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Push is on to ban sale of air rifles

Weapons being used ot injure, kill birds

Karen Seidman
The Gazette
Sunday, August 10, 2008

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The people who work at Le Nichoir are on a crusade to get air rifles banned at point of sale and are also calling for the stricter enforcement of bylaws against such weapons.
After a badly injured crow was found in Beaconsfield last week, an X-ray was taken and Le Nichoir biologist Lynn Miller said a very “sad” discovery was made: the bird had been injured by an air rifle and the slug could be seen on the film.
The bird, unfortunately, couldn’t be saved and had to be euthanized.
“We see it almost every year and there must be lots more that we don’t see,” said Miller, who helps injured birds at the wild bird rehabilitation centre in Hudson. “These are kids who deliberately take aim at birds. These guns have no role at all in an urban area.”
What’s even more exasperating, she said, is that parents who are approached about their kids using air rifles always deny it, the stores who sell it say they aren’t the ones who fire them and Miller believes no one is willing to take responsibility for safe use of air rifles. Therefore, she believes, they should be banned.
“If you feel that air rifles have no place in your municipalities, please approach your mayor and voice your concern,” said Miller, adding that those municipalities that do have bylaws banning air rifles should try harder to enforce them.
“Air rifles are implicated in the injury and maiming of children all over Canada each year. Air rifles injure, maim and kill wildlife across Canada each year. These guns are not a toy and there are few legal requirements covering their ownership and use.”

“In fact, such weapons should be banned at point of sale,” Miller added.
Public security officials said that air guns are indeed banned in Beaconsfield, as well as in some other municipalities, including Pointe Claire and Hudson.
Beaconsfield city clerk Helen Finn noted that bylaw 418 prohibits “the throwing of any stone or other missile or any snow or ice or use of any bow and arrow, sling or catapult or pea shooter or the carrying or discharging of any firearm and/or air gun.”
The fine for a first offence is a minimum of $100 and can go up to a $1,000.
“If it’s a second or subsequent conviction, the fine can go up to a maximum of $2,000.”
Finn noted, however, that not many tickets have been issued in recent years in connection with the bylaw.
“I’ve been here since 2006 and I haven’t heard of anyone being fined over this,” she said, adding that she did hear of one incident when someone was shooting at ducks along the waterfront in late fall or early winter but those persons were not caught.
Beaconsfield Mayor Bob Benedetti said it’s not always easy to catch someone using an air rifle.
“If someone is using an air rifle in the woods, our public security officials can’t be there 24-hours a day,” he said. “If we do see someone carrying or using such a weapon, you can be sure we’d get them quickly.”
Benedetti also said that although the crow was found in Beaconsfield, it doesn’t necessarily mean it was shot there.
“Someone from a neighbouring town could have shot the bird and it landed in Beaconsfield,” he said.
But Miller said she believes that’s where the bird was shot because crows at this time of year are very territorial and will remain within their breeding territory.
“This cowardly act resulted in terrible pain and suffering for this bird until it was euthanized,” Miller said. “Municipalities should get on board and help us fight the use of these air rifles.”
With files from Alycia Ambroziak