Public Safety committee  Thank you.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for that question. It's an excellent point. Yes, we do need to dialogue with this committee at the point where you are going to review the regulations and any amendments such as what we are requesting. Yes, we need to put steps into play, because, again, the IPSC organization already has steps in play to make sure that the athlete is where they need to be at the right place and the right time.

Public Safety committee  If they are purchasing it for target practice and target shooting, I would say, why not? Not everybody gets into golf to go to the Masters. They get into golf so that they can go to the range and have a recreational outlet.

Public Safety committee  Any violent and tragic loss of life concerns me. All I can say to you is that we have in place steps to make sure that the people who join our sport as athletes are vetted, and we do not let them pass go if they do not demonstrate attitude and safety.

Public Safety committee  As a previous gentleman who was interviewed by you earlier today said, what we do is take steps to intervene when we see that there's a concern—a safety concern, a health concern. We take steps to intervene. Our officials are trained. We are there. Number one, we are taught when we go through the National Range Officers Institute that safety is number one.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. As far as getting into our sport goes, and with the IPSC organization's request to be exempted from this legislation, what does it mean to me? It means to me that when I die, I can bequeath my firearm that my husband gave to me on my 25th anniversary to perhaps a young aspiring female who wants to excel in my sport.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. If I may, I am, again, not only an athlete and a coach but also a club rep. I put on the matches. As I said earlier, our target that we engage at is paper and steel, and the paper is literally an elongated stop sign. Many years ago, when IPSC started, it was a different target, and some people equated it to looking humanoid, but it was changed when we were looking into....

Public Safety committee  I've been doing this sport for 31 years. When I started, my husband was already in the sport, so I joined so that I could do something with my husband, travel the world and go all across Canada. I was basically just doing target shooting. I was at the Stittsville ranges, where they have MP days at the range once a year.

Public Safety committee  We do not have the right in Canada to have firearms for self-defence. That is my understanding. A legislator could correct me if I'm wrong. In Canada, we legally own firearms for recreational shooting sports.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. You actually bring up a very good point. What we need in Canada—and of course you have the ability to see that Canadians get this—is more money for mental health. We need more money for education at the grassroots level and in that family structure, which is where you're going to learn the three Rs—respect, recognition and responsibility—and at the same time learn to look out for your fellow people.

Public Safety committee  What I can say on my role as an official is that we have a very strict no-tolerance policy to safety violations. We have a process that is followed such that if anyone is found in a safety infraction or breaking a rule, they will be visited by our coordinators. Our NROI, National Range Officers Institute, will review it.

Public Safety committee  We do what we can to stop bad behaviour.

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. I would like to respond in my role as a coach and instructor, the first female instructor in Canada. To get into the sport of IPSC is not very simple. It can take six to eight months. You need a Canadian firearm safety course. You need a Canadian restricted firearms safety course.

Public Safety committee  We need legislation, regulations and policy. We have them in our sport. We recognize they are critical and important. Therefore, safety is number one. Bill C-21 has provisions for public safety, but what the people making these laws need to recognize is that they need to address the 90%—or whatever that exact percentage is—of criminals or illegal persons who have no respect for life.

Public Safety committee  Okay. I joined because we need more women in our sport. I'm an athlete. I represented Canada proudly in our opening ceremonies. I am now also an official, chief range officer, an instructor and the first coach in Canada. At the age of 62 years, I am the only woman in North America to win an international level 3 championship.