Toby Barrett, MPP Column Available Ahead of Print Publication
Support our hunting, fishing, outdoors heritage
Gun owners and those concerned with the waste of money should be glad to see the end of the long gun registry – an issue that has long frustrated farmers, hunters and recreational shooters.
Ending the registry was part of the federal Conservative platform. It’s expected legislation to that end will be introduced this fall and will be similar to the Private Member’s Bill voted down jointly by the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois last year.
I have been a critic of the long gun registry and Bill C-68 since the Chretien Liberals proposed it in the 1990s. I rode the bus to Ottawa with constituents to march on Parliament Hill to protest the then-pending legislation.
Estimates put the amount of money wasted on tracking farmers and duck hunters at more than $2 billion while doing nothing to address criminals. By definition criminals don’t obey the law, so why would they register their guns?
And while the federal gun registry may soon be history, I remain concerned about the potential for a provincial registry.
In Quebec, there is speculation about the provincial government implementing its own registry. And there has been media speculation that Premier McGuinty might take similar measures.
As Official Opposition we are opposed to any long-gun registry, federal or provincial. Can we trust that Mr. McGuinty will not implement a provincial long gun registry?
By way of contrast, Mr. McGuinty asked the federal government for a handgun ban in 2007. The federal Conservatives denied his request, saying it might do more harm than good. The NDP also support a comprehensive handgun ban.
The other piece of legislation affecting gun owners is Ontario’s Ammunition Regulation Act, of 1994. In 1996, I appeared before the Red Tape Commission arguing to scrap the Ammunition Act – it duplicates federal legislation and is redundant. In addition to support in our riding, I was backed by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Ontario Handgun Association, the National Firearms Association and the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association. Even the province’s Chief Firearms Officer recommended scrapping the bill, with concerns about privacy. Despite the opposition and a petition I helped organize against the legislation, the Ammunition Act remains to this day.
Several years ago, after purchasing a rifle at a Ducks Unlimited fundraiser, I went to a local gun store to pick up shells. The paperwork and list-making required under provincial legislation kept people waiting. The store owner told me his list hadn’t been checked in two years.
Firearms regulations are just one issue facing those who are concerned about our hunting, fishing and outdoors heritage. Last week, I met with the president of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and heard further concerns – including cormorants, about access in the north, the potential spread of Chronic Wasting Disease and the Endangered Species Act. Sadly, many of these issues haven’t been resolved since I was Parliamentary Assistant to MNR 10 years ago.
A new issue the OFAH is concerned about is the red tape facing volunteer-run fish hatcheries. These operations provide nearly half the fish stocked in the province, but in some cases, they have to go through the same environmental approvals as industrial polluters.
It’s time Government supports, not interferes, with our hunting, fishing and outdoors heritage.
Jeff Helsdon
Office of Toby Barrett
519-428-0446
1-800-903-8629
39 Norfolk St. N.
Simcoe, ON
N3Y 3N6
www.tobybarrett.com
Follow Toby on Twitter @ TobyBarrettMPP
Brady petition urges Ontario to say no to gun buyback
UPDATE
QUEEN’S PARK – Local MPP Bobbi Ann Brady presented petitions in the Ontario Legislature today calling on the province to tell the federal government it will not be participating in its gun buyback scheme.
The petition is based on a move by the federal government to have policing agencies execute its gun buyback. The provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, plus the Yukon Territory, have all stated they will not allow provincial resources to be used for the buyback, as they believe it will take police off the streets. Ontario has not stated its intention in this direction.
“This is not just a firearms rights issue, it’s a policing issue,” Brady said. “Are we better having our police officers knocking on the doors of law-abiding gun owners or dealing with domestic violence and illegal firearms?”
Brady has brought forward the question on the subject during question period but has not received an answer.
For more information, contact MPP Bobbi Ann Brady at 519-428-0446 or babrady-co@ola.org Please mention The Silo when contacting.
UPDATE— from office of MPP Brady
Attack on firearms is simply a distraction
I am not a gun owner. I didn’t grow up in a house of hunters. Therefore, as I defend Canada’s legal gun owners, I have no personal interest in protecting them. I do have a great deal of admiration for those who are able to fill their freezers and feed their families.
As of late, there’s been a great deal of chatter over guns – that’s purposeful; most every time the gun debate turns up, it is intentional.
For the past seven years, the federal Liberals have said they would not come after the firearms of farmers and hunters but have now put forward an amendment that would ban almost all semi-automatic shotguns and rifles. Over one million legally purchased hunting rifles and shotguns are at risk of being banned and confiscated.
If you look back on the history of introducing additional gun control, you will quickly note that it’s a time when the government must create a distraction. Right now, Justin Trudeau doesn’t want us focussed on the Emergencies Act inquiry or the election interference from China. Legal, law-abiding gun owners are always an easy target – the low-hanging fruit.
Recently, I asked Ontario’s Solicitor General whether Ontario would abet Justin Trudeau as the PM has asked all provinces to participate in the confiscation, which police would execute. I did not get a straight answer, but to his credit, Michael Kerzner said that sport shooters, hunters, and farmers are not the problem regarding gun crime. The problem primarily lies with organized crime and gangs.
What truly bothers me is that Justin Trudeau is doing this under the guise of public safety, and he wants you to believe he’s doing it all to keep your family safe. Don’t be fooled – his latest idea of having police in Canadian provinces working to confiscate guns from legal gun owners will put you and your family at greater risk and hit you in the pocketbook, too.
Police will be removed from our streets, putting more power in the hands of criminals. There will be fewer police officers to investigate domestic violence, homicides, and the real problem with guns – gangs and smuggling!
Ask yourself why the federal government is lowering the sentences for gangsters and moving in on law-abiding citizens. Canada has some of the strictest gun control, yet gun crime escalates. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.
The answer to dealing with gun crime is to focus on better border enforcement and stricter bail and sentencing conditions. Toronto Mayor John Tory and Toronto Police Chief James Ramer agree with me. Mayor Tory and Chief Ramer are from Canada’s biggest city – a city that sees more gun crime than anywhere else in Canada.
As I told the Ontario Legislature recently, guns on the street are coming underground into our cities from the United States. The Premier has spoken out on this issue, and I applaud him for doing so. Now, the Premier must join the prairie provinces, New Brunswick and Yukon, in telling the Prime Minister that Ontario is not interested in feel-good policy. Saskatchewan has passed legislation to make it cost-prohibitive for the federal government to confiscate firearms in the province.
If governments were to bring forward ideas that would keep our streets safe, I’d be the first to stand in my place and vote in favour. In my 23-year political career, I’ve maintained headlines on the six o’clock news never translated into sound public policy. In this case, it gives the people of Ontario a false sense of security at their enormous expense.
UPDATE FALL 2020
Why Hunting, trapping and fishing will take on new meaning
National Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Heritage Day – Sept. 19 – will take on a new
meaning this fall. For many, there will be a renewed emphasis on wild food in their
diets.
With the suspension of activities, many families have turned to the outdoors for
entertainment and fun. Sales of fishing rods, boats and many outdoor items have
jumped. It reached the point many retailers had a hard time stocking basic rod and
reel combos.
Although there aren’t Ontario statistics yet, many American jurisdictions saw spikes
in spring turkey hunting.
The cause of this return to nature is families having more free time, but it’s also
driven by the need to put food in the freezer for a winter with many unknowns. There
are indications of rising food prices – and even predictions of shortages.
As additional people join the outdoors community, it’s important they are aware of
the vital role conservation organizations play. Now more than ever these
organizations need help with restrictions impacting their traditional fundraising
methods.
The fundraising banquet has long been the mainstay of these organizations. Along
with a great dinner, they feature raffles, silent auctions and live auctions. I and
my staff have been able to attend most.
My constituency in Haldimand and Norfolk have been at the forefront of this movement. After the first
Canadian fundraising dinner in Tillsonburg in 1974, Ducks Unlimited Canada’s first
chapter moved to Port Rowan, where it remains. Over the years, it has raised
hundreds of thousands for conservation. A dinner to support the reintroduction of
the wild turkey was held in Norfolk County, before the establishment of the National
Wild Turkey Federation in Canada, and then the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation.
Although small compared to the GTA, our residents have made the local chapters of
these organizations amongst their top fundraisers.
The pandemic meant the suspension of large gatherings, including the fundraising
banquet. These organizations have turned to other methods, such as online auctions
and raffles, but the impact is still being felt. If you are a conservationist, visit
their social media accounts to support these efforts.
Locally, fish and game clubs have made a difference. Dunnville, Caledonia and Long
Point clubs come to mind. They have also been impacted, with activities and
fundraising suspended due to pandemic measures.
Even government conservation measures have been impacted. For the first time in
decades, spring waterfowl counts didn’t happen. Invasive species control efforts
were delayed or put off to another year.
We are heartened to see the continuation of phragmites control efforts around Long
Point Bay. Unfortunately, the Long Point Ratepayers Association’s Rockin’ the Point
fundraiser didn’t occur. Instead, the group is asking for donations to assist with
paying for this valuable work. Contact them at info@longpointrpa.com for details. Please mention The Silo when contacting.
Part of me believes the pandemic is harkening back to earlier days where living off
the land was a fact of life. In those days, canning the fruits and vegetables of
summer was a part of preparing for winter. The summer’s catch and fall’s harvest of
game and fowl were another element of the food supply.
Perhaps this return to the land and spending more time with family is one positive
that came out of the pandemic. Toby Barrett MPP
In my travels and through media stories, I am hearing
there is a renewed interest in people harvesting their own food.
From more people gardening to a huge increase in sales of fishing rods and reels,
people want to be more self-reliant.
For anglers, live bait is important for success – especially for new or young anglers.
With 1.2 million anglers, and more than 250,000 lakes, it’s no surprise there is
demand for minnows, leeches and worms in Ontario. These anglers generate $1.6
billion in economic activity, and the bait industry alone is worth more than $23
million.
However, moving bait between lakes increases the threat of transferring unwanted
invasive species or disease. The province’s bait management strategy – the latest
update was posted on the Environmental Registry recently – is a balance between
satisfying demand from anglers, the economic impact of bait harvesters and stopping
invasives.
As Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry from
2018-2019, I was tasked with seeking input to help implement a bait management
strategy that is environmentally sustainable while being amenable to bait
harvesters, bait dealers, and sportspeople. I tabled six roundtables with
stakeholders in Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Kingston, London, and Barrie. This
provided a better understanding of the industry and was the basis for the next step
for the recently-released bait management strategy.
A common thread at each roundtable was the previous government’s Strategic Policy
for Bait Management in Ontario. It was universally panned by industry as offering
inadequate, or unworkable “solutions.” And there would also have been impacts for
anglers. One of its suggestions, which harvesters and anglers were against, would
have required anglers to keep their paper receipt for bait while fishing, no matter
where they were fishing in the province.
That being said, I’ll add that anglers do have a responsibility to ensure they don’t
unknowingly transfer disease or invasive species. The Baitfish Primer, available in
both hard copy and a mobile app, is a good resource to help alleviate any confusion
between legal species and invasives.
The largest change with the new strategy will be the establishment of four bait
management zones across the province. This will limit the movement of most bait to
the same bait management zone where it was harvested for both bait harvesters and
anglers.
Individual anglers who wish to use live bait outside of their own bait management
zone will be required to purchase bait from a licensed commercial bait operator in
the zone where they will be fishing. They will also be required to keep a receipt to
show they purchased the bait in where they are fishing when outside of their home
zone. Within their home zone, retaining a receipt is not required.
Coming out of COVID, there will be many aspects to the province’s economic recovery.
For example, the boom in Lake Erie pickerel numbers has made this the best place to
seek this popular species. It not only provides a great local food source, but also
will be a big tourism draw coming out of COVID. The renewed interest in angling will
be one part of the province’s economic recovery.
Toby Barrett MPP Haldimand-Norfolk
UPDATE A renewed proposal for the bait fish industry By MPP Toby Barrett
Anglers, bait harvesters and others involved in Ontario’s live bait business can
provide input into the future of the industry through the online Environmental
Registry until November 14.
Ontario’s bait strategy is a balancing act between reducing the risk of spreading
aquatic invasive species as well as fish diseases, and the health of Ontario’s
fishing and bait industries. Ontario’s fisheries contribute more than $2.2 billion
dollars to the provincial economy and create jobs equal to 41,000-person years
annually. The contribution of the bait industry is also significant, with an
estimated value of $23 million a year.
When I was Parliamentary Assistant to Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, I
conducted well-attended listening sessions across Ontario and received hands on
advice from the industry. We held roundtables in Kenora, Thunder Bay, Sudbury,
London, Barrie, and Kingston. As a backdrop, the last government released a proposal
that was not well received by bait harvesters and anglers. My job was to listen to
those in the industry, to advise on a policy that will increase business certainty
for harvesters and increase protection for the fisheries.
A game changer has been the discovery of viral hemorrhagic [VHS] in
septicemia
the Great Lakes in 2015, and in Lake Simcoe in 2011. As a result, MNRF imposed
restrictions on the movement of bait. One area in particular where it is a problem
is Lake Simcoe. Baitfish from the area is shipped north to supply ice fishing all
winter. As a result, the ministry came up with a compromise to allow minnows to move
north from a few harvesters with the proviso they were tested for VHS first.
Bait harvesters raised a multitude of issues, and recommendations at the meetings.
They discussed, among other items: the need for a bait association to communicate as
an effective block, bycatch of non-bait species particularly in Lake Erie, bait
receipts for wholesalers and retailers, electronic reporting, bait restrictions,
bait management zones, angler education, licenses, promotion of bait shops, and
enforcement.
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters also attended and put forward many
solid recommendations for consideration.
Changes suggested in the draft strategy include:
* Movement of both purchased and personally-harvested baitfish and leeches is
limited to four bait management zones
* Anglers can personally-harvest and move their bait within the zone of their
primary residence without additional documentation
* Anglers who use bait outside of the bait management zone of their primary
residence would be required to purchase their bait in the zone where they are
fishing. They would be required to keep a receipt on hand to show proof of
purchase location. The proof of purchase would remain valid for two weeks. Anglers
who fish and use bait in their home zone do not need a receipt
* The list of eligible baitfish species is reduced to only those 34 species that
anglers and commercial operators typically use and sell
* The use and storage of bait is prohibited in native brook trout lakes
* no changes to the use and harvest of bait in provincial parks
* minor changes will be made to commercial bait licences
Through this process, Ontario continues to take steps to protect the province’s
lakes and rivers from the threat of invasive species and fish diseases while keeping
the baitfish industry open for business.
Toby Barrett is MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk
“Huntin’, fishin’, and lovin’ every day in Haldimand-Norfolk
National Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Heritage Day in Canada — Sept. 21 this year
— is set aside to pay tribute not only to our heritage, but also to honour
conservation groups that ensure there are outdoor opportunities for future
generations.
“Huntin’, fishin’, and lovin’ every day,
That’s the prayer that a country boy prays”
Luke Bryan’s 2015 hit song sums up life for a good portion of the population in
Haldimand and Norfolk. Haldimand-Norfolk boasts countless hotspots for both hunting
and fishing enthusiasts.
Ducks Unlimited held its first Canadian fundraising dinner in Tillsonburg in 1974.
That chapter moved to Port Rowan for its second dinner where it has remained.
Chapter members proudly display their chapter number as “1”. This year’s dinner was
Sept. 20, on Camo Day.
Since that first dinner, many major conservation organizations have launched their
own banquet programs locally. In our riding, I think of Delta Waterfowl, the Ruffed
Grouse Society and Canadian Wild Turkey Federation. I would also proudly point out
that our local organizations are some of the top fundraising chapters in the country
for their respective organizations. Again, this is testament to the area’s
conservation ethic.
Speaking of wild turkey, Norfolk was at the forefront of bringing this bird back to
Ontario. Area resident Dave Reid worked within the Ministry of Natural Resources on
the initiative. Long Point cottagers Dr. Dave Ankney and Joel Hopkins provided the
initial push to get the turkey reintroduction off the ground. Norfolk County was
also one of the first locations for turkey releases and had one of the first hunts.
Bringing wild turkey back was a partnership between several conservation
organizations. Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, and the National Wild
Turkey Federation were instrumental.
Provincial, national and international organizations are not the lone contributors
to the environment. I think of all the work done on the Grand River by the Dunnville
Hunters and Anglers Association. Formed in 1937, this group has a hatchery on their
property to raise walleye and supplement the population in Lake Erie. They also have
trap, rifle and pistol ranges, and host great perch dinners.
Travelling further up the Grand, the Caledonia Hunters and Anglers Association hosts
its fishing derby for young people and a fall walleye derby.
Long Point and Area Fish and Game Club has also made its mark, organizing fish
derbies, pheasant release and providing novices with hunting and fishing adventures.
We tip our hat to all the waterfowl hunting clubs. Where would the marshes of Long
Point and Turkey Point be today if hunt clubs had not purchased the land years ago
and saved it from development?
The work of conservation groups goes well beyond wildlife re-introductions. These
groups have also done a lot for habitat restoration in the wetlands and forests.
If you are an angler or hunter, thank you for the valuable work of proactive
conservation, and the protection and enhancement of our hunting and fishing
heritage.
Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk