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BCIFV home > Media Releases > August 3, 2000

C O A L I T I O N

for Gun Control / pour le contrôle des armes
http://www.guncontrol.ca

Press Release: August 3, 2000

Child Safety Experts and Gun Control Advocates Oppose Hunting Days for Kids

The federal Department of the Environment has proposed amendments to the Migratory Birds Regulations that would allow for the establishment of Waterfowler Heritage Days intended to promote hunting for children and youth under the age of 18. Child safety experts and gun control advocates oppose this proposal in light of the evidence which indicates that increasing access to guns puts children at risk. The Department of the Environment makes no secret that Waterfowler Heritage Days are designed to encourage children and youth to hunt with guns, emphasizing the significant economic value of hunting in Canada.

Injury prevention experts have maintained that such programs put children at risk. According to Dr. Katherine Leonard, "Because firearm injuries are a leading cause of death in adolescent males, the Canadian Association for Adolescent Health and the Canadian Paediatric Society feels that the federal government should not be promoting firearms use amongst teenagers as young as age 12. This type of activity exposes adolescents both to the direct risk of firearm injury while they are hunting, but also increases their comfort level with firearms, adding to the risk of impulsive and inappropriate use of a firearm in a firearm homicide and suicide at another time."

Coalition for Gun Control president and Professor of Justice Studies, Ryerson University Wendy Cukier notes "Canada ranks fifth among industrialized nations in the rate of children under 14 killed with firearms following the US, Finland, Israel and Northern Ireland. Guns are the third leading cause of death among Canadians from 15-24 years of age. We should be doing everything in our power to reduce these deaths and injuries. Public safety should be a priority."

Penny Bain, Executive Director of the BC Institute Against Family Violence states that: "when guns are easy to obtain, more of them will find their way into the wrong hands and more children will be injured and killed. It's a simple equation: more access to guns equals more dead children. The research suggests that this proposal will put Canadian children at risk."

Professor Cukier insists, "Let us be clear. We do not oppose hunting. We do not oppose minors permits which ACCOMMODATE access to guns by youth under certain circumstances but this program is explicitly aimed at PROMOTING access to guns by kids. This is extremely ill advised and we believe it will put children at risk. If they want to further their "wildlife management and economic development objectives", they should leave it to the adults."

For more information, please contact:

  • Wendy Cukier, Professor of Justice Studies, Ryerson Polytechnic University and President, Coalition for Gun Control at: (416) 766-4804
  • Dr. Katherine Leonard, Canadian Paediatric Society, Canadian Association for Adolescent Health at:

(416) 756-6750 or (416) 523-9425

  • Elizabeth Moreau, Canadian Paediatric Society at: (613) 526-9397 ext . 231
  • Penny Bain, Executive Director, BC Institute Against Family Violence at: (604) 669-7055

For background documents:

  • Tina Edan, Communications Coordinator, Coalition for Gun Control at: (514) 528-2358
  • For more information, please visit our website: www.guncontrol.ca

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