By Bryan Meadows -

A Dryden-area gunsmith will help lead a court challenge against Bill C-68, federal gun control legislation that requires the country's gun owners to register their firearms.

William Bruce Montague was released from police custody Tuesday on bail after being charged Sept. 11 with several firearm violations including unauthorized possession of firearms.

Montague, a provincial representative of the Canadian Unregistered Firearms Owners Association (CUFOA), said he has participated in a dozen rallies since 2003 with others across the country who oppose Bill C-68, challenging the government to arrest them for refusing to register their firearms.

"I was trying to get arrested the past 20 months," Montague said in an interview Wednesday.

He said "this is the first (firearms) charge with any meat on it."

"We're looking forward to taking it in front of a judge.

"This will be the first chance to take a real good look at (the controversial gun registration requirement) . . . the first real chance of defeating this law."

According to its website, the CUFOA maintains the Firearms Act of 1995 violates at least seven specific rights and freedoms guaranteed to all Canadian citizens under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Bill of Rights, the Canadian Constitution, the British North America Act, English Common Law, the English Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta.

Plagued by cost overruns, the gun registry has been criticized by several groups including the CUFOA, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, provincial cabinet ministers and some police services.

Opponents also say the act violates rights to privacy, security of person, presumption of innocence, association, representation, mobility, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure.

Montague, 45, spent the past week in jail after being arrested by OPP officers at a Sept. 11 gun show in Dryden.

While he "kind of welcomed the arrest," Montague said he was surprised at the aggressiveness of the police action.

"It is kind of hard to describe . . . they tried to make me out as an aggressive man, which I am not," said Montague who has been a gunsmith for more than 17 years.

Montague is charged with two counts of unauthorized possession of firearms, careless storage of a firearm, unlawful possession of an explosive and failure to use reasonable care of an explosive.

His wife Donna Jeanne Montague, 44, is charged with unauthorized possession of firearms and two counts of careless storage of a firearm.

Police took firearms from the couple's rural home during searches on Sept. 11 and on Tuesday, said Brendan Crawley, a spokesman for the Attorney General's office.

Dryden Crown attorney Peter Keen said Wednesday that he couldn't comment on information released at Montague's bail hearing in Sioux Lookout because the investigation is ongoing.

"Most of it is not public record," Keen said, adding the CUFOA has not provided formal notice of a Constitutional challenge to his office, nor to the Office of the Attorney General.

Bruce Montague returns to Dryden court Nov. 15, while Donna's next court appearance is Oct. 25.

The Montagues have retained the services of Thornhill, Ont., lawyer Ed Burlew.

Bruce said CUFOA has set up a trust fund for the court challenge.

"While there's not a lot of money in it right now, we're hoping the community at-large will pitch in and make the fight a winnable one," he said.

Link: http://www.chroniclejournal.com/...