From owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Mon Nov 6 19:11:18 1995 From: owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca To: owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: BOUNCE cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca: Approval required Content-Length: 7719 Status: RO X-Lines: 208 From: andre sponselee Highlights of Senate hearings Sep. 21, am Mr Troubridge, Excalibur Crossbow Inc: -This brief was provided to the Commons Justice Committee. It was designed tobe factual and honest in order to assist them in making the only logical decision, which is to drop the crossbow from this legislation. Our good faith was not returned. -Under this bill (C68) an individual would need to apply for a special crossbow aquisition certificate, which would involve filling out a form and waiting for a back- ground check to ensure suitibility to aquire a crossbow. In return for a fee they would receive a 5 year certificate. -A FAC would not be acceptable proof of a citizen's suit- ability to aquire a crossbow. -A minor under 18 would not be able to legally aquire a crossbow, although in Ontario, where the vast majority of crossbow hunter reside, hunting licences are issued at age 15. -Although a crossbow appears to be a bow mounted on a rifle stock, this is where the similarity ends...a cross bow is no more dangerous as an offensive weapon than any other type of archery equipment. -The crossbow's wide limbs and long stock make it almost impossible to conceal. As an offensive weapon, the cross- bow is entirely without merit. -Comparison of trajectory, power and hunting stats prove conclusively that comparisons with firearms is absurd. -Attempts to provide information regarding criminal use of crossbows in Canada have continually been thwarted. Crimes with crossbows are so very rare that stats are not kept. -Whenever someone uses a crossbow, the media tend to sen- sationalize the event. -Information is available regarding only three homicides in which crossbows have been used in the history of Canada. -It is our opinion that the crossbow has been included for one reason only, the tragic murder of Patricia Allan, a young lawyer in the federal Justice Department...and was includedby a small number of people in the Justice Depart- ment who have a vendetta against this primitive weapon. ------------------------- Sen. Lewis: How many crossbow owners or users are there in Canada? Mr Troubridge: 100,000 is a guestimate. In Ontario alone there are well over 60,000 bow hunters. Sen. Lewis: You talked about a crossbow and a pistol rossbow. Mr. Troubridge: The pistol crossbow was banned by OIC on 1 Jan. 95 Sen. Lewis: What is the range of the standard one you manu- facture? Mr. Troubridge: For hunting purposes, 30 yards and less is considered ideal. Sen. Ghitter: After reading your material, I said to my- self, there must be something more. I then read what Timmins Bowhunters had to say about the crossbow and con- cluded that you did provide a very balanced position. When you were in the other place what response did you receive there in committee? Mr. Troubridge: It was extremely favourable. The commit- tee seemed confused that they were even dealing with the issue. I was shocked that the issue remained unchanged after I advised them of weaknesses. Sen. Ghitter: Were no amendments proposed by anyone in the house committee relative to your position? Mr Troubridge: I spoke with Warren Allmand afterward. His opinion was that the committee was very sympathetic but that there was pressure to leave the issue as it was. Chairman: I am informed that some amendments were pro- posed but were defeated. Mr Bill Bartlett, researcher, Library of Parliament: One was defeated. Sen. Ghitter: I take it that it came to a vote and that it was not approved. Mr Bartlett: That is correct. Mr. Troubridge: The biggest hurdle I see is that anyone under the age of 18 will not be allowed to use a crossbow. This forces a life-long decision on which type of archery equipment these people will use. Sen. Ghitter: In terms of normal archery without a cross- bow, one can be aged 15 and do it? Mr troubridge: You can do it at age five. Sen. Ghitter: I presume you do not have any stats as to the number of injuries in Canada relitive to that (bows). Mr. Troubridge: No, I do not. Sen. Ghitter: We are being asked to pass legislation to restrict your area of endeavour because, in the history of Canada, there have been three deaths. That is the bot- tom line of this. That is ludricous. Sen. Carstairs: Why is crossbow hunting banned in so many provinces? Mr Troubridge: It has not been banned in any province be- cause it has never been legalized. Old English law tra- ditionally decided against the use of crossbows. As they opened seasons for hunting with a bow, it was normal to hunt with a long bow. Seven provinces allow crossbows for hunting. One major bowhunting organization has an anti-crossbow committee aimed at eliminating these overrated devices as though they will some day ruin all bowhunting. Sen. Carstairs: To be clear, they say it is because the public did not want them. The proposal was not supported by the Yukon public. Mr Troubridge: My contact told me they were lobbied spe- cifically by their bowhunters' organization. Sen. Carstairs: (re: statement by Timmins Bowhunters Inc) They say that this is more like a gun than a bow. Mr Troubridge: The same way a calculator is like a mobile phone. They both have buttons that you push. They have different purposes; they do not react the same. Range and projectile on a crossbow are identical to those on a compound bow. Hunting stats prove they are virtually identical. Sen. Lewis: Timmins Bowhunters Inc memorandum ( March 28, 1987) states: The Timmins Bowhunters Inc. strongly opposes the use of the crossbow in Canada....asks the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police to seriously consider the facts, then make application in the necessary direction to have crossbows, both rifle type and pistol crossbows, placed in the Criminal Code as prohibited weapons. What is the Timmins Bowhunters Inc? Mr Troubridge: They are a small number of people in Tim- mins who have decided that what they do is right and what everyone else does is wrong. It is a perfect example of one of the major human weaknesses. This letter was written by an ex-policeman with a person- al vendetta against the crossbow. Since this was written, the Timmins bowhunters now allow crossbow shooters in their club. Crossbow shooters are on their range. The reason this letter was included is that it was used as one of the major pieces of evidence against crossbows in 1992 when I origionally contacted the Justice Depart- ment after Patricia Allan was murdered. They brought this out and waved it at me. I was asked to refute it paragraph by paragraph. The Ontario government encourage crossbow hunting because it allows handicapped people to bow hunt, older people to comfortably hunt, ladies who cannot draw the high poundage bows required for hunting. Sen. Cools: Mr. Chairma, I am always struck by the fact that so many of the individuals who are in the hunting sports are frequently very gentle people. I would like to thank the witnesses. I think that you are presenting a case for something which, from your point of view you may be losing, but you are doing it with an amazing lack of belligerence. --------------------------------------------------- **************************************************************************** Andre Sponselee, CD, SSM "Ponder the path of thy feet, and Site 485, C19, RR4 Courtenay let all thy ways be established" B.C., Canada, V9N 7J3 Proverbs 4:5 (604) 334-3996 E-mail: hunter@comox.island.net http://www.comox.island.net/~hunter ****************************************************************************