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Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee

Albertans provided their feedback on the provincial firearms policy.

Overview

The Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee was established to examine the impact of federal firearms legislation on gun owners in Alberta and consider how provincial firearms policies can best meet the needs of Albertans.

Timeline

  • Open

    November 9 to December 6, 2020

  • Results under review

  • Completed

Who is listening

Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General

Input received

Albertans shared feedback through an online survey from November 9 to December 6, 2020, and participated in 2 telephone townhalls. The committee used this feedback to help develop recommendations for the minister of Justice and Solicitor General to consider.

Outcomes

The Alberta government has accepted the recommendations provided by the committee and is using them to further protect the rights of law-abiding firearms owners.

Recommendations included advocating for evidence-based firearms policies, using education initiatives to improve public safety and security, and collaborating with Alberta’s law-abiding firearms community to better serve its needs.

Learn more about the Report to Government: recommendations on provincial firearms policy.

This work informed the Alberta Firearms Act.

Mandate

The Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee:

  • heard concerns about the federal government’s firearms legislation from stakeholders in Alberta
  • will provide recommendations on how provincial policies can best support law-abiding gun owners while keeping Albertans safe

Committee members

The committee represents groups that speak for a wide range of lawful gun owners, including farmers and ranchers, hunters, collectors and shooting sports enthusiasts, and engage with Albertans on the firearms issues that matter to them.

MLA Michaela Frey (formerly Glasgo), chair

Michaela Frey was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on April 16, 2019, representing the newly-formed constituency of Brooks-Medicine Hat. Prior to her election, MLA Frey owned and operated a small business. As an undergraduate, she took special interest in studying previous federal government overreach with the long gun registry. MLA Frey is also an avid hunter and passionate advocate for responsible firearms ownership.

MLA Todd Loewen

Todd Loewen was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on May 5, 2015, representing the constituency of Grande Prairie-Smoky. Born and raised in rural Alberta, MLA Loewen owned a small outfitting business and an operational farm prior to his election. He owns several handguns and rifles, and to this day regularly hunts deer, elk, moose and other animals.

MLA Shane Getson

Shane Getson was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta on April 16, 2019, representing the constituency of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland. Prior to serving in the legislative assembly, he spent 15 years in the construction industry. MLA Getson is a private pilot and firearms enthusiast.

Rick Hanson

Rick Hanson, former chief of the Calgary Police Service, has worked more than 40 years in law enforcement in a variety of operational and administrative areas. He was one of the founding board members of the Calgary and Area Child Advocacy Centre and co-chaired the Calgary 2013 United Way campaign. He is a past president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.

Teri Bryant

Teri Bryant is an associate professor emerita of strategy and global management at the University of Calgary. She has been at the Haskayne School of Business since 1990, teaching international business and Japanese business courses. She is the president of the Military Collectors’ Club of Canada, an avid firearms collector and sport shooter.

Bob Gruszecki

Bob Gruszecki is president of the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association, which administers the delivery of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course in Alberta. He is also chairman for multiple hunting-related charities, including the WISE Foundation and the Hunting for Tomorrow Foundation. In 2009, Bob was named the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s Outdoorsperson of the Year.

Phil Harnois

Phil Harnois retired from the Edmonton Police Service at the rank of sergeant after 25 years of service. Along with his wife Dianne, he owns and operates P & D Enterprises, which sells firearms, ammunition and accessories. The business has been a fixture in the Edmonton area for more than 30 years.

Gail Garrett

Gail Garrett is the vice-president of the Alberta Federation of Shooting Sports. In the past, she has served as a range safety officer and match director at numerous tournaments around the province, as well as president of the Alberta Handgun Association.

Lynda Kiejko

A member of the Canadian Olympic team at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Lynda Kiejko started shooting at age 11 and comes from a shooting family. Her late father, Bill Hare, was a three-time Olympian and her sister, Dorothy Ludwig, competed at the 2012 Olympics in London after competing at the 2007 and 2011 Pan Am Games. The sisters competed together at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, creating a moment to remember in 2010 when they won bronze in the 10 m air pistol pair event. Kiejko has three additional Pan Am Games medals to her credit: golds in the 10 m air pistol and 25 m pistol at Toronto in 2015, as well as a bronze in the 10 m air pistol competition at Santo Domingo in 2003.

Andrew Blundell

Andrew Blundell is vice-president of the Canadian Historical Arms Society and range safety officer at the Genesee Range, a certified gun range. The Canadian Historical Arms Society was founded in 1967 by a group of people interested in the collection, preservation, and application of all categories of arms, from bayonet and Samurai swords, antique and modern military arms and accoutrements to black powder muzzle-loaders.

Linley Coward

Linley Coward is a co-owner of Bullets & Broadheads Shooting Centre in Grande Prairie, a locally-owned and operated facility including an indoor gun range, firearm retailer and learning facility. Linley has been involved with firearms for more than 25 years and enjoys hunting. She is a strong proponent for education in the firearms industry and has a passion for local entrepreneurship and the community.

Nicholas Lui

Nicholas Lui is a software engineer and competitive shooter from Calgary. He served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a signals operator and held the rank of second lieutenant in the Canadian Army Reserves Communications and Electronics Branch. Nicholas has been involved with the Buffalo Target Shooters Association for more than 10 years, most recently serving as the Young Guns Youth Shooting program director.

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