A local gun owner is up in arms over a recent proposal from the federal government to ban "military-style assault rifles," saying the pledge unfairly takes aims at law abiding citizens and northern hunters, instead of targeting the real sources of gun violence in Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the promise during a campaign stop in Toronto on Sept. 20. If re-elected, he said, the Liberals would establish a buyback program for legally purchased guns falling under the new ban. Municipalities would be given the power to further restrict, or ban, handguns.

The proposal was touted as a means of curbing gun violence across the country while, at the same time, respecting the rights of hunters and farmers SA国际影视传媒� Trudeau said military-style guns, not needed to SA国际影视传媒渢ake down a deer,SA国际影视传媒� have no place in Canada for civilian use.

According to background materials from the Liberal government obtained by CBC News, the ban would include "assault-style rifles and semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 that look like assault rifles and can be converted to be fully automatic."

Fully automatic weapons are already banned in Canada. Firearms in Canada are placed in three categories: non-restricted; prohibited SA国际影视传媒� meaning you canSA国际影视传媒檛 possess them at all SA国际影视传媒� and restricted. AR-15s, a semi-automatic rifle that has been used in numerous mass shootings in the United States, are already restricted in Canada.

Background checks and safety courses are required for licensed holders of restricted firearms.

For Fraser Brown, a Yellowknife firearms owner and hunter, the Liberal governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 use of the term SA国际影视传媒渁ssault,SA国际影视传媒� makes no sense.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 pandering to the misinformed,SA国际影视传媒� said Brown in a recent interview. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a made up term that has no legal definition.SA国际影视传媒�

When people hear the word SA国际影视传媒渁ssault rifle,SA国际影视传媒� Brown said they usually imagine the AR-15 (which stands for the make of the gun, ArmaLite). ItSA国际影视传媒檚 part plastic and it SA国际影视传媒渓ooks scary,SA国际影视传媒� said Brown, but the SA国际影视传媒渄emonizedSA国际影视传媒� rifle is really no different than any other rifle SA国际影视传媒� it fires once with each pull of the trigger, and in Canada, its magazine size is limited to five rounds.

Going after the AR-15 SA国际影视传媒� a rifle thatSA国际影视传媒檚 already illegal to hunt with and limited only to gun range use SA国际影视传媒� misses the mark on curbing gun violence, said Brown.

While he understands the proposed ban on handguns in Canada after the federal government said that it would seek the views of citizens on that question, he said the proposed assault weapons ban would harm SA国际影视传媒減eople who are are literally the most law abiding people in the country.SA国际影视传媒�

Since 2013, which marked the end of a four-year decline in gun violence, firearm-related violent crime has spiked by 42 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. Between 2013 and 2017, increases were recorded in 16 census metropolitan areas. The national upturn was largely the result of gun violence in Toronto.

Roughly sixty per cent of violent firearm-related offences since 2009 have involved handguns, Statistics Canada data shows. Illegal firearm smuggling into the country remains a problem, with the Canada Border Services Agency seizing 751 guns between 2017 and 2018.

While handguns are behind the bulk of gun violence in Canada by a long shot, semi-automatics rifles have been used to perpetrate high-profile shootings in the country, including the 1989 脡cole Polytechnique massacre in Montreal.

Incumbent Liberal MP Michael McLeod told Yellowknifer the definition of what SA国际影视传媒渁ssaultSA国际影视传媒� firearms will be banned is still being worked out.

SA国际影视传媒淭he intention is to look at assault rifles such as the AR-15,SA国际影视传媒� said McLeod, adding SA国际影视传媒渁 lot of people are saying we should be looking at the rate of fire as a way of categorizing (what would be banned).SA国际影视传媒�

Rate of fire refers to the frequency at which a particular type of gun can fire bullets. McLeod said he doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 see the proposed ban impacting hunters in the North.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 not too many hunters that use semi-automatic guns to hunt," he said. "ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 hunters that use semi-automatic shotguns SA国际影视传媒� it doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 apply to that. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 hunters that use semi-automatic .22s SA国际影视传媒� it doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 apply to that."

SA国际影视传媒淪o the definition hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been defined yet but itSA国际影视传媒檚 not going to apply to rimfire, it will apply to centerfire guns SA国际影视传媒�,SA国际影视传媒� he added.

Centerfire firearms are more powerful than rimfire guns.

"WeSA国际影视传媒檙e not sure on the other type of rifles that are going to be considered," said McLeod.

The definitions will be hammered out over a two-year consultation process if he's re-elected, he said.

But Fraser Brown said if the government is going to focus on rate of fire, then they have to be going after semi-automatic weapons at large, which are SA国际影视传媒渦sed by hunters everywhere.SA国际影视传媒�

Fraser said he knows many Indigenous sustenance hunters who use semi-automatic guns like the SKS, an affordable firearm thatSA国际影视传媒檚 used to SA国际影视传媒渉arvest pretty much anything.SA国际影视传媒�

What are other federal candidates saying?

Green Party candidate Paul Falvo stated he would SA国际影视传媒渧ote against any Liberal proposal that impedes lawful Northern hunters.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淎s your Northwest Territories MP I will be listening to constituents and I will advocate for responsible gun ownership that facilitates sustenance and traditional hunting,SA国际影视传媒� added Falvo.

Luke Quinlan, NWT candidate for the PeopleSA国际影视传媒檚 Party of Canada, called the Liberal proposal a SA国际影视传媒渄istraction.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭his is part of the active, ongoing harassment of the legal firearm community whether youSA国际影视传媒檙e a sports shooter, a collector or a hunter,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Yanik D'Aigle, the Conservative candidate for the Northwest Territories, did not respond to a YellowkniferSA国际影视传媒檚 request for comment, nor did NDP candidate Mary Beckett.