Gun bill changes would have shut down Vernon business

Feb 9, 2023 | 6:00 AM

The owners of a Vernon business are relieved the federal government withdrew proposed changes to gun control regulations.

“Bill C-21 would cause us to lose our entire firearms inventory, even though it only contains rifles and shotguns generally used for hunting and target shooting,” Wandering Bear Outfitters owners Brandon and Rayna Lessard told Vernon Matters.

“Since firearms and related accessories are our main source of income, we would be forced to close our doors.”

Last week, the Liberals withdrew an amendment to their gun bill aimed at enshrining a definition of banned assault-style firearms, citing “legitimate concerns” about the need for more consultation on the measure.

Opposition MPs and some firearms advocates applauded the move, while a prominent gun-control group called it a victory for misinformation about the now-pulled amendment.

Possible firearm involved

One person apprehended in connection with suspicious activity in Coldstream

Dec 13, 2025

Fatal Collision, Highway Closed

One person dead in crash near Revelstoke

Dec 13, 2025

Salaries

Vernon Council to discuss lesser pay increases

Dec 12, 2025

On behalf of the government, Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed received unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment to Bill C-21 at the House of Commons public safety committee last Friday.

Among other technical specifications, the proposed definition included a centre fire semi-automatic rifle or shotgun designed with a detachable magazine that can hold more than five cartridges.

The measure, introduced late last year, would have built on a 2020 regulatory ban of over 1,500 models and variants of what the government considers assault-style firearms, such as the AR-15 and the Ruger Mini-14.

There was debate over exactly what was included in the definition and what was not, because it applied only to some variations of certain models that met the criteria — guns the government considers inappropriate for civilian use.

The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights welcomed withdrawal of the amendment but added there was “still much work to do.”

“The majority of provisions in Bill C-21 have no potential benefits to public safety, and still remain as a deterrent to legal and regulated firearm ownership in Canada,” the group said.

The Lessard’s agree with the assessment and hope any proposed changes to firearm regulations account for long gun ownership for hunting and target shooting.

“We expected, and saw, a lot of frustration from our customers because they also would lose the vast majority of their firearm collections. This includes antiques and sentimental family heirlooms that would have to be confiscated and destroyed,” the owners of the store on Kalamalka Road said.

Wandering Bear Outfitters on Kalamalka Road in Vernon. (Submitted photo)

The gun-control group, PolySeSouvient, which had long pressed for enshrinement of an assault-style firearm definition, said survivors of mass shootings were “shocked” by the withdrawal.

“It is clear that the misinformation propagated by Conservative MPs and the gun lobby has won,” said group spokeswoman Nathalie Provost, who was shot during a gunman’s 1989 rampage in Montreal.

PolySeSouvient accuses firearm-rights advocates of raising fears about a ban on certain gun models even though versions suitable for hunting are currently unrestricted and would remain so under the bill. Military-grade versions of these models are already prohibited, the group says.

(With files from The Canadian Press)

by Kevin Rothwell

View Comments