The Canadian landscape has transformed into a bleak and desolate wasteland. The soldiers tasked with defending the nation are worn out and fatigued, and their tools and weaponry keep failing them. Not only basic necessities such as food and medical supplies are in short supply in the country, but even the shelves of gun stores are running empty.
YES! Canada has no ammunition left.
Wild game is an important part of many Canadians’ winter diet, but the ammo stores are in a sorry state in the country. Canada is known for its gun culture but gun holders are now complaining about the ammo shortage in their country.
If you go to a local Canadian Tire, looking for ammo, don’t be surprised to see empty shelves. Because yes, Ottawa is reeling under its biggest-ever ammo crisis in recent memory.
According to Rocky Rutledge, the store owner of Canadian Gun Hub, gun owners are highly impacted by the short supply. He says the panicked shopping spurred by last year’s Bill C-21, coupled with the shortage in the United States, is interfering with supplies.
“There’s been a shortage of supply in the last couple of years. There’s also talks of the government interfering with the supply chain, so lots of people are stocking up so they have lots of ammunition for their guns, especially coming into the gopher season and coming out of the hunting season,” he said.
“Last season, we didn’t have the ammo that we should have, and a lot of people were left without ammo for their guns,” Rutledge further added.
Such is the state of the Canadian firearms industry that even a London store has stood to vouch for the fact. The Owner of Goble’s Firearms Wayne Goble says this is the worst he has seen since opening his store in 1978.
Read More: The Dark Side of Canada’s Involvement in Haiti
Moreover, If one remembers, Canada was also urged for ammunition by Ukraine but the country had nothing to offer in aid to its ally. The situation was so bad that Canada made several rounds of purchases from the United States to channel ammunition aid to the war-torn Kyiv.
According to Canada’s Defence Minister Anita Anand, the country purchased 20,000 artillery rounds of NATO standard ammunition for Ukraine to support its defense against Russia’s invasion. The ammunition was bought from the United States for about C$98 million ($76.32 million) to be delivered to Ukraine. But, why does a country having such a deep-seated gun culture have to rely on other countries for ammo?
Even now, Canada has agreed to send high-tech drones to Kyiv instead of ground weapons and ammunition, despite knowing that Russia and Ukraine are grinding on a ground war. Canada has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression. Still, the unfortunate reality is that Canada currently faces a severe shortage of ammunition and is unable to meet the demands of Ukraine’s military needs.
Moreover, the government is even trying to impose a ban on the possession, sale or transfer of ammunition in the country which seems to have irked the nerves of civilian good guys and hunters who rely on ammunition to pursue their passion or hobbies. This proves that under the garb of curbing gun violence, the federal government is trying to hide its underlying shortcomings of not being able to tackle the ammunition shortage crisis.
Now, the most immediate cause of shortage starts in the United States, with Canada’s southern neighbours stockpiling and panic buying the supply.
Read More: China has found its new colony in the North
Owner of Goble’s Firearms Wayne Goble says, one other strain on Canada’s firearms industry is the effects of the pandemic. Many in the industry seized the opportunity to retire, and supply chain issues have also caused difficulties.
“Weatherby Firearms is trying to get wood. In Italy where they get most of their wood the village was half wiped out by Covid, so they cannot source wood to build their guns with wood stocks,” he added.
Goble is not optimistic about the situation getting better any time soon in the country. The government’s inaction in tackling the crisis can lead to the country having a profound impact on its security and stability. In a world where conflict and uncertainty are all too common, having access to adequate ammunition supplies is critical for a nation’s defense and ability to protect its citizens.
A shortage of ammunition can make it difficult for Canada’s military to conduct training exercises and maintain readiness for potential threats. This lack of preparedness can leave a country vulnerable to dangerous attacks.
Beyond just military and law enforcement agencies, it can also affect civilian gun owners and hunters who rely on ammunition to pursue their hobbies and passions.
In the end, a lack of ammunition can make a nation less secure and stable because it exposes known vulnerabilities that malicious individuals/groups can take advantage of. As such, it is important for governments to take steps to ensure that adequate supplies of ammunition are available to those who need it, whether it be the military, law enforcement, or civilians.
