The Williams Lake Sportsmen’s Association in BC hosted a long gun registration burning party on Sunday, April 22nd at their club grounds. In preparation for this event a number of dignitaries were invited but unfortunately did not attend.

Wendy Cukier of the Coalition for Gun Control, an organization which was instrumental at selling a firearms registry to the Federal Liberals, was invited.  A number of people from across the country offered to pay for Ms. Cukier’s travel expenses but this did not attract her to traveling to Williams Lake.

A local gun shop and the Sportsmen’s Association both provided a hunting rifle each as give-a-ways to those attending the event.

Over 545 long-gun registration certificates were turned in and burned.  The ceremonial lighting of the fire was carried out by Philip Mayfield, former Member of Parliament for the Cariboo/Chilcotin Region of British Columbia.

All firearms registrations were placed in a cardboard box for burning. Black powder was spread on the ground around the box and when lit, it burned rapidly igniting the registrations and the box containing them, which had been sprayed with a light coating of gasoline.

All the registration forms burned well and were completely consumed by the fire.  Everyone in attendance agreed that this was the best part of the long gun registry they had ever witnessed.

Jacques Drisdelle