Miller aims to ban handguns, shut ranges

Miller aims to ban handguns, shut ranges

'I Want A Safe City'

Chris Wattie, National Post, with files from Peter Kuitenbrouwer Published: Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Peter J. Thompson/National Post

TORONTO - Mayor David Miller announced a plan yesterday that would make all handguns illegal in Toronto, effectively shut down gun ranges and make it all but impossible to manufacture, assemble or store firearms within city limits.

But critics, including one Olympic target shooter, labelled the Mayor's program as window dressing, saying it will penalize law-abiding gun owners while doing nothing to curb criminal gun violence.

"This is not going to have any impact whatsoever on gun crimes in the city of Toronto," said Larry Whitmore of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, which boasts a membership of 15,000 across Canada.

The measures are contained in a report prepared by city staff that is to be presented to the executive committee next week. The report, "City-Based Measures to Address Gun Violence," must still be approved by city council, but Mr. Miller wasted no time in signalling his approval of its recommendations.

"I want a safe city," the Mayor told reporters. "The truth is guns are too easily available, and if you talk to some kids in some neighbourhoods, they tell you they want a gun to protect themselves."

Among the recommendations is one calling on council to pass a zoning bylaw to restrict the use of firearms anywhere in the city, including firing ranges and gun clubs.

The report also calls for an end to all recreational shooting on city property, "specifically, shooting ranges at the Don Montgomery Community Recreation Centre (former Mid-Scarborough Community Centre) and Union Station."

Avianna Chao, who will represent Canada at this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, and who is a member of the Union Station club, called the city's proposed ban "crazy and a little scary."

"This whole thing is just extremely disturbing," she said. "They're trying to pass this off as a way to make Toronto safer … but what they're doing has nothing to do with gun violence whatsoever."

Ms. Chao, who will represent Canada in the 10-metre air pistol and 25-metre sport pistol events in Beijing, said she may well return from the Games without a place to train. She called it "ridiculous" to suggest that her small, extremely expensive target pistols could be used by criminals.

"I don't think they'd even know how to use it," she said. "They've got electronic triggers that you have to set up before you fire.… It's crazy to think they'd be used for a crime."

The gun report would exempt city police ranges, provincial or federal government facilities and "establishments operated by the Department of National Defence." The proposed zoning bylaw would be sent to a public meeting in September.

City staff estimated that cancelling the permit for the Scarborough Rifle Club will cost the city $3,155. The CNRA Gun Club at Union Station pays rent of $500.

Mr. Miller has pushed for a national handgun ban and for tighter controls at the U. S. border, and said yesterday he made no apologies about banning sport shooting. He pointed to the shooting death of bystander John O'Keefe on Yonge Street this year by a legally registered handgun.

"After John O'Keefe's tragic killing, I don't think there's any defence for sport shooters any more," he said. "It's a hobby that creates danger to others.… Guns are stolen routinely from so-called legal owners.

"Do we as a society value safety or do we value a hobby that creates danger? And nobody can deny that that hobby directly results in people being shot to death on the streets of Toronto."

But Mr. Whitmore called the proposed measures "absolutely ridiculous."

"The Scarborough club is rifles only: It's not even rated for pistols," he said. "There has never been any safety or criminal concerns with either of these clubs … these are single-shot target pistols and rifles for Pete's sake."

Mr. Whitmore said the Mayor is posturing to look as though he is addressing gun violence, but is doing nothing to stop the real source of illegal guns in Toronto.

"This is about the Mayor's need to be seen doing something about gun violence," he said. "But he's off on a complete tangent.… The vast majority of guns being used by criminals in this city are coming from the United States. They certainly aren't coming from legitimate, law-abiding gun owners."

Mr. Whitmore said the association will almost certainly appeal any city bylaws shutting down legal gun clubs. "We're going to be fighting this all the way. I don't see how they can be allowed to do this."

The report also calls for better monitoring of firearms crimes and their impacts and for more lobbying of the federal government to bring in a Canada-wide handgun ban.

But in the meantime, the city must act, Mr. Miller said. "If we want a truly gun-free city, we can't just ask the federal government to ban the ownership of handguns ... We have to do what's in our power."

Councillor Denzil Min-nan-Wong (Don Valley East) scoffed at the Mayor's handgun plan. "Big deal," he said. "The people that are using the guns are not going into stores and purchasing them. It helps marginally, but in terms of reducing handguns I'm not sure it will do very much."

Toronto police said last year that police have recovered weapons that were stolen from homes where they were improperly secured.

According to published reports, a 9mm Browning handgun that was once legally owned in Canada was involved in five crimes, including the 2003 murder of Toronto youth worker Kempton Howard and a shooting that blinded a TTC bus driver two years ago. It was also used in two attempted murders in Toronto and another in Durham Region.

In one six-week period in the summer of 2005, burglars reportedly made off with 84 firearms from Toronto-area homes, according to a Toronto police survey. It includes 42 pistols stolen from the Cobourg area. In October, 2005, a cache of 17 handguns was stolen from a Toronto lawyer's office.

Meantime, Ontario's Attorney-General plans to appeal to the federal government today for new measures to crack down on the flow of illegal guns across the Canada-U. S. border.