply not try to reclaim their firearms rather than go thru the licensing dance.
 
Good selling point for a snap safe. You can drag them piece by piece to the highest level of your house.

Gun safe in the basement is a bad idea. It's humid down there for one.
 
I don't believe the primary mfgr of component safes (Zanotti Armor) has any sales presence in Canada. International shipping for such would tend to make them cost prohibitive. I understand that lead time for Zanotti products is many, many months, which would also tend to discourage potential buyers. Unfortunate, since there *is* a market for such in Canada.

http://www.zanottiarmor.com/
 
RCMP has apparently stopped commenting on the High River fiasco.

Hopefully this is because a criminal complaint has been filed against them for their actions.
 
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