I anticipate getting charged one of these days. Oh, well…
Canadians know that the police require a warrant to search their homes. No warrant, no entry, they assume. Moreover, the public is well aware of the notion that, in order for the police to enter your home, violate your privacy and examine your personal belongings, they must demonstrate reasonable and probable grounds to believe that a criminal offence has been committed or that evi-dence of an offence will be located during the search.
That’s true of course, unless you are a licensed owner of a registered firearm: Deer gun, bird gun or Olympic competition .22 caliber rifle – it doesn’t matter.
Anyone with a firearms collection is subject, under the terms of the Firearms Act, to an inspection of their home by a “firearms officer.” Failure to comply with an officer’s direction is a criminal offence.
Moreover, anyone who owns even a single firearm is obligated, again on penalty of criminal charge, to produce their firearm for inspection on demand. Papers, please!
