Use of federal gun registry in Montreal standoff not likely to revive it outside Quebec

Supporters of Canada's largely defunct long-gun registry probably shouldn't hold out hope of its revival in the wake of this week's armed standoff in Montreal.

Advocates for the registry, which was abolished by the Conservative government, say the fact police used the registry — still accessible in Quebec as the province's legal challenge continues — shows it's an important tool.

But the registry never had widespread support among other provincial governments, especially in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario, which are key centres for the Conservatives' voting base.

Montreal police spokesman Sgt. Jean Bruno Latour confirmed to The Canadian Press that officers consulted the registry during the 20-hour standoff.

[ Related: Quebec loses another gun-registry battle with the federal government ]

"It's among the procedures that we always do for interventions where firearms could be [present]," Latour said. "Before we do anything else, we must be sure to know who we're dealing with."

Isidore Havis, 71, is under arrest and facing charges after allegedly brandishing a handgun at hydro workers on his property, then firing a shot at police who showed up. A police tactical team eventually used rubber bullets to subdue Havis, whose lawyer said he is suffering the early stages of dementia.

Havis reportedly has a large gun collection. Police seized 180 firearms and 40 bayonets. News photos show bolt-action rifles that appear to date from before the Second World War.

Montreal police spokesman Daniel Lacoursiere told Global News officers responding to the incident were able to check the national database.

“They were be able to see that the man had over 180 firearms registered to that address," he said.

The long-gun registry was legislated as part of an updating of the Firearms Act in 1993 in the wake of the Montreal Massacre, when Marc Lepine gunned down 14 female students at École Polytechnique using a semi-automatic rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine.

While handguns have been classed as restricted weapons and subject to registration for decades, rifles and shotguns were not until the creation of the long-gun registry.

It ran into staunch opposition immediately from hunters, farmers and sports shooters who saw it as an unreasonable imposition on law-abiding gun owners that did nothing to stop criminals from obtaining guns.

The country's police chiefs supported the registry, saying it gave officers important information if they were responding to, say, a domestic-violence report. But several provinces, including Alberta, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, criticized the registry as costly and intrusive.

Quebec, where gun control sank deep roots in the wake of the Montreal Massacre, was a notable supporter.

The Conservatives came to power in part on a pledge to abolish the registry. Its first two minority governments extended an amnesty to gun owners who hadn't registered, then finally made good on its promise after winning a majority in 2011.

However, Quebec has gone to court to prevent Ottawa from destroying the data from its gun owners so it can be used to build a provincial registry.

[ Related: Protesting owners swap firearms in ‘Great Canadian Gun Registry Shuffle’ ]

Police wouldn't say what role the registry played in resolving the standoff but that hasn't stopped a debate from springing up.

The registry would have made no difference, Blair Hagen, a spokesman for the National Firearms Association, told Global News.

"It’s a proven fact that police always assume there are firearms present," he said.

There were other options besides the long-gun registry, Hagen noted. Under the Firearms Act, Havis needed a licence to possess any guns.

“When the initial inquiry to find out whether he lawfully owned firearms, it would been done through the licensing system," he said.

Hagen added Havis's handgun also would have been registered as a restricted weapon.

[ Related: Feds one step closer to snuffing out final flickering embers of gun registry ]

But Heidi Rathjen, an ardent gun-control advocate and survivor of the Ecole Polytechnique massacre, told Global News police still need access to information on all weapons present.

“Ninety-five per cent of police who were shot on the job were shot with long guns, not with restricted guns," she said. "These guns are dangerous and police need to know who owns them.”