FIREARMS FACTS UPDATE

NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA FAILS TO PROVIDE STATISTICAL EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATING A NEED FOR THE LIBERAL GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS

FOR MORE ONEROUS REGULATIONS FOR HANDLOADING AMMUNITION

JULY 8, 2004 - BREITKREUZ'S ACCESS TO INFORMATION REQUEST TO DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES

"For the period from 1995 to present, please provide copies of all reports of accidents in Canada resulting from: (1) The mishandling of explosives during the reloading of ammunition; and (2) The improper storage and transportation of explosives by ammunition reloaders.  Please include all reports of smokeless powder explosions, and all reported problems with the mishandling, storage and transportation of “inexplosive ammunition components”."

AUGUST 12, 2004 - NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA LETTER ADVISING OF 60-DAY EXTENSION

"A preliminary review of the requested documents indicates consultations with other government departments will be required.  Therefore, under Section 9(1)(b) of the Act, an extension of up to 60 days is required.  The due date for our reply is now October 12, 2004.  However, we plan on releasing any documents to you as soon as they are approved for disclosure.

OCTOBER 22, 2004 – 21-PAGE REPLY RECEIVED FROM NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA - File: AD3040-04-040

INCIDENT #1:  FEBRUARY 1997 – LONDON, ONTARIO

FAX TRANSMISSION

DATE:             February 24, 1997

TO:                  John Hendrick

FROM:             Mike McCormack, OPP EDU

John:

As per our earlier conversation…

Two thirteen year old males obtained smokeless powder from the basement of one youths home and fabricated a steel pipe bomb which they detonated, injuring both youths (extent of injuries as yet undetermined),. Father of youth who owned the residence where the device was made, reloads ammunition.  The canister of smokeless powder was attached to the reloading equipment which was on the floor under the workbench in the basement of the residence.  The work area is not secured and the room is used to store everything from canned food to clothes to tools.  The canister  which is attached to reloading equipment is not marked explosives, (manufacturer is DuPont, address is USA.)  Investigators are considering charges against father in regards to storage of powder (total amount probably one pound).  I am looking for suggestions regarding charges and the storage requirements for this type and amount of explosives.

p.s. our copy of the explosives act is dated 1990, if EMR has something more recent we’d appreciate a copy.

Thanks in advance

Mike McCormack

PC 7071 London OPP EDU

INCIDENT #2: SEPTEMBER 1997 -  RENFREW, ONTARIO

MEMORANDUM

DATE:             1997.09.07

TO:                  Leo Saulnier

From:               John Hendrick

Re:             Propellant Incident [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)], Ontario

            Saturday, September 6, 1997, 10:53 A.M.

On Saturday evening, September 6, I received a call from Pete Donahoe, Senior Constable, with the OPP Explosives Disposal Unit in Belleville, (Tel: 613-968-5547, Fax: 613-968-6392).  He was attending the [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)].  According to Donahoe, [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)], was apparently reloading ammunition earlier in the day, when an incident occurred causing approximately 50 pounds of propellant powder at the back of the reloading room to initiate. [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)] had been airlifted to an Ottawa hospital and was in serious condition.  Donahoe did mention during this conversation that he doubted that the possible reloading directly caused the incident.

[SNIP]

By the end of the afternoon, Clay Paupst of the Fire Marshals Office, the Disposal Unit, Detective Sergeant Pat hall, and myself [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)] unanimously agreed that [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)] had not been reloading before or during the incident.  The event began in or around the old powders and articles (ammunition, primers, primed cases) retrieved a few weeks earlier from the [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)].  The actual cause will probably never be known if [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)] does not live, but the possibility of unstable powders being a definite cause or secondary factor is realistic, especially since we know their source.  This is also assuming that the powders found in the storage room are representative of the two boxes in the reloading area.  It is also agreed that given the state of the reloading room in general, any scenario is a possibility.

[Signed by John Hendrick]

c.c.       Dave McCulloch

            Constantine Matusoff

            Ron Vandebeek/Richard Bowes

INCIDENT #3: SEPTEMBER 1997 -  MELBOURNE, ONTARIO

London (ON) Free Press – August 9, 2002

Police found firearms and gunpowder after an explosion destroyed a Melbourne house.  “This very unusual.  We certainly have never had it here before,” Sgt. Richard Holmes said last night.  “There was very large variety of guns.  You name it, he had it.”  The entire back of the red brick house at [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)] was blown off two weeks ago by an explosion.  Police found the guns, gunpowder and several other weapons during a seven-day search and reported the discovery yesterday.  Investigators also found significant quantities of other chemicals in the residence, including hexane, kerosene, gasoline, lighter fluid and butane.  Holmes said the chemicals posed a health risk to investigators.  Police said yesterday they didn’t know why the owner had so many guns.  Last night, a neighbour in the sparsely inhabited wouldn’t comment on the explosion or the discovery of the guns.  A sigh advertising a livestock and pet supply still stood on the front lawn of the residence.  The fire marshal’s office has yet to determine the cause of the explosion and fire.  “But it was a big explosion,” added Holmes.  Facing a number of weapon-related charges is [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)] man who lived in the rural residence with his wife.  Police said the charges include possession of prohibited weapons, unsafe storage of firearms, as well as a number of violations under the Explosives Act.  [Section Blacked-Out s.19(1)] wife, who was inside the one-story house at the time of the fire, was slightly injured.  “She was able to get out.  She was very fortunate,” Holmes said.

PUBLICATION:     The London Free Press

DATE:                        2002-08-10

SECTION:                 News

PAGE:                        A3

ILLUSTRATION:            WEAPONS HAUL:  Det. Const. Dave McLagan holds a .50 calibre, single-shot rifle that has a 2.8-kilometre range.  The rifles, similar in caliber and style to those used by snipers in Afganistan, was one of 127 weapons confiscated from a house in Melbourne by Strathroy-Caradoc police.

SOURCE:  By Marissa Nelson, Free Press Reporter

HEADLINE:  COLLECTOR OWNED GUN CACHE

The gun cache found inside a Melbourne house was owned by a registered gun collector, Strathroy-Caradoc police said yesterday.  The homeowner had 127 guns, including long guns, pistols and revolvers.  The man was registered as a gun collector and had permits for most of the weapons, police said.  He is, however, facing five charges for prohibited weapons, police added.  Police do not suspect any other criminal involvement by the gun owner.  “It was clearly a gun collection,” Strathroy-Caradoc Sgt. Richard Holmes said.  “Most of the guns were stored properly in locked cabinets.”  The back of the house at 7125 Century Dr., west of Mt. Brydges, was blown off by an explosion two weeks ago.  The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire marshal.  The police investigation was drawn out because of ammunition and chemicals found in the home.  The combination of 100 kilograms of gunpowder, chemicals and fire made it a dangerous scene for investigators.  “We had the provincial weapons enforcement team on site to respond to anything that may happen,” Holmes said.  “At first we didn’t know what we had.”  Before investigators could go ahead, they had to get a search warrant, then determine the risks facing investigators, who had to wear bio-hazard suits.  The search was slowed further when the mercury soared during the last two weeks, making it hard to work inside the sealed suits.  The chemicals, including hexane, kerosene, gasoline and butane were all used and obtained legally and were stored properly police said.  “They were all there for the intended purpose,” Holmes said.  Some of the chemicals were pesticides, he added.  Reynold Welke, 46, who lived in the rural house with his wife, is facing five counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, which included martial arts throwing stars and a .50 calibre gun.  He also faces a charge under the “Explosives” Act for having more than the 10 kilogram maximum of gunpowder in his home.  Holmes said Welke loaded his own ammunition, which is why he had the gunpowder.  Welke is scheduled to appear in court again Sept. 10.

END OF STORY