After mass shooting, some Nova Scotia residents wary of stricter gun control measures

In the wake of Canada's worst mass shooting, residents in the communities around Portapique, N.S., have their doubts about the calls for stricter gun control measures. Even those who may have had a narrow miss with the gunman.

"In rural Nova Scotia, you find me a house that doesn't have a gun," said David Matthews.

The weekend of the shooting, Matthews said he and his wife decided to take a different walking route in Wentworth, N.S. On their walk, they heard what could have been a gunshot, or perhaps a car backfiring. They later learned that their friend, Lillian Hyslop, had been shot and killed on a nearby road.

"If I had gone down the road, he probably would have shot us," Matthews said at the time.

Matthews, like most people the Star spoke with, said he was in favour of banning assault-style weapons, but believes that by and large, Canada's gun laws are effective enough. Many residents are wary of further measures that might tighten restrictions on guns they already own.

"With the younger folks, it's not as common. But those of us who are older, we all grew up hunting," Matthews said.

"I'm proud of our gun laws. If you're out for a drive and you get stopped by a cop and you have a gun in the car, you know you're in trouble.

"I'm not saying that we couldn't do something, but there is a place in our society for responsible firearms owners."

The RCMP have yet to tell the public what firearms the shooter, Gabriel Wortman, used in the weekend shootings, which claimed the lives of 22 people. The most they will say on that subject is that he was "in possession of several firearms that included pistols and long barrel weapons."

Police also said that they had traced the source of one weapon in Canada. The rest, they said, had come from the U.S.

On the Monday following the Portapique massacre, groups representing doctors and victims of gun violence wrote a letter to federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair asking Ottawa to immediately ban military-style assault weapons.

"You have the power (to) take an evidence-based measure right now that will save lives," read the letter. "Sadly, we cannot reverse past tragedies, nor prevent all future tragedies, but we can do much more to reduce the risk."

"As has been well documented, these guns pose an excessive risk to public safety and serve no reasonable purpose."

Clair Peers, who owns an antique store in nearby Great Village, also supports a ban on assault-style weapons, but said Monday that she draws the line at restricting the recreational firearms that are more common in rural areas.

"It used to be you walked into every house and the gun rack was on the wall, right? It was in my home. I was brought up on a farm. And it was just a standard thing. You know, there was a rifle, a shotgun and a .22."

"I don't see where it's necessary to take it to another level and go back and start trying to eliminate all firearms. There's sport hunting and people that go for target and whatever. It's like a lot of people say - it's not the firearm that's the problem. It's the people whose hands they are in," she said.

"The guns are out there. These guys can get the guns if they want them."

On the Monday following the shootings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government would be pushing for stricter gun control laws.

"I can say that we were on the verge of introducing legislation to ban assault-style weapons across this country," said Trudeau during last Monday's coronavirus briefing. "It was interrupted when the pandemic caused Parliament to be suspended, but we have every intention of moving forward on that measure, and potentially other measures, when Parliament returns."

"What we have previously indicated is our intention to strengthen gun control legislation," Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told reporters last Monday. "We intend to bring forward both regulation and legislation that will enable us to prohibit military-style assault weapons."

Blair said any legislation will be "evidence-based" and that the RCMP need time to investigate Saturday's shooting.

But Donna Dominix, who lives close by the scene of the initial Portapique shootings, said the community has other things on its mind right now.

"I don't know if this is the time right now to even be talking about that stuff," she said. "I think the focus should be on the losses of the families."

"I really haven't talked to anybody about the gun factor around here. And really how much talking can we do because you can't really get out and around. That's why I say this is something that should be brought up after we hopefully get rid of the virus."

With files from Jeremy Nuttall and The Canadian Press

Steve McKinley is a Halifax-based reporter for the Star. Reach him via email: stevemckinley@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @smckinley1